AFL Round 18 continues on Friday night with a pivotal matchup between Collingwood and North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium. Both clubs are in the race for a top 10 finish and are currently separated by just two premiership points on the ladder, making this one of the most important fixtures of the round.
We bring you our full preview and expert tips for the Magpies vs North below, with odds thanks to Dabble!
Collingwood vs North Melbourne Prediction & Betting Tips: AFL 2026 Round 18
Magpies Eyeing Final Positions
Collingwood rolls into Friday night with a serious wind in their sails after pulling off a thrilling 104 to 98 shootout win over Gold Coast. Craig McRae's group showed plenty of spine on the road, largely thanks to another masterclass from Nick Daicos. The superstar midfielder tore the Suns apart with 31 disposals, eight clearances, and a crucial goal, while Dan McStay and Tim Membrey provided the perfect frontline punch with three majors each. Holding down ninth spot on the ladder, the Magpies are poised to get a massive leadership injection with Scott Pendlebury expected to overcome a calf complaint. His cool head in the engine room is exactly what Collingwood needs to consolidate their position and lock down a win they simply cannot afford to let slip.
Kangaroos' Season Slipping Away
North Melbourne gets another shot at the Friday night lights, but the mood is a lot more subdued after a thoroughly disappointing 73 to 52 loss to Port Adelaide. The raw numbers from that game lie to you. Harry Sheezel had 40 touches and Luke Davies-Uniacke worked himself into the ground for 31, but the actual on-field product was toothless. Alastair Clarkson’s side looked completely devoid of answers moving into attack, appearing slow and incredibly predictable whenever they crossed the centre line. Life gets significantly harder for them this week too, with dynamic young bull George Wardlaw sidelined with a hamstring strain. Sitting 11th and desperate to bridge the gap to the top ten, North needs a monumental lift in work rate if they are going to survive Collingwood's corridor pressure.
Recent History
Collingwood has completely owned the recent head-to-head history, stringing together six consecutive regular season wins against the Kangaroos since 2020. That streak includes a comprehensive 45-point win at Marvel Stadium when they last met in the home-and-away rounds. However, those numbers mask just how fiercely contested these games can get, with North Melbourne pushing the Magpies to a single point in 2024 and keeping it to just over a goal in 2022.
Our Magpies vs North Best Bet
The smartest play on the board is targeting the under on the 175.5 total match points line. North Melbourne has become a textbook unders team of late, with their last four matches all falling short of the market total. A lot of that comes down to Alastair Clarkson's tactical shifts. The Kangaroos are heavily prioritising chip-and-charge lateral ball movement over aggressive north-south transitions, which inflates their uncontested possession counts but kills their scoring punch. When you pair that with both coaches wanting to flood numbers behind the ball to protect the defensive arc, points will be at a premium. Their encounter last year only reached 171 points because Collingwood went on a 49-point rampage in the final quarter after three terms of absolute lock-down footy. Expect a heavily congested, tactical scrap that stays under the number.
Total Match Points Under 175.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Collingwood vs North Melbourne Prop Bet
We’re going back to the well again this week and backing Luke Davies-Uniacke for 25+ disposals. He had 31 last week and 25 the week prior and thrives in this matchup against the Magpies, averaging 30 a game against them in their last three meetings. He remains strong value considering all of the numbers in his favour.
Luke Davies-Uniacke 25+ Disposals
$1.87
Collingwood vs North Melbourne Same Game Multi
Jack Darling 2+ Goals: Jack Darling has had a solid season and enters this game having kicked eight goals over the past four matches. He will need to deliver again with Larkey seemingly out of form.
Tim Membrey 2+ Goals: He’s hit a bit of a purple patch with 11 goals over the past five weeks including eight over the last three. Also kicked three the last time he was up against this opposition.
Luke Davies-Uniacke 25+ Disposals: As highlighted above in our prop bet, LDU loves this matchup and he’s also in good form.
Collingwood vs North Melbourne Match Info & Betting Odds
Date: Friday 10th July
Time: 7:40pm AEST
Location: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Odds: Collingwood $1.38 vs North Melbourne $3.05
Line: -17.5
Points: 175.5
Where to Watch Collingwood vs North Melbourne
You can watch the Magpies vs North live and ad-free on Kayo Sports.
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