AFL fans have been treated to another absolute blockbuster Friday night fixture for Round 3. We preview the Collingwood vs Richmond clash and bring you our best betting tips and Same Game Multi.
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AFL Round 3 Preview & Betting Tips
Collingwood vs Richmond
Friday 7:50pm AEDT, March 31st, MCG
Friday night matches don’t get much bigger than the one we have on our hands in Round 3. Collingwood and Richmond will lock horns at the MCG in front of what will be a massive crowd. Both clubs enter this fixture undefeated after two rounds, which makes it all the more exciting!
Collingwood are yet to put a foot wrong in their opening two matches, defeating the reigning premiers in Round 1 before backing that up with a dominant victory against a seemingly in-form Power outfit.
Arguably the most impressive aspect of their performances to date has been their ability to rapidly hit the scoreboard. They enter Round 3 averaging 130 points which is clearly the most in the competition. The Magpies don’t have a superstar key forward that kicks a chunk of their score each week and instead have a number of players that chip in with a couple of goals. This makes them unpredictable going forward and one of the most exciting teams to watch.
Another positive for the Magpies early in the season is the form of star recruit Tom Mitchell who’s fit into his inside mid role seamlessly. He’s averaging 24 disposals and 1.5 goals, and adds a balance to their midfield that boasts elite outside players like the Daicos brothers.
Richmond have also made a strong start to their season and are unlucky not to be on two wins themselves. Their sloppy skills in their Round 1 opener against the Blues cost them two points, but they were able to clean it up last weekend in a strong road win against the Crows.
Unfortunately, the Tigers suffered a couple of injuries to some key players in Round 2 and will be without the likes of Jacob Hopper, Dustin Martin and Jayden Short on Friday night. Hopper was fantastic in his second game for the club last weekend but is struggling with knee soreness, while Martin was subbed out in the fourth quarter against the Crows due to hamstring tightness, and Short injured his calf. On top of that, Nathan Broad’s dangerous tackle on Patrick Parnell has cost himself four weeks on the sidelines through suspension.
All of these outs for the Tigers places a lot of pressure on star recruit Tim Taranto to put in a big shift in the midfield. He’s looked the goods in the yellow-and-black so far and has formed a nice ruck/rover combination with Toby Nankervis.
The odds for this matchup would be a lot closer to 50/50 had the Tigers been at full strength, but that just isn’t the case and the Magpies are the $1.40 favourites as a result. In my opinion, even if fully healthy, the Tigers would struggle to match up with this Magpies outfit that is firing on all cylinders. The Pies look to have gone to another level in 2023 and I expect them to move to 3-0 after a strong win on Friday night.
Collingwood -16.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
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Collingwood to Win – Happy to double down and chuck Collingwood in my SGM as well. They represent great value in my opinion.
Brody Mihocek 2+ Goals – Having McStay in the same forward line frees up Mihocek and lets him go to work against a lesser defender. His goal markets are one to take advantage of early in the season.
Tim Taranto 25+ Disposals – With an inside mid like Hopper missing this game, the importance of Taranto in the contest is dramatically increased. He’ll get plenty of time around the ball and should be racking up 25+ disposals.
Nick Daicos 25+ Disposals – The Tigers just about never opt to tag and that bodes well for Daicos. He has the ball on a string at the moment and should be clearing 25 with no problems.
Same Game Multi odds - $3.80
