AFL Round 3 odds, schedule and times

Round 3 of the 2021 AFL season kicks off on Thursday, April 1, and run until Monday, April 5. Our AFL betting experts have examined the odds in our regular Monday column taking an early look at the matches for the week ahead. 

The AFL has been forced to switch Thursday’s Brisbane v Collingwood clash from the Gabba to Marvel Stadium, following the latest Covid-19 outbreak in Queensland. 

In what loom as one of the matches of the round in AFL round 3 action, the switch is set to give the Magpies a leg-up as they look to send their ledger to 2-1. The Lions will be desperate to avoid going 0-3 after their nail-biting and controversial one-point loss to Geelong in Geelong, when they were denied a free kick in the dying moments which would have won them the game.

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 The Magpies defeated arch rival Carlton on Thursday night at the MCG, as they put their week one scoring woes behind them and ignited star forward Jordan De Goey, eventually winning by 21 points.

 On Good Friday afternoon, the Western Bulldogs ($1.09) are unbackable favourites to defeat North Melbourne ($8) at Marvel Stadium.

The Bulldogs will be aiming to go 3-0 after their magnificent come-from-behind win over West Coast on Sunday. 

Later that night the Gold Coast Suns ($1.80) will start favourite against Adelaide Crows ($2.02) after they trounced the Roos on the Gold Coast at the weekend. The Crows are tenacious and will fancy their chances of beating the young Suns in Adelaide. 

On Saturday the AFL world will find out just how much Sydney ($3.75) have improved when they take on reigning premier Richmond ($1.28) at the MCG.

The Swans have already declared they are likely to rest Lance Franklin, after he got through his long-awaited return game unscathed. 

St Kilda are expected to defeat Essendon, who have the early season staggers and could be missing key midfielders Dylan Shiel and Dyson Heppell, with the experienced pair both injured either prior to or during their loss to Port Adelaide. 

The West Coast v Port Adelaide clash at Optus Stadium is the late game on Saturday and looms as the match of the round. The Eagles are at $1.95 to win the clash, while the Power are at $1.87 with both teams among the premiership fancies in 2021.

 Carlton will attempt to win their first game of the season when they host Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. The Blues are priced at $1.38 to win, which looks a little narrow given how easily they capitulated to Collingwood, with Fremantle outsiders at $3 and drifting after a concussion injury to captain Nat Fyfe.

The other Sunday match features the GWS Giants hosting the red-hot Melbourne Demons in Canberra, while the match is rounded out on Easter Monday with the old rivals Geelong and Hawthorn clashing at the MCG.

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AFL Premiership odds before Round 3

There was not a great deal of movement in AFL premiership betting with round two largely going to script.

Port Adelaide moved from $6 to $5.50 and into the second line of betting, while the Lions, despite being so brave in their one-point loss to Geelong, blew from $8.50 to $11.

If the Lions lose to Collingwood on Thursday, their season will be sitting at 0-3 and many bookies would be happy to put a line through their AFL title chances.

The Magpies firmed back in slightly from $26 to $21 after taking care of old rivals Carlton, while the Sydney Swans continued to rocket up the charts into $23 from $26 after impressive win. The young Swans loom as the biggest beneficiaries of the changes the AFL made to speed up the game.

Carlton are on the nose out $41 from $26 after entering the season with a lot of hype.

AFL title odds 2021

$4.50 Richmond Tigers
$5.50 Port Adelaide Power
$6.50 Geelong Cats
$10 Western Bulldogs
$11 Brisbane Lions, West Coast Eagles
$17 St Kilda Saints
$21 Collingwood Magpies, Melbourne Demons
$23 Sydney Swans
$34 GWS Giants
$41 Carlton Blues, Fremantle Dockers
$51 Gold Coast Suns
$67 Hawthorn Hawks
$101 Adelaide Crows, Essendon Bombers
$251 North Melbourne

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AFL Round 3 fixture, odds and times (all times AEDT)

AFL round three will run from Thursday, April 1, to Monday, April 5, with bookmakers having odds available now. Be sure to check out our AFL betting tips before wagering on this week’s games:

Thursday, April 1

• 7:20PM: Brisbane Lions $2.02 v Collingwood $1.81

Friday, April 2

• 4.20PM: North Melbourne $8 v Western Bulldogs $1.09
• 7.50PM: Adelaide Crows $2.18 v Gold Coast $1.70

Saturday, April 3

• 1.45PM: Richmond $1.28 v Sydney Swans $3.75
• 4:35PM: Essendon $3.30 v St Kilda $1.34
• 8:10PM: West Coast $1.95 v Port Adelaide $1.87

Sunday, April 4

• 3:20PM: Carlton $1.38 v Fremantle $3
• 6:10PM: GWS Giants $2.35 v Melbourne $1.60

Monday, April 5

• 3:20PM: Geelong $1.27 v Hawthorn $3.80

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