Gold Coast vs Melbourne AFL R2 tips & odds – Saturday, March 26

The Melbourne Demons will be expecting to go 2-0 in their AFL Premiership defence this Saturday night when they take on the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium.

Of all the round one performances, Melbourne’s was probably the most impressive. They fought out a tough win against last year’s beaten grand finalists, the Western Bulldogs. The lead swung wildly during the game, but the Demons found the final momentum push to get home by a comfortable 26 points. Melbourne looked tall and composed under pressure, a powerful combination. They are deserving flag favourites at this very early stage of the season.

In round one the Gold Coast Suns travelled to WA, where they won a hard-fought contest against the severely depleted Eagles. The game was in the balance with five minutes to go, before the young Suns kicked four unanswered goals to clinch victory by 27.

While it’s normally hard to leave WA with a win, it’s impossible to determine the merit of the Suns’ performance in this case given the weakness of their opponents. The result will, however, give them a confidence boost and they will gladly pocket the four premiership points. Young teams thrive on winning, much like a potential top-line horse who is sent to a provincial racetrack for an easy kill. Winning is good for the soul, and for young teams who are accustomed to struggling, it’s importance cannot be over-stated. It builds team spirit, belief, and fuels further success.

Key matchup: Witts vs Gawn

In a high-stoppage game, the ruck contest might prove vital to determining the outcome. Melbourne’s Max Gawn will need to be negated if the Suns are to remain competitive. Jarrod Witts will probably line up in the middle for the Gold Coast, and he delivered a solid performance in round one. If he could draw that contest, the Suns coaching staff will be thrilled.

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Gold Coast vs Melbourne predictions & best bets

Online bookmakers have tried to tempt punters in the game with a total points line of 156.5. Many Gold Coast home games are low-scoring affairs due to the heat, humidity, and resulting perspiration. The ball gets slippery and goes sideways off the boot, tackling becomes difficult, and games can become mired in endless stoppages. This is especially true early in the season, when the game-time temperature can still be 26C or 27C in the evening. The 156.5 is a low line, though – the second lowest line of round two, in fact. Bookies are expecting only the Sydney vs Geelong game to go lower.

So we’re going to avoid this market and instead back Melbourne to win by 1-39 points, which is returning $2.10 on Sportsbet. We’re not expecting a blowout, and 39 points seems like a reasonable safety net. For those chasing more secure returns, the obvious secondary bet is to also back the Suns 1-39 points, which is showing $4. By placing $10 on the Suns and $20 on the Demons, we can assure ourselves a profit either way – provided neither team goes on a one-sided scoring blitz, that is.

Gold Coast vs Melbourne AFL same-game multi tips

We’re going to play it relatively safe on the same-game multi. We’ll take the Melbourne 1-39, Christian Petracca to get more than 25 disposals, and Petracca to deliver as an anytime goalkicker. Petracca is a prodigious talent and looks set for another big season.

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