This article will be updated with Round 23, 2018 betting tips on the Monday that the round starts! Check back soon!
Round 23 – the final home and away round of the 2017 AFL season is here and amazingly there are still five teams playing for the last two spots in the finals!
There is also plenty to play for at the top of the ladder with home finals and second chances up for grabs.
Round 23 is shaping to be one of the best rounds of what has already been one of the most competitive seasons we have seen in a long time.
As usual, our multi for the week is at the bottom of the match reviews.
Read on to find out our picks for round 23 – the final round – of the 2017 AFL season!
Please note: these are our early picks prior to team announcements on Thursday night. Check back on Thursday night for any changes to the tips due to any shock ins and outs and late injury news.
All odds are with Sportsbet – our No. 1 rated bookmaker. You can join Sportsbet by clicking HERE.
Friday 25/08/2017
19:50 Hawthorn ($2.10) v Western Bulldogs ($1.74) @ Etihad Stadium
The Bulldogs are one of the teams that can still earn a spot in this years finals series but they will need to have a big win here and hope a few other results go their way.
The Hawks were outplayed by Carlton last week but will be keen to send out Luke Hodge on a winning note.
Likewise, the Bulldogs lost to Port last week and are also saying farewell to veterans Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd.
We think the Bulldogs will get over the line with that little bit extra to play for, however, we think other results won’t go their way so this will be the end of the line for them in 2017.
Betting tip: Bulldogs 1-39 @ $2.37 (BET NOW)
Bulldogs by 20
Saturday 26/08/2017
13:45 Collingwood ($2.35) v Melbourne ($1.60) @ MCG
Collingwoood are finishing the season strongly and pushed Geelong to their limits last weekend. They will want to end the season on a high note and get the chance against the Demons, who will play finals.
The Demons fought off a late comeback by the Lions to get the win last Sunday and they will need to be better than that against the Pies.
These teams match up well and have played in some close matches in the last few years. We’ll take the Demons to win a tough match which will give them some confidence in preparing for their finals campaign.
Betting tip: Melbourne 1-39 @ $2.20 (BET NOW)
Melbourne by 14
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14:10 Brisbane ($1.54) v North Melbourne ($2.50) @ Gabba
The battle of the wooden spoon!
Both sides have only five wins for the season but the Lions are finishing the season on a stronger note.
The Roos have been unlucky in the number of close matches they’ve lost and could easily be challenging for a spot in the finals had they won those games!
The winner avoids the spoon, the loser gets the number one draft pick.
We think the Roos will pick up the number one draft pick. They will need it to trade for that gun midfielder – Dusty? Kennedy? Both?
Betting tip: Brisbane 1-39 @ $2.37 (BET NOW)
Brisbane by 18
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16:35 Sydney ($1.06) v Carlton ($9.50) @ SCG
Sydney were brilliant in the final 10 minutes against the Crows last week and kicked the final two goals of the match to get the three point win. And how good was Buddy’s long running goal?!
Blues fans were ecstatic with the win over the Hawks last weekend and it confirms what we’ve been saying since early in the year – Carlton are building something special and will be a feared side in the next few years.
HOWEVER, Sydney is a different beast.
The Swans will win this one in a canter and turn their focus to avenging last years grand final loss.
Betting tip: Sydney 40+ @ $1.45 (BET NOW)
Sydney by 60
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19:25 Geelong ($1.78) v Greater Western Sydney ($2.05) @ Simonds Stadium
Great game and it’s highly likely that these two sides will also square off in the first week of the finals – with the winner of this match getting home ground advantage – which is massive!
Geelong are still picking up the wins and will be without Selwood again this week. His loss is more apparent against the higher level opposition and it will not go unnoticed here. Tom Hawkins back in the side id obviously a big positive.
GWS are lifting. They seem to be right on track to peak for finals and we should see that here. They are a dangerous side and we think they’ll do enough in Geelong to get he win in a very tight match.
For betting, we think it’s too close to call so we will go with either team to win by less than 15.5 points. Looks a solid pick.
Betting tip: Either team by less than 15.5 @ $2.50 (BET NOW)
GWS by 8
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19:40 Port Adelaide ($1.06) v Gold Coast ($9.50) @ Adelaide Oval
Port Adelaide were good in their win over the Bulldogs in Ballarat last week and it likely cemented position five on the ladder for them – which means a home final.
The Gold Coast were flattered on the scoreboard last week in losing by only 33 points. The Bombers dominated the forward 50 entries but failed to capitalise on the scoreboard. Port Adelaide at the Adelaide is a tough way to finish a tough season for the Suns.
Port will have a big win here.
Betting tip: Port Adelaide 40+ @ $1.50 (BET NOW)
Port Adelaide by 70
Sunday 27/08/2017
13:10 Essendon ($1.13) v Fremantle ($6.05) @ Etihad Stadium
Essendon went a long way to taking a finals spot in their win over the Gold Coast last week. They were wasteful in front of goal but got the win. A win here will almost guarantee they play in September and give Jobe Watson a chance to go out playing finals footy.
Back-to-back 104 point losses for Fremantle. They will be feeling low and will desperately want to finish the season with a win, but Essendon at Etihad looks like a tough task.
The Bombers should have a few nice “ins” this week and they will be looking for a strong performance ahead of finals. We’ll take the Bombers to have a big win.
Betting tip: Essendon 40+ @ $1.83 (BET NOW)
Essendon by 50
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15:20 Richmond ($1.36) v St Kilda ($3.20) @ MCG
Both teams are coming off good wins last week but who could forget the half time scoreline last time these teams met?
The Saints totally dominated the first half of football to put the game beyond doubt.
The Saints can mathematically still play finals if they get a big win and other teams have big losses – but that is a real long-shot.
Richmond will be better here and we expect them to win in a challenging battle.
Betting tip: Richmond 1-39 @ $2.00 (BET NOW)
Richmond by 32
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16:40 West Coast ($2.51) v Adelaide ($1.53) @ Domain Stadium
West Coast lost to GWS last week in a close one and it has almost certainly cost them a finals birth.
West Coast would need to beat the top of the ladder side and home that a few other results go their way to make finals.
The Crows lost a tight one to the Swans last week and would not want to head into finals with back-to-back losses. They will want to win this one to lock up the minor premiership and enter the finals on a winning note.
We’ll take the Crows to get the win in the west, in what should be a quality contest.
Betting tip: Adelaide 1-39 @ $2.20 (BET NOW)
Adelaide by 26
Round 23 AFL multi bet:
We are going with a four-leg multi this week and will keep the betting stake at $50:
Bulldogs 1-39 @ $2.37
Melbourne 1-39 @ $2.20
Brisbane 1-39 @ $2.37
Port Adelaide 40+ @ $1.50
Adelaide 1-39 @ $2.20
Total odds = $40.78
(BET NOW)
A $50 wager would pay out $2,039 at current odds, if successful.
Once again, all odds are with Sportsbet – our No. 1 rated bookmaker. You can join Sportsbet by clicking HERE.
