Essendon v Collingwood AFL R24 betting tips – Friday, August 25

Essendon v Collingwood AFL R24 best bets

Essendon v Collingwood AFL R24 match preview

Kicking off the final round of the 2023 AFL Premiership season, Collingwood will be looking to seal the minor premiership when they face a beleaguered Essendon outfit on Friday night.

With their season on the line, the Essendon Bombers suffered their worst defeat in 18 years last weekend, going down by 126 points to the GWS Giants. Losing every quarter, the Bombers never looked up for the fight and now look destined to miss finals.

After sitting as high as fifth in round 17, the Bombers have slid down to 10th position on the AFL ladder. Their only two wins in that stretch have come against the bottom two sides in the AFL, and both were only narrow victories.

The Collingwood Magpies hosted the Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium last weekend, going down by 24 points in a high-scoring affair. After a close first stanza, the Lions broke away throughout the game, winning every quarter as they never allowed the Magpies to get on a run. One positive for the Magpies was the performance of veteran Scott Pendlebury, who had 31 disposals and a goal in the loss.

The Magpies still sit first on the AFL ladder; however, as they are now on the same percentage as the Lions, who face St Kilda at the Gabba on Saturday afternoon, Collingwood will most likely need a win to secure top spot.

After starting as the sub last weekend, Jake Stringer is expected to return to the starting line-up for the Bombers. Small forward Matt Guelfi was subbed out injured in the second quarter and will be a watch for this weekend. Dylan Shiel is also a chance to return after missing since round 17 due to a foot injury.

The Magpies’ injury woes continued last weekend as they lost key defender Nathan Murphy (back) and debutant Jakob Ryan (concussion) during the game. However, midfielder Jordan De Goey and small forward Bobby Hill are both a chance to return.

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Essendon v Collingwood AFL R24 betting predictions

These two sides faced each other back on ANZAC Day, when the Magpies came from 28 points down at three-quarter-time to win by 13 points. Both sides were flying back then, but now they are battling for form at the pointy end of the season.

While the Dons are effectively done and dusted for 2023, the Pies will be looking to take some momentum into their finals campaign. Look for Collingwood to put in a big performance and cover the line of -30.5 at $1.90 with top AFL betting sites.

Kyle Langford has been the main target for the Bombers going forward, registering his 50th goal of the year last weekend. Sitting seventh in the AFL for goals this season, Langford has hit the scoreboard in all but two games, showing he can still score in losses. With the Collingwood defence depleted due to injury, look for Langford to get one-on-one inside 50 and kick two or more goals at $1.60 with Palmerbet.

With 26 disposals and a goal last weekend, Collingwood wingman Josh Daicos was one of few Magpies who stood up against the Lions. A running machine, Daicos leads the club for metres gained this season, outworking his opponents to collect a heap of uncontested disposals. With the Pies needing a win this weekend, look for Daicos to continue his excellent form with 25 or more disposals at $1.55 with top online bookmakers.

Bombers v Magpies key matchup: Parish v Mitchell

Darcy Parish vs Tom Mitchell

In game 150, Essendon midfielder Darcy Parish will be looking to put in another great performance to close out the year. Averaging the third-most disposals in the AFL, Parish does most of his work in the contest. He is also an elite clearance player, moving the ball forward and finding teammates on the outside.

Finding an increased midfield role due to injuries, veteran Tom Mitchell has been Collingwood’s main contested player in recent weeks. Collecting 31 disposals last weekend, Mitchell was criticised for his impact, as he only had five kicks and gave away four free-kicks. Look for Mitchell to have a much greater impact on the game this Friday night.

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