Dalhaus & Papley player specials – Bulldogs vs. Swans Round 4 tips

By Nathan Marotta
Saturday, 14 April, 4:35 pm AEST, 2018, Etihad Stadium, Watch on Fox Footy.

Two seasons on from their epic stoush in the 2016 Grand Final, the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans will continue one of the AFL‘s newest, fiercest rivalries at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The bookmakers have installed the Swans as favourite after an impressive start to the season. The Bulldogs, sitting in 16th after winning their first game last week, will hope to build on the momentum of their win over the Bombers in Round 3.

The Bulldogs and Swans coaches, Luke Beverage and John Longmire, are two of the very best in the business and have formed a rivalry of their own — one which the footy world will be watching.

Injuries have wrecked the Bulldogs early in the season with multiple star players unable to take the field.

Midfielder Tom Liberatore was a cruel blow with an ACL injury in round 1. With more than five other premiership stars battling form and fitness, the Dogs have been a shadow of the side which held the premiership cup aloft in 2016.

The Swans are not without injuries of their own. Sam Reid injured his quad during the week leading up to Saturday’s clash and will miss up to two months. Second year backman Lewis Melican will also miss with a less-severe quad strain.

With all the excitement this game has to offer, here’s some tips to get you even more thrilled.

Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans Round 4 – Player Specials

Western Bulldogs

Luke Dahlhaus 6+ Tackles @ $2.50 with William Hill

Luke bounced back last week after two underwhelming games in the opening rounds of the season. As a bullish onballer that revels in applying pressure, Dahlhaus does get himself plenty of tackles. This week against the contested ball kings, Luke will have to roll up his sleeves to stop the Swans midfielders.

Sydney Swans

Tom Papley 2+ goals @ $2.20 with William Hill

The perfect player to have at Buddy Franklin’s side. Tom Papley does an excellent job at applying pressure and is often rewarded for his hard work with a few goals. Last year the small forward kicked two goals against the Bulldogs. We think the result will be very similar and Tom will be gifted some goals for the hard work he displays while chasing and tackling.

Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans Round 4 – Over/Under Total Points tips

Western Bulldogs

70.5 Over/Under – Over @ $1.34 with CrownBet

Last week at the same venue against Essendon the Bulldogs scored 104 points. This may seem average compared to most teams, but they also had 34 scoring shots (14.20). Straighten up the kicking and the Doggies could easily score over 70 points. The Etihad roof will be closed, the game will be fast-paced and we’re backing the Dogs in to be competitive here.

Sydney Swans

90.5 Over/Under – Over @ $1.46 with CrownBet

The Swans are averaging 96 points per game so far in 2018. As the outright premiership favourites, the Swans have a certain player that manages to hit the scoreboard every game in a big way. Lance Franklin won the Coleman Medal last year after charging home in the final rounds. He has followed up the amazing form so far and leads the Coleman Medal so far after three games. Expect Buddy to kick plenty of goals as the Swans blow past 90 points.

Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans Round 4 – Race to 50 points

Sydney Swans @ $1.45 with Ladbrokes

Sydney has proven so far in 2018 they are very capable of winning against quality sides. Getting off to a quick start will boost the confidence of the team and put them in the best position to win. The Bulldogs have previously been slower starters and against the Swans, they will find it hard to jumpstart this match.

Bulldogs vs. Swans Match Predictions

Match Result: Swans to win @ $1.42 with Sportsbet
Line Betting: Sydney – 15.5 @ $1.92 with Sportsbet

In what will be an even contest early in the match, the Swans will break away as the game progresses and beat the Bulldogs by a five-goal-plus margin. We expect Sydney to dictate the match and send the Bulldogs back to the drawing board.