AFL Betting Odds and Lines

Australian Rules Football

Australian Rules, as it’s known down under, hasn’t hit the prime time screens in the U.S, but it’s an exciting game and the sportsbook has odds available.

The biggest Australian sport, AFL combines the best of rugby and football to create one of the most exciting games in the world.

AFL betting is available on every game throughout the season, which runs from March to October.

Explaining AFL Rules

Watching an AFL game for the first time can be chaotic. There are 18 players per side on the field at the same time, and there’s often a mad rush for possession of the ball.

The aim is to kick the oval ball, which is shaped similarly to a rugby league ball, through a set of goal posts. If the ball is kicked through the primary posts, the team scores six points. If it’s kicked on the side of the main posts, they get one point.

Even though it looks hectic, it’s a simple game. Tackles are made, and players can mark the ball if it’s kicked more than 15 meters — similar to a fair catch in NFL.

It’s an open game, which can result in big scores. It’s not surprising to see scorelines such as 162-120, so there is plenty of scoring opportunities.

At the end of 100 minutes, which is the longest of the Australian games (the others are 80 minutes), the team with the higher score wins. If it’s a draw, there is no overtime. If it’s a Grand Final, the game is replayed in its entirety the following week.

Betting on AFL is great because there is a plethora of betting options, which are explained below.

AFL odds are available for a range of betting options, including moneyline, spread, and total points.

Don’t be surprised to see big spreads posted with online gambling markets. Many of the games are one-sided, and because the games are high-scoring contests, the margin of victory is often higher than rugby or NFL.

First-Goal Scorer Wagers

First-goal scorer wagers are extremely popular. There is usually a handful of players tipped to kick the first goal, and they are primarily forwards.

Because the leading goal scorer usually kicks 3-4 goals, there are options for every player to kick two or more goals, which is where the value resides.

Premiership winner wagers are also popular. Live betting is available throughout the year, so it’s easy to follow your team and bet on them as the season progresses.

One of the more popular teams to follow are the Geelong Cats, who have been consistently good for years.

“Watching them perform consistently at a high level year after year has felt a bit like watching a magic show, which has us all mesmerized at how they can achieve it all for such a long time,” ESPN’s Justin Robertson said. “And what we know now is that Cats aren’t alone. There’s a number of teams trying to emulate what they do in order to stay great.”

Geelong is often around +800 to win the premiership in early betting markets. However, in recent times, teams like Collingwood, Port Adelaide, and Richmond are usually well-backed to win.