Geelong is TAB’s premiership favourite for the first time this season with the Cats into their shortest quote of the year after Friday night’s win over fellow flag fancy, the Western Bulldogs.
The third-ranked Cats, who were $10 after their Rd 7 loss to Sydney, replaced Melbourne as $5 flag favourites and have been responsible for more than one-third of trade on premiership betting since Rd 11.
Geelong accounts for 16.54% of TAB’s overall hold on the premiership market, which is the second-most behind Richmond (22.75%), but has been responsible for 35% of the hold on flag betting in the past three weeks. The Cats play $5.50 joint second favourites Brisbane this Thursday night with the Lions $1.70 to the Cats $2.15.
Despite his side’s loss to the Cats, Marcus Bontempelli strengthened his grip on Brownlow Medal favouritism, tightening from $3.75 into $3.50, with another standout performance, while Ollie Wines was $11 into $7.50 after 43 touches in Port Adelaide’s big win over the Gold Coast.
$5.00 Geelong
$5.50 Brisbane, Melbourne
$6.00 Richmond, Western Bulldogs
$8.00 Port Adelaide
$15 West Coast
$26 Sydney
$41 Essendon, GWS
$151+ Others quoted
$3.50 Marcus Bontempelli
$5.00 Clayton Oliver
$6.00 Christian Petracca
$7.50 Ollie Wines
$8.00 Darcy Parish
$9.00 Dustin Martin
$11 Jackson Macrae
$15 Sam Walsh, Travis Boak
$17+ Others quoted
TAB ODDS – Rd 15 MATCHES
$1.70 Brisbane
$2.15 Geelong
$1.19 Richmond
$4.50 St Kilda
$1.75 North Melbourne
$2.05 Gold Coast
$1.75 Collingwood
$2.05 Fremantle
$3.40 Essendon
$1.30 Melbourne
$1.35 Port Adelaide
$3.10 Sydney
$1.25 GWS
$3.80 Hawthorn
$1.80 West Coast
$2.00 Western Bulldogs
$1.60 Carlton
$2.30 Adelaide