The Wildcard Finals showdown at the M.C.G. is in the books, with Carlton delivering a disciplined performance to defeat Melbourne 74–55. In a fixture where the market saw Melbourne move from 2.08 into 1.99, while Carlton drifted out from 1.75 to 1.87 before the bounce, it was the Blues who ultimately silenced the doubters and asserted control on the big stage.
Both sides entered with contrasting recent form. Melbourne was coming off an 87–108 loss against the Western Bulldogs, whereas Carlton carried momentum from a 119–82 victory over Fremantle. When the action commenced, the Blues managed the conditions and scoreboard pressure effectively, pulling away to secure a comfortable 19-point victory at the final siren.
How the tips went
Looking back at our published selections for this clash, it was a mixed bag across the board. Our Head to Head tip on Carlton at 1.74 delivered a win as the Blues successfully took care of business away from home.
In the line market, our selection of Carlton -5.5 at 1.9 also landed a win, comfortably covering the handicap with their 19-point margin. However, our Total Points selection of Over 159.5 at 1.33 resulted in a loss, as both defensive units tightened up and kept the overall scoring well below that mark in a low-scoring 55–74 affair.