We’re back to a full nine-match round for AFL Round 16, with action beginning on Friday night with the Lions vs Demons at the Gabba. Both clubs are currently sitting just outside the top eight which only makes this contest all the more crucial. We bring you our full betting preview for the clash below, complete with a best bet and Same Game Multi!
Also, Before You Bet will be providing free previews and betting tips for EVERY game in the 2024 AFL season, so make sure to head over to out our AFL Tips regularly to keep up to date with all of our free content.
2024 AFL Round 16 Preview & Betting Tips
Brisbane vs Melbourne
Friday 7:40pm AEST, June 28th, Gabba
The Brisbane Lions are officially back in the hunt for season 2024. They seemed to be tracking in the right direction prior to last week before they made a huge statement against the Power at Adelaide Oval, destroying them by 79 points in a superb four-quarter performance (152-73).
The Lions were plagued by injury early in the season which was somewhat to blame for their struggles, but they’ve had a great run with health in recent weeks and are set to be bolstered by the return of young gun, Will Ashcroft. Ashcroft is one of two changes for the Lions this week, with Darragh Joyce also getting his chance due to a Jack Payne injury.
In contrast to the Lions, Melbourne’s 2024 campaign seems to be hanging by a thread. They were extremely fortunate to escape with the four points against the fast-finishing Kangaroos last weekend to avoid succumbing to their third straight defeat (70-67), and will need to dig a lot deeper on Friday night if they’re to improve on their ninth-place standing.
Christian Petracca’s well-documented injury leaves a big hole in the side, and it looks like Trent Rivers is the guy to gobble up all of those midfield minutes. But in another blow for the Demons, Christian Salem has failed to get up for this weekend after being subbed out with injury against the Roos. On a positive note, Jake Lever returns after a spell on the sidelines.
Match Prediction: This matchup for the Demons has come at the worst possible time, as the Lions are currently flying and only get better with the addition of Ashcroft. The Lions have been piling on the score lately and rank #1 in the competition for points scored since they turned the corner in Round 8, whereas the Demons are among the worst in the competition for score over their past three where they’ve put up totals of 49, 51, and 70.
Whichever way you look at it, the Lions seem to have the advantage in this clash by a large margin. I’m surprised to see the line currently sitting at around five goals, and expect them to be winning by a lot more here. So, with that said, backing the Lions to record a big win looks to be a great play to kickstart a huge weekend in the AFL.
Brisbane -28.5
$1.88 (2.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
We’ve collaborated with exciting new bookmaker, QuestBet, to bring you a great value Same Game Multi for the opening game of each AFL & NRL round. Simply click this link or the image below to jump on our Lions vs Demons SGM.
Brisbane should be far too strong here and they’ll be added in our multi to win by 20+ points for the reasons mentioned above. Zac Bailey is always a threat and should get his opportunities to hit the scoreboard if the game goes to script. Trent Rivers entered 80% of centre bounces last weekend in the first game without Petracca. He remains great value in the disposal markets.
SGM Odds: $5.25 at QuestBet
