Adelaide v Melbourne AFL Rd 16 betting tips & preview | July 2

Adelaide will test Melbourne’s apparent return to premiership form when they host the Demons at the Adelaide Oval for round 16.

Adelaide got the job done in Tassie versus the lowly Kangaroos and will be hoping that the victory signals a trend in the right direction. The Crows have won two of their last three, which will help boost morale and game plan confidence.

The round 15 victory may have unearthed a serious forward talent in Darcy Fogarty, who booted 4.1 and looked dangerous throughout. Fogarty combined brilliantly with Tex Walker, and the prospect of two big, agile, goal kicking forwards will undoubtedly lift Adelaide spirits after a rough season to date.

After a miserable three game form slump, the Demons hit back hard against fellow premiership contenders the Brisbane Lions in round 15. Even without spiritual leader Max Gawn, Melbourne were classes above the Lions in a 64-point drubbing. The question posed by this performance is – can the premiers return to their consistent winning ways?

The demolition of Brisbane was the result of an outstanding team effort. Sides that overly rely on one or two key players to do the heavy lifting can be vulnerable to shut out, but round 15 saw Oliver, Petracca, Viney, and stand-in ruckman Luke Jackson all contribute toward a dominant overall effort. Defending against such a wide array of talent is the stuff of opposition coaching nightmares.

Key matchup: Rory Laird v Jack Viney

Adelaide midfielder Rory Laird has been one of the league’s most impressive players in 2022. Laird is averaging a whopping 33.1 disposals, 20.8 handballs, 7.3 tackles, and 7.7 clearances, truly phenomenal numbers. Laird will get the chance to cross swords with some serious opponents here, but we are expecting him to power through and have a big afternoon.

Melbourne midfielder Jack Viney often gets overlooked given the calibre of his teammates but has been stacking some nice numbers of late. Viney is averaging 25.5 disposals, 6.2 tackles, and 4.6 clearances this season while competing for the ball with the likes of fellow Demons Oliver and Petracca. Viney comes off a big performance against the Lions, and his clash with Laird is our key match-up.

Adelaide Crows vs Melbourne Demons betting tips

The reinvigorated Demons are predictably short here. The line has been set at an accurate 33.5 points, with the total game points expected to hit around 163.5 points. We are going to go with Adelaide here and hope they can kick a decent total and not get overrun. If they start brightly and hit the scoreboard early, they should be able to hang with the Demons long enough with the help of home ground support. Adelaide +33.5 points is the tip here, available at PalmerBet.

Crows v Demons same-game multi picks

For the value hunters, we recommend linking some same game markets to enliven your viewing experience and fatten your bankroll. Our same game suggestion is Adelaide +33.5 points, Darcy Fogarty 2+ goals, Rory Laird 25+ disposals. We are expecting the Crows to show some fight and hoping to capitalise on them producing some solid numbers. This combo will return $4.86 courtesy of Ladbrokes.

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