Carlton Blues vs Adelaide Crows Prediction: Blues expected to keep their strong form here

In Round 5 of the Australian Football League, the Carlton Blues will host the Adelaide Crows at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. So far this season, the hosts have emerged victorious in all of their matches, while the visiting team has yet to secure a win.

Remaining undefeated in the 2024 season, the Carlton Blues enter Round 5 with a perfect 4-0 record. Despite a commanding 50-point victory against the young and rebuilding North Melbourne Kangaroos, the Blues have clinched their other wins by narrow margins of 1, 5, and 10 points. Impressively, they boast a flawless 9-0 record in games decided by 10 points or less since the beginning of last year. In their most recent match against the Fremantle Dockers, the Carlton Blues faced a late deficit and seemed destined for their first loss of the season. However, through some heroic individual efforts in the final moments and aided by a couple of contentious umpiring decisions, they managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, finishing as 73-63 winners.

The Adelaide Crows have yet to secure a victory this season, entering Saturday's match with a winless 0-4 record. Not only have they suffered losses, but they haven't posed a serious threat to win in any of their games so far, even in Round 1 where their comeback fell short. Surprisingly, their struggles have been most evident on the offensive end this season. Despite ranking in the top two in the competition for points per game last year at 95.3, they are currently scoring at a rate of just 57 points per game in 2024.

With the Carlton Blues boasting a perfect 4-0 record and the Adelaide Crows struggling at 0-4, it's no surprise that the Blues are heavily favored to secure another win. However, recent matchups slightly favor the Adelaide Crows, who have won their last two encounters, albeit both at Adelaide Oval. Conversely, the Carlton Blues have emerged victorious in their last two meetings at Marvel Stadium, which could be more relevant for this fixture.

Despite being arguably the most disappointing team in 2024, the Adelaide Crows have managed to avoid blowout losses, with their largest defeat being by 35 points against the Fremantle Dockers. On the contrary, the Blues have excelled in close finishes, as highlighted earlier. Considering these factors, betting on the Blues to win by a margin of 1-39 points appears to be the most sensible choice in what could potentially be a one-sided affair favoring the Crows.