How to Bet on the AFL – Aussie Rules Football Betting Guide & Betting Strategies

Here in the United States, we have our main four sports: football, basketball, baseball and hockey. Then, we have our “up and coming” sports: soccer, MMA, lacrosse, etc. However, there are TONS of other sports markets that we can bet on! Introducing how to bet on Aussie football!

Aussie Football League

Aussie football is a contact sport played on an oval field MUCH larger than a standard American football field. There are actually no standard dimensions for this oval, but the largest is 175 m long by 145 m wide.

Rules

The objective of the game is to kick the ball through four posts at either end of the field. Two posts are in the middle and serve as the goalposts while the two posts on either side serve as the behind posts. 

Kicking the ball through the two-goal posts results in 6 points. Kicking the ball between a goal post and a behind post results in 1 point.

Each team has 18 players on the oval with four on the bench available to substitute in and out. Players can play as many minutes as their teams want, but teams are limited to 90 interchanges.

A game is 90 minutes long.

Betting on AFL

Right now you may be thinking, “I JUST now found out what AFL even means. How am I supposed to bet on this?” 

Don’t worry. We are going to go through the bet possibilities on the AFL. Plus, if you are using OddsJam +EV betting, it’s all about numbers and taking emotion out of your bets!

Head-to-Head

If you are familiar with the moneyline in most traditional American betting markets, then this one will be easy for you. Head-to-head is the exact same as the moneyline. Who is going to win this match outright?

As always, favorites are designated with a (-) symbol, and underdogs are designated with a (+) symbol.

Line Betting

Do you know what a point spread is in traditional American markets? That is line betting in AFL! Take a look at this example courtesy of BetRivers:

Here it is actually designated as the spread. The Melbourne Demons are HEAVY favorites. In order for a bet on them to hit they have to win by 27 or more. 

The Essendon Bombers are a large underdog. In order for a bet on them to hit they have to either win or lose by less than 27.

Total Betting

Have you ever heard of the over/under? That is exactly what is being bet on when you hear total betting in AFL. 

If the team’s score combined goes over the total betting line shown then the over wins. If the team’s score combined goes under the total betting line then the under wins.

Margin Betting

Margin betting is like band betting. It is also one of the more popular bets in AFL. It is simply betting on how much you think your team is going to win. You can see the BetRivers example below:

Derivatives Betting

Derivatives are one of the most involved bets available in AFL. This bet is wagering on the following:

• Total
• Line
• Side bets

All based on a half or quarter. NOT the entire game. Researching a team’s early performance compared to late performance can really help when gambling on these markets.

Proposition Betting

Prop betting! We all know player props in the typical markets we bet, this is the same type of bet! These bets include but are not limited to:

• Disposals
• 3+ Goals
• Most Goals
• First Player to score
• First Team to Score

Live Betting

It is just like it sounds! Betting on a match in progress, live, as it’s happening! You can get some massive advantages when live betting AFL but you have to be vigilant and locked in because lines change FAST once you’re betting live.

Future Betting

This is betting on future results as the name implies. The markets in AFL for these bets are bets such as who will win the AFL season and who will win the AFL Grand Final Match. 

How Do I Handicap the AFL?

Handicapping anything is hard, but it can get harder as you get into more obscure sports. Luckily, the AFL is NOT obscure — especially if you live in Australia. There are TONS of in-depth guides and analyses on the AFL. 

Research

USE the resources I mentioned above and do your research! Look at every angle you can. Start with the normal win-loss records, home/road splits, and previous matchups. Don’t stop there, though, and dig DEEPER!

Resources

BigFooty

The largest Aussie Rules community on the internet. 

TheRoar

This Aussie Football blog is updated with news and lines regularly.

ABC

The Australian version of ABC. Like most major networks here, it has a dedicated section for AFL!

All The Books to Bet on AFL

As is our mantra at OddsJam: “More books = more money!” Make sure you are signing up for ALL of the books you can.

You need every book available to you so you can shop around for the best lines. Now that you have your AFL betting game plan, get out there and make some wagers!