Geelong v Collingwood AFL tips, odds & multi picks – Rd 1, 2023

Geelong kick off their AFL Premiership title defence with a blockbuster against old rival Collingwood at the MCG this Friday night.

The danger for both sides will be a regression from their 2022 results, which exceeded pre-season expectations. The Cats will be determined to go back-to-back, while the Magpies will be desperate to replicate their top-four finish.

The reigning premiers produced a poor effort in the pre-season, going down by 46 points to the Lions. The Cats failed to win a single quarter, but there will be no panic in their ranks just yet.

The Geelong list is among the competition’s deepest, allowing them the freedom to rotate players and experiment with different combinations. They have lost inspirational captain Joel Selwood to retirement, but otherwise the Cats look strong and are expected to challenge again for flag honours.

Collingwood enjoyed a solid hit-out in their practice match, beating the Hawks after a see-sawing battle. This continues their trend of winning the close games, which saw them finish fourth on the 2022 ladder.

The Magpies’ most recent winning margins have been six, one, seven, six, and four points. This cannot be attributed purely to chance and reflects the winning mindset that has been instilled by coach Craig McRae.

Time will tell whether the Pies can continue to clinch the close ones.

Key matchup: Tyson Stengle v Patrick Lipinski

Geelong small forward Tyson Stengle comes into 2023 off a breakout year. The Adelaide reject kicked 46 goals in 2022 working at the feet of Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins, completing the competition’s most potent forward line. He also averaged 2.6 tackles per game last season, and kicked 2.0 in the loss to the Lions while grabbing a solid 20 disposals. Stengle booted 4.3 in the opening round of 2022 and should be further improved with another pre-season under his belt.

Collingwood half-forward Patrick Lipinski was among their best in the win over Hawthorn, grabbing 22 disposals and kicking 2.2 in an exciting display. Lipinski can go to work in the centre of the ground, but his ability to drift forward and finish attacking forays sets him apart. He stands at 190cm and 85kg, making him the perfect size for the midfield-forward role. He is agile at ground level while still having the height to mark overhead.

Geelong v Collingwood Rd 1 betting strategy

The line has been set at a healthy 11.5 points and markets are heavily favouring the Cats. We will see if, like other great sporting teams, they can flick a switch and produce their best after a sluggish effort in the practice match. Who can forget the 81-point flogging they delivered in the 2022 AFL Grand Final? This looks like a high-scoring affair, and we are tipping over 164.5 total points with some confidence.

Geelong v Collingwood AFL same game multi

For those chasing larger returns, we will linking over 164.5 points into Tyson Stengle for two or more goals, into Zach Tuohy for 20 or more disposals. This triple-header will return $5.15 at BetOnline.

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