The AFL bye rounds are finally behind us as round 16 serves up some tasty match-ups across the weekend.
How much have Richmond improved? We'll find out on Thursday night against Brisbane.
Sydney host Geelong with the loser suffering a blow to their finals contention.
Can Port Adelaide win at the MCG when they face Essendon?
The Sporting News gives you the best betting tips for Round 16.
Odds courtesy of Bluebet.
Last week, we scored two of our six predictions.
Geelong won by under 24.5 points and Sydney easily covered their line against West Coast.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera fell one disposal short of hitting 25, Nat Fyfe didn't kick a goal, Collingwood fell short of their line and Hawthorn were thrashed by Gold Coast.
MORE: AFL Injury List 2023
Brisbane Lions (3rd) vs Richmond (12th) best bet
Richmond are going pretty well at the moment but the Lions are nearly impossible to beat at the Gabba.
Brisbane also looked like they were returning to their best form against St Kilda last week.
The Lions should get the win but it's unlikely to be a blowout.
Brisbane 1-39 margin - $2.20
Sydney (13th) vs Geelong (9th) best bet
A bit of a tougher test for the Swans with the visit of Geelong instead of the traffic cone Eagles.
It's hard to judge the Swans performance but the Cats were impressive in dispatching Melbourne.
Favourites Geelong shouldn't win by a lot if they get the job done.
Geelong 1-39 margin - $2.30
Western Bulldogs (7th) vs Fremantle (11th) best bet
Fremantle appear to have arrested their mini-slide with an impressive win against Essendon last week.
The Bulldogs have also been inconsistent and are coming off the bye.
We like the Dockers at the line in this game, with both teams capable of winning.
Fremantle +15.5 line - $1.90
Adelaide (8th) vs North Melbourne (17th) best bet
The Crows showed they are a quality outfit by taking Collingwood close at the MCG on Sunday.
North Melbourne have been improving but a trip to Adelaide Oval is a tough ask.
Expect the Crows to win but the question is how much?
The line looks attainable with Adelaide's forward line power.
Adelaide -40.5 line - $1.90
Gold Coast (10th) vs Collingwood (1st) best bet
Collingwood showed they were vulnerable against Adelaide, while the Suns proved they are a much better team at home.
You can't back against the Magpies but the Suns will be primed to have a crack on their turf.
Collingwood by 1-39 points seems like a reasonable bet with a thrashing unlikely.
Collingwood 1-39 points - $2.15
Essendon (6th) vs Port Adelaide (2nd) best bet
The Bombers were disappointing on their road test against Fremantle and it won't get any easier against Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide have performed well on the road this season, especially at Marvel Stadium, but the MCG is a different kettle of fish.
Tough game to predict and unlikely to be a big win to either team but Port Adelaide on the nose looks the safest option.
Port Adelaide to win - $1.97
Hawthorn (16th) vs Carlton (15th) best bet
The Hawks struggled on the Gold Coast after their bye, maybe missing James Sicily more than we thought.
Carlton enjoyed a good win against the Suns before their bye and will be keen to back it up.
We think the Blues are a little short in this game so we like Hawthorn at the line.
Hawthorn +16.5 points - $1.90
Melbourne (4th) vs GWS (14th) best bet
This match is being played in humid conditions in Darwin, instead of a cold MCG.
Melbourne's forward line potency has been lacking in recent weeks but their smalls should thrive up north in the wet.
GWS have been much improved of late but the Demons should get the job done by a small margin.
Melbourne 1-39 points - $2.15
West Coast (18th) vs St Kilda (5th) best bet
What to say about West Coast after their 171-point belting?
Surely they have a crack in front of their home fans.
St Kilda have lost three of their past four games but surely won't lose.
It will come down to whether they can cover the line and they should against a struggling Eagles.
St Kilda -51.5 points - $1.90
