AFL Round 18 Betting Preview: Game Odds, Trends, Analysis for Week Ahead

The top two teams in the AFL meet in a Friday night blockbuster at Adelaide Oval, with the Adelaide Crows playing host to the Geelong Cats.

Just two points separate the Crows and the Cats on the ladder, and a win for Geelong would see them go top of the ladder for the first time since Round 4.

The oddsmakers are predicting a Crows win, however, with the home side priced at $1.50 AUD, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, and with a 15.5 line against them despite losing their past five against Geelong.

The Cats, who beat Adelaide by 22 points just seven weeks ago, look value at $2.60, but their price will fluctuate depending on whether their Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield takes the field against his former club.

Dangerfield suffered bone bruising in the narrow win against Hawthorn last week and will be given until matchday to prove his fitness as will Adelaide's Rory Sloane, who was concussed last week against Melbourne in Darwin.

The Crows' poor record against the Cats goes back a decade, and they've won just three of 16 over that time.

The other clash of teams near the top of the table sees fifth-placed Richmond ($2.30) host third-placed Greater Western Sydney ($1.62) at the MCG on Sunday.

The Giants are winless in their past three, drawing two straight games before losing to Sydney last week. Is this just a temporary form blip, or is the mounting injury toll starting to impact the Giants?

These two teams met in Sydney in Round 9, with the Tigers coughing up a six-goal three-quarter-time lead to lose by three points. Since then, Richmond have won five of seven, while the Giants have won just three of seven.

The other top-eight clash sees Melbourne host Port Adelaide at the MCG a day earlier. The Demons were beaten up by the Crows last week but could get back a couple of key players, including co-captain Jack Viney, for this match.

They go into the match set as $2.30 outsiders, with Port Adelaide ($1.62) coming off impressive wins over West Coast and North Melbourne in the past two weeks. Melbourne did win the last clash between these two sides in Round 21 last year, but the Power won the previous seven before that.

Across town at the same time, Essendon will look to further push their finals credentials when they host North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. The Bombers, who were good in thrashing St Kilda last week, are $1.30 favourites to beat the Kangaroos ($3.55) for the first time in three years.

Having registered just their second win in six weeks last week, the Western Bulldogs ($1.40) will look to build some momentum when they travel to Cairns to play Gold Coast ($3). The premiers are four points out of the eight and have not won back-to-back games since Round 5.

Sydney's stunning charge into premiership contention is set to continue with the Swans $1.25 favourites against St Kilda ($4) at the SCG on Saturday night.

The tightest match of the round is predicted to be Fremantle vs. Hawthorn at Domain Stadium on Saturday night, with the Dockers $1.87 favourites ahead of the Hawks at $1.93.

The remaining matches see Collingwood ($2.25) host West Coast ($1.66) at Etihad, a venue where the Pies have won just one of their past eight, while Carlton ($1.56) travel to Brisbane ($2.44) to play the Lions.