North Melbourne v Carlton betting tips and prediction
Welcome to our North Melbourne v Carlton betting tips and winner prediction for their AFL round 4 clash at Marvel Stadium on Friday afternoon.
The Blues have been installed a 1.62 favourite with AFL betting sites to defeat the Kangaroos (2.30) despite their second-half capitulation against Melbourne on Sunday.
The loss has heaped pressure on coach Michael Voss, with a victory over the much-improved Roos their only path out of the media glare, which looks destined to claim another Blues mentor.
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Carlton will lose their young defender Harry Dean to concussion after a heavy knock against the Demons, but they can consider Adam Cerra (hamstring) and Zac William (ribs). Nic Newman, Adam Saad and Nick Hayes all played at VFL level and contributed and could play a role in the senior team.
The Roos have began the season well with a 2-1 record, their wins coming over Port Adelaide and Essendon, while they threw away a golden opportunity against West Coast.
But they will have to tackle the Blues without their no.1 ruckman Tristan Xerri, who has been suspended until round 7 for rubbing blood on the face of his Essendon opponent. This indiscretion leaves Callum Coleman-Jones as their no.1 ruckman, while veteran forward Jack Darling could be brought in as backup.
Continue reading for our free North Melbourne v Carlton betting tips and winner prediction.
North Melbourne v Carlton betting tips
Our AFL betting expert has assessed the markets and found some value North Melbourne v Carlton tips:
Patrick Cripps 2+ goals
The Blues Brownlow Medallist might be watching his midfield minutes dwindle, but we think he will contribute up forward, despite his awful kicking proving a hindrance. The Blues desperately need more avenues to goal and the experienced Cripps could be the man this week. He is paying 7.00 for 2+ goals with Australian betting sites.
Luke Davies-Uniacke 25+ possessions
North Melbourne’s no.1 midfielder finally has some support and looms as their match-winner in this game. If Davies-Uniacke gets somewhere near 30 possessions the Roos will be hard to beat. He is paying 1.52 with BetRight to gather 25+ possessions.
Over/under betting
The over/under mark has been set at 177.5 for this clash and given it’s at Marvel Stadium, which tends to produce high-scoring contests, we’re going to steer clear of this market. If it was at the MCG we’d be jumping on the unders with confidence.
Cooper Trembath 3+ goals
Trembath rewarded our patience last week with 2 goals against Essendon and we’ll ride with the talented young forward again. Trembath has some unique abilities, including elite athletic attributes, a good running mate Nick Larkey and oozes talent. We took him for two last week, and we’ll take him for three this week, given his likely opponent Dean is sidelined. He is paying 4.25 to kick 3+ goals.
North Melbourne v Carlton prediction
While a North Melbourne victory would not surprise, we are worried about the absence of Xerri, who is the Roos heartbeat around the ball. The Blues are also playing for Voss’s future, with more losses almost certainly ending his tenure, especially games they expect to win. Roos coach Alastair Clarkson finally has his team in good shape, with a great midfield and talented forward line, and he will be marking this match down as a win. We’re really looking forward to this match, and we’re tipping the Blues to keep the wolves at bay in a close one. Our final North Melbourne v Carlton prediction? Blues by nine points.
