Melbourne v North Melbourne AFL tips & team news | Round 15

Demons v Kangaroos best bets

Melbourne v North Melbourne match preview

Melbourne will be looking to break a run of losses this Saturday night as they host the last-placed North Melbourne at the MCG in round 15 of the AFL season.

The Demons enter as strong favourites at $1.18 with PlayUp, while the Kangaroos are rank outsiders at $5.50. The line is set at 32.5 points.

Before their bye in round 14, Melbourne fell to Collingwood by 38 points in the traditional King’s Birthday clash. It was a disappointing display from Simon Goodwin’s men, who lost every quarter and kicked just six goals for the day.

After losing four of their last five matches, the Demons have slipped to 10th on the AFL ladder. With finals now looking far from certain, online bookmakers have pushed them out to $2.25 to make the top eight.

The disappointments continued for Melbourne throughout their bye week, as it was confirmed that star midfielder Christian Petracca will miss the rest of the season after taking a heavy knock against the Magpies. The club had hoped Jake Lever would be available by now, but the key defender is still a week or two away after undergoing knee surgery.

North Melbourne’s last game was also a loss against Collingwood, but a much more dramatic one. Having led by as much as 54 points in the third quarter, the Kangaroos capitulated late to go down by a point in the most heartbreaking result of the season to date.

Despite the loss, there have been some clear positives for the Kangaroos in recent weeks. Even so, they are short-priced favourites for the wooden spoon at $1.36 with top Aussie bookmakers.

Star rookie Colby McKercher (foot) and co-captain Jy Simpkin (hamstring) may be available for the Roos this week. Key defender Kallan Dawson is the only forced change as he serves a one-match suspension.

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Demons v Kangaroos R15 predictions

Although Melbourne have had a horror run in recent weeks, this match presents as the perfect opportunity to make their way back into the top eight. The Demons have struggled in attack this season, but they should be able to kick some kind of score against the leakiest defence in the AFL. With percentage a key factor in Melbourne’s finals chances, back them to win by 40 or more points at $2.25 with BetOnline.

With Petracca out for the rest of the season, the pressure is now on the shoulders of Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver. The three-time All-Australian has had an underwhelming year, yet he is still averaging 27 disposals across his last five matches. With Max Gawn dominating in the ruck this season, Oliver should have first use throughout the day on his way to 30 or more disposals at $2.15 with top online bookies.

On the other side, North Melbourne midfielder George Wardlaw is coming off a career-high 30 disposals against the Magpies. Now that Harley Reid and Sam Darcy are out of the equation, the 20-year-old is a $2 favourite for the AFL Rising Star. With over 20 disposals in five of his last six weeks, back Wardlaw to continue his great season with 25 or more disposals at $2.15 with AFL betting sites.

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