AFL Betting Preview Round 17: Thursday Night Footy

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• Author: Alex Christodoulou
  Jul 12, 2018 12:57 PM

Desperate Crows aiming to tame Cats

Adelaide v Geelong

AFL Odds: Adelaide $1.98 (-1.5) / Geelong $1.83 (+1.5)

This Thursday night clash has huge bearing on who ends up making the cut for finals footy.

It's also a massive game in its own right, with some of the league's best players lining up in what's sure to be a great way to kick-start Round 17.

The Cats were fierce last week, dominating the Swans in Sydney in a game they could have won by at least 30 points.

Inaccurate kicking meant that the margin of victory was only two goals. However, if Geelong play at the same level with more polish in front of goal, the Crows don't stand a chance.

While the spotlight is always directed at Selwood, Dangerfield and Ablett in Geelong's midfield, it is actually the likes of Tim Kelly and Mitch Duncan who have been consistently running the show from the middle of the park.

Look for another big game against the Crows midfield, which is just as star-studded.

Rory Sloane, Bryce Gibbs and Matt Crouch all need to have superb games in what is a must win clash for the Crows' top eight aspirations.

A loss here after being blown away against the Tigers last week would surely spell the end of Adelaide's season.

They will need to rely on not only their stars, but their home crowd to give them the boost they need.

 Eddie Betts (Adelaide), Riley Knight (Adelaide), Daniel Menzel (Geelong)

 Jordan Murdoch (Geelong), Harry Taylor (Geelong)

  An overcast night with a slight chance of showers. Not enough to deter a big Adelaide crowd from turning out.

 AFL Stats in focus:

This stats show that while Geelong's midfield stepped up in a crunch game last week, the Crows' efforts dipped significantly.

If this trend continues, Adelaide will be on the end of a spanking.

Key AFL Stat

• Adelaide have won 6 consecutive matches as a home underdog