St Kilda vs West Coast AFL Round 4 betting tips – April 10, 2021

The St Kilda Saints cannot afford to start the season 1-3 if they wish to compete at the pointy end of the 2021 AFL Premiership, meaning they must win this upcoming Saturday afternoon clash with the West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium in round four.

Brett Ratten and his Saints want to dive further into the finals after last season’s second-round exit, but that dream appears more elusive than ever after their thrashing at the hands of Essendon last week.

Adam Simpson’s Eagles played flawless football against Port Adelaide in round three, leading against the premiership contender from the opening bounce to the final siren.

Explosive Saints star Jade Gresham will miss the rest of 2021 with an Achilles injury, but to balance that loss, first-choice ruckman Rowan Marshall may finally return from his foot injury after a smooth VFL comeback.

Key matchup: Jack Steele vs Dom Sheed

Jack Steele was the only Saint to accumulate over 20 disposals last round, amassing 35 touches in an outstanding individual effort. Luke Shuey returned for the Eagles and immediately injured his hamstring, meaning Dom Sheed needs to step up in the midfield once again. Sheed is currently ranked second in the AFL for clearances, with Steele not far behind him. It should be a strong head-to-head matchup between these two at most contests.

St Kilda Saints betting info

Besides Jack Steele and the now-sidelined Jade Gresham, not many St Kilda midfielders are having a strong impact this season. Stay clear of the disposal markets at online bookmakers until the St Kilda on-ballers get back into their groove. The Saints have not scored well either this season, meaning unders on the total points market is also the better option.

St.KildaSaints

• Jake Carlisle
• Dougal Howard
• Callum Wilkie
• Jimmy Webster
• Jack Sinclair
• Hunter Clark
• Jack Billings
• Zak Jones
• Bradley Hill
• Tim Membrey
• Jack Higgins
• Dan Butler
• Seb Ross
• Max King
• Josh Battle
• Rowan Marshall
• Brad Crouch
• Jack Steele
• Harry Coffield
• Jack Lonie
• Jack Bytel
• Daniel McKenzie
• Ben Long (Emg)
• Mason Wood (Emg)
• Darragh Joyce (Emg)
• Shaun McKernan (Emg)
• Coach: Brett Ratten

West Coast Eagles betting info

Having won 11 of the past 12 contests against St Kilda, the Eagles clearly have form on their side in this matchup. The triple threat of Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Oscar Allen continues to massacre most backlines, while Jamie Cripps and Liam Ryan have lifted their output as well. Insert some goalscorer legs into your multi this week and expect a big score from the Eagles.

West CoastEagles

• Liam Ryan
• Josh Kennedy
• Oscar Allen
• Jamie Cripps
• Jack Darling
• Jarrod Brander
• Liam Duggan
• Dom Sheed
• Jack Redden
• Tom Cole
• Jeremy McGovern
• Jackson Nelson
• Brad Sheppard
• Tom Barrass
• Shannon Hurn
• Nic Naitanui
• Tim Kelly
• Andrew Gaff
• Jake Waterman
• Jake Petrucelle
• Josh Rotham
• Jamaine Jones
• Nathan Vardy (Emg)
• Isiah Winder (Emg)
• Alex Witherden (Emg)
• Xavier O’Neill (Emg)
• Coach: Adam Simpson

St Kilda vs West Coast betting predictions

Oscar Allen to kick 3+ goals

Jake Carlisle was terrific for St Kilda in a lost cause last week, but he, Callum Wilkie and Dougal Howard cannot handle this three-pronged West Coast attack. Josh Kennedy loves the matchup against the Saints, but we think Oscar Allen is primed for a big one. Allen slotted four majors in round one and could put up similar numbers against the struggling Saints.

West Coast Eagles to win by 1-39

The Eagles have a solid record at Docklands of late and nearly beat the Western Bulldogs under the roof in round two, so the venue should be no issue for them. Andrew Gaff and Nic Naitanui are in great form, and West Coast’s talented forwards should have a field day if their midfield runs over the out-of-sorts Saints as expected.

St Kilda vs West Coast AFL same game multi

Even though all the evidence points towards the Eagles, we still think the final margin will land between 1-39, as the Saints simply must bounce back. Jack Steele should enjoy his time in the midfield while Luke Shuey is sidelined, and the possible inclusion of Rowan Marshall could be a huge team-lifter for St Kilda.