Melbourne vs Hawthorn AFL R7 betting tips – Saturday, April 30

There is already talk of Melbourne rolling through the 2022 AFL home and away season undefeated, but Hawthorn will have other ideas when the Demons and Hawks clash at the MCG this Saturday afternoon.

The Dees are yet to be tested in this campaign and appear to have further upside – a scary thought for their premiership rivals. The Melbourne wagon rolled straight over Richmond in round six despite a night of very poor goalkicking. A return of 9.22 should normally be a losing score, but the Melbourne dominance stretches across the entire field, and they held the Tigers to a mere 8.6. So, who can trouble the reigning premiers when their only weakness appears to be bouts of mid-game laziness? Should we back them to win the flag now after six rounds of dominance?

Although the young Hawks lack in polish and experience, you have to admire their courage and determination. They scrambled over the Cats through pure grit in round five and held the Swans at bay for over three quarters before the weight of Sydney’s attacking pressure finally broke through. The Swans then kicked eight unanswered goals to dispatch Hawthorn by 41 points. We thought the Swans’ relentless pressure might be too much for the Hawks, who tend to look up before slipping their passes, allowing nearby defenders a crucial second or two to lay the tackle. So, can the Hawks provide any resistance here, or will they get a footy lesson from the Dees?

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Key matchup: Brayshaw vs Wingard

We’re going to apply some heat to Hawthorn small forward Chad Wingard. He tends to go missing in games and throw little tantrums when things don’t go his way. The 28-year-old should be in his prime, yet he averages just 51 AFL Fantasy Points per game in 2022. If the Hawks are any chance against the Demons, players like Wingard will need to stand up. Demons defender Angus Brayshaw, on the other hand, is averaging 93 Fantasy Points this year and is a dependable, solid contributor. We’ll match the inconsistent Wingard against the reliable Brayshaw here.

Melbourne vs Hawthorn betting strategy

The obvious bet here is Melbourne at the line of -30.5 points. The only danger appears their occasional lazy spells, but if they can kick straighter this week and crack the Hawks like the Swans did, they should run away with the game. There is also a little value backing Melbourne wire-to-wire, currently returning $1.80 at Ladbrokes. Without complicating punting matters, Melbourne -30.5 is the tip here.

Melbourne vs Hawthorn same-game multi tips

For value hunters we are linking Melbourne -30.5, into Chad Wingard as anytime goalscorer, into Max Gawn as anytime goalscorer. This three-legged combo will return a handsome $5.43 at Neds. Wingard is due to make a decent contribution, and big Max loves to sneak up the ground and pinch a shot on goal whenever possible. This game is unlikely to shed much light on the likelihood of an undefeated Demons season, as we’re expecting an easy victory for the premiership favourites.

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