The Magpies are searching for form, whilst the Bombers are searching for their passports as Round 24 begins at the MCG. Craig McRae’s men have been hit by more injuries, and their search for their best form has one more stop before the finals begin.
We bring you our preview, best bet and value Same Game Multi for the Bombers vs Pies clash below! Also, make sure to check out our AFL page regularly to keep up to date with all of our content, including tips for every game, weekly Brownlow recap, and more!
AFL Round 24 Preview & Betting Tips
Essendon vs Collingwood
Friday 7:50pm AEST, August 23rd, MCG
The injuries have continued to pile up for the top-of-the-table Pies, as they head back to the MCG in their quest for that winning feeling. The Pies are searching for form, while the Bombers are looking to play four more quarters and switch their focus towards the 2024 season.
Essendon headed north last week with finals still a realistic possibility for the year, however things went south very quickly against the GWS Giants. The Giants didn’t face a lot of resistance, and it ended up being a 126-point defeat for the Bombers. Kyle Langford continued to be a shining light for the Bombers up forward with two majors, but the Bombers struggled to get the ball forward with any efficiency and couldn’t contain Jesse Hogan (9 goals) and the rest of the Giants forwards defensively. The Bombers possessed the ball for only 32% of the match last week, making it hard to do much of anything. Brad Scott will be looking for a response this week, although with one game to go, and the potential for a few teams to jump the Bombers on the ladder and improve the draft hand of Adrian Dodoro, if he is still around after the season.
The positive for the Pies last week was the fact they kicked 15 goals against the 2nd team on the ladder last week. The negative was they conceded 19 goals to that very team as well. The Pies tried their best to adjust to life without Darcy Moore, Nick Daicos and Jordan De Goey, in what was a roller coaster performance. There were some positives to come out of the game. Mason Cox came into the game as the sub, and put in a strong case for more time as the primary ruck as a result. They will welcome back De Goey and Bobby Hill, which will assist on the offensive end (and in the middle to an extent), however the problems still lie in defensive 50. Nathan Murphy is out, leaving Billy Frampton to hold the fort in the backline as the tall option. The Pies were beaten in transition last week, and at the feet of packs consistently, so they’ll be looking for a lift from the likes of Brayden Maynard, Isaac Quaynor and John Noble. Although they are largely guaranteed a home final barring a massive defeat, players are playing for a spot in the starting 22 for the qualifying final.
Motivation is lacking for the Bombers, and the Pies are looking to round into form leading into the finals. If the Pies are serious about their September credentials, this should be a one-sided victory.
Collingwood -29.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
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Collingwood 40+ points – Covered this in 3 of the last 4, and looks to be enjoying the added responsibility through the middle with the likes of Neale and Dunkley down on their form recently.
Darcy Cameron 1+ goal – I get the feeling that Mason Cox will be seeing more time as the primary ruck, so there may be more opportunities for Cameron to stretch the Essendon defensive set-up.
SGM Odds: $5.25 at BoomBet
