Brisbane vs Melbourne AFL Rd 23 betting tips – August 19, 2022

Who will emerge with the September edge when Brisbane hosts Melbourne at the Gabba fortress for round 23?

The Brisbane Lions grabbed fourth place on the ladder with a hard fought win over the Saints in round 22. The game had multiple momentum swings, but the Lions held their nerve to secure the 15-point victory. Brisbane has looked a little shaky in recent weeks and will be buoyed by the win over a St Kilda team fighting tooth and nail to keep its season alive.

Brisbane are the comp’s highest scoring side and the forward line made up of Joe Daniher, Charlie Cameron, Eric Hipwood, and Cam Rayner looks formidable when receiving quality midfield service. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Demons in round 15, the Lions will be determined to square the ledger and grab an early edge on one its chief rivals for the flag here.

The Melbourne Demons were extremely fortunate to scrape home against the desperate Blues in round 22, after Carlton appeared to have the game sewn up with a minute left on the clock. The tussle was a close one for the full duration, with no team leading by more than 11 points across four quarters.

The recent trend for the Demons is that while their superstars in Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw, and Christian Petracca all amass huge numbers, not enough is produced by the rest of the squad. We might be nit-picking a touch, but such weaknesses will become more apparent under the harsh glare of finals football and may prevent the Demons from going back-to-back. We have our doubts and will continue to lay Melbourne for the flag.

Key matchup: Lachie Neale v Clayton Oliver

Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale is now the short-priced favourite to win the 2022 Brownlow Medal. Neale has averaged some impressive numbers this season including 30.2 disposals, 4.1 marks, 7.4 clearances, and 4.5 tackles. Neale is a short, low to the ground type player who excels in tight scrimmages and congested play. Against the stacked Melbourne midfield squad, Neale’s efforts will be critical to the outcome of this game.

Not far behind Neale in the Brownlow market sits Clayton Oliver, a midfielder who defines toughness. Oliver boasts superior numbers to Neale, which is why we never bet on the Brownlow, averaging 33.7 disposals, 8.5 clearances, 3.7 marks, and 5.1 tackles. These two champs are bound to collide in this blockbuster match-up.

AFL Brisbane vs Melbourne betting strategy

The Lions enter as slight favourites due to their fearsome home ground reputation. If the game was played at the MCG, where Brisbane was dismantled in round 15, we would see the Demons as much shorter priced favs. The early line is set at a narrow 3.5 points, which offers betting options either way. The key to this game might be Melbourne’s ability to contain the free-scoring Brisbane forwards. A total of 100 points will almost certainly be enough to claim the spoils, and Brisbane routinely hits that total. We are going with the home side here, so Brisbane -3.5 points is the official tip, available at PalmerBet. Whatever the outcome, pay close attention because we might see these sides line up again during the month of September.

Brisbane vs Melbourne Rd 23 same game multi tips

For lovers of juicy odds, we are linking our main tip with some value-adding exotics. So, the tip is Brisbane -3.5 points, into Eric Hipwood anytime goal kicker, into Cam Rayner anytime goal kicker, into Hugh McCluggage anytime goal scorer. This ambitious combo will return $5.52 courtesy of Ladbrokes.

More sports betting tips