Friday night in Round 23 of the AFL will boast a double header, with the first game of the night seeing the Bombers hosting the Saints from Marvel Stadium. All eyes will be on Nasiah once again, a man who's in incredible form.
Below, we bring you our best bet, player prop, and Same Game Multi for the Bombers vs Saints, with odds thanks to Dabble!
Essendon vs St Kilda: 2025 AFL Round 23
Saints’ Rollercoaster Ride: Brilliant Comebacks Mask Shaky Form
Over the past three weeks, the St Kilda Saints have been on a thrilling rollercoaster ride, showcasing both resilience and flair. In Round 20, they achieved one of the most remarkable comebacks in AFL history, overturning a 46-point deficit to defeat Melbourne with a goal after the siren by Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The following week, they narrowly edged out North Melbourne by nine points and just got over the line against Richmond last week. Their three game win streak probably isn’t a clear indicator of their true form, which has looked incredibly shaky against some of the bottom teams in the competition. If not for the brilliance of Wanganeen-Milera, they would likely be 0-3 in those games.
Bombers’ Form Freefall: Ten Straight Losses and No End in Sight
It’s been a torrid run for the Bombers over the last few months, a rough patch that has tested their resilience to the limit. Battling through a relentless injury crisis that has seen more than 10 of their best 22 sidelined at various points, Essendon has struggled to find any rhythm or momentum. The team has been stuck in a frustrating spiral, dropping their last 10 games in a row, which has taken a toll on both confidence and morale. Last week’s trip to Geelong only added salt to the wound, as the Bombers were thoroughly outplayed by the Cats at GMHBA Stadium, going down by a hefty 44 points. To make matters worse, skipper Zach Merrett suffered a broken hand in the loss, further depleting an already threadbare lineup.
Windy Hill Wasteland: Bombers’ Injury Crisis Hits Critical Mass
It’s an absolute bloodbath at Windy Hill and it doesn't look like it’s going to get any better this week. The list of casualties is almost comical at this and would make a solid AFL team in it’s own right, highlighted by the likes of Merrett, Parish, Martin, Draper, Cox, Ridley, Setterfield, Caldwell, McKay, Jones and Shiel. The Saints suffered some injury blows in their win over the Tigers, with Mitch Owens going down with a season ending hamstring injury. Also ruled out for the remainder of the season is Butler, Byrnes, Dow, Howard and King.
Bombers or Saints? Here’s our Essendon vs St Kilda Tip
The Saints haven’t been nearly as good as their three game win streak suggests, but I feel like this could be the game where the flood gates might open at Marvel on Friday night football. The Bombers have been absolutely ransacked by injury and resemble a VFL team at the moment, and no team downhill skies quite like the Saints under the roof. The Saints were 53 point winners over the Bombers in their last matchup, a much better Essendon side than the one that will run out on Friday night. Like the Saints to cover here.
St Kilda -25.5
$1.90 (1 Unit)
Essendon vs St Kilda Player Prop Bet
Our Best Player Prop: Mattaes Phillipou 2+ Goals
Didn’t get on the scoreboard last week but I really like his value to trouble the scorers on Friday night. Spent 100% of his time on ground in the forward line against the Tigers, didn’t attend a single centre bounce and had a few opportunities inside forward 50.
Mattaes Phillipou 2+ Goals
$3.00
Essendon vs St Kilda Same Game Multi
Cooper Sharman 2+ Goals - Has been playing as the deepest key forward for the Saints for the whole back half of the season now and has looked solid over the last month in particular, booting nine goals in his last five games.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera 30+ Disposals - This is basically a set and forget at the moment. The Messiah has gone next level over the last few months, racking up at least 30 touches in six of his last eight and his last four in a row.
Max Hall 15+ Disposals - Saints skipper Jack Steele has been spending more time in the forward line over the last few weeks and I think the swap has come with Max Hall, who has been seeing more time in the midfield. Good value to get 15+ here.
SGM Odds: $2.90 at Dabble
Essendon vs St Kilda Match Info & Betting Odds
Location: Marvel Stadium
Date: Friday August 15th
Time: 7.20pm (AEST)
Odds: Essendon ($3.90) vs St Kilda ($1.26)
Line: St Kilda -25.5
Total: 169.5
Where To Watch Essendon vs St Kilda?
You can watch Essendon vs St Kilda live on Kayo Sports!
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