Aussie Rules Football Round 15 Odds & Predictions: Eagles, Tigers Look to Make Gains on AFL Ladder

• With six clubs enjoying byes in AFL Round 15, opportunity knocks for clubs among the top eight on the AFL ladder
• West Coast Eagles look to rebound from their first loss in nine matches as they battle struggling Essendon, while Brisbane and Collingwood clash in a battle of Premiership contenders
• Read on for all the Aussie Rules Football odds and trends as the schedule flips to Round 15

It is a relatively quiet week in Aussie Rules Football with six clubs enjoying a bye during AFL Round 15. Among the idle clubs are the top two on the AFL ladder, the Port Adelaide Power and Geelong Cats. That provides an opportunity for the four squads chasing them to make gains, and solidify their respective positions among the top eight.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated match of Round 15 is set for Friday morning when the Brisbane Lions battle the Collingwood Magpies as heavy 13.5-point favorites. Winners in each of their past three outings, the Lions currently sit just four points shy of first-place Port Adelaide, with a game in hand. Winners in four of their past five contests, the Magpies currently sit in sixth place but have struggled at times to generate offense.

The West Coast Eagles are on the rebound after seeing an eight-match win streak end last week, but enjoy a favorable matchup with the struggling Essendon Bombers, while the defending champion Richmond Tigers are poised to make it four in a row when they face the free-falling Hawthorn Hawks.

We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends as AFL Round 15 kicks off.

Aussie Rules Round 15 Odds

Odds taken Aug 31

Lions, Magpies Clash in Battle of Premiership Contenders

Premiership contenders clash on Friday morning, when the Brisbane Lions host Collingwood in Round 15 action at the Gabba. The Lions’ recent offensive woes continued last week, as they managed to hold off the St. Kilda Saints to claim a narrow 50-48 win. While the Lions have won six of seven, they have tallied just 103 total points over their past two outings, marking a major step back after scoring 88 or more points in three of their past five outings.

The race for the top eight is heating up… 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KDDwtUYk3Z

— AFL (@AFL) August 30, 2020

The Lions have been dominant as the home side this season, posting wins in each of their past six outings, and claiming victory by double-digit margins on five occasions. The challenge for Brisbane will be to rediscover their scoring touch against a stingy Magpies squad that has limited opponents to 48 or fewer points in four of five outings.

Collingwood overcame a shaky start to tally a decisive 72-48 win over Carlton last week, and now sport the best defense in the AFL this season. However, the club has produced mixed results as the road team this season, amassing a 4-4-0 win-loss-draw record. That run includes a pair of wildly lopsided losses to Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles, in which they allowed an average of 105.5 points.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL
DID COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES JUST SNUFF OUT CARLTON BLUES FINALS CHANCES? #AussieFooty pic.twitter.com/BfYI2WOi6a

— DMT Sports Media 🇦🇺 (@au_dthompson) August 30, 2020

However, scoring points against the Lions has not been a problem for Collingwood in recent meetings, with the club averaging 116 points scored in three straight victories. While the Magpies face a challenge to duplicate that effort, they are well-positioned to keep pace with Brisbane in what could be a high-scoring affair.

Picks: Collingwood Magpies +13.5 (-110); OVER 118.5 (-112)

Eagles on the Rebound vs Struggling Bombers

The West Coast Eagles saw the longest win streak of the AFL season snapped last week, with a crushing 88-61 loss to Richmond. Unlike some of their recent performances, the Eagles quickly fell behind, seizing the lead only briefly in the second quarter before the Tigers ran away with the contest in the second half.

Undefeated at home, now the @WestCoastEagles go on the road. 🦅 pic.twitter.com/XoAwH3dDml

— OptusStadium (@OptusStadium) August 24, 2020

Now faced with the prospect of no further matches this seasons within the friendly confines of Optus Stadium, the Eagles must now find ways to win on the road, where they sport a 1-4-0 record this season.

Hawthorn doing it so easily. No pressure from Essendon . Can’t believe it’s only 4 goals the difference. Hawthorn’s Inaccuracy has flattered Essendon. Hawks’ skill level killing Bombers who are playing really dumb footy today #AFLHawksDons

— Ronny Lerner (@RonnyLerner) August 27, 2020

The Bombers are coming off an 87-71 road win over Hawthorn, but have failed to post consecutive wins since seeing their 4-1-0 start to the season halted. Now two points adrift of a spot among the top eight, Essendon are in desperation mode. And while last week’s offensive outburst was welcome, the club must find a way to shut down an Eagles offense that has scored an average of 11 points over their past two meetings. Look for the Eagles to bounce back with a vengeance in Tuesday morning’s contest.

Picks: West Coast Eagles -17.5 (-110); OVER 126.5 (-112)

Tigers Poised to Continue Recent Domination over Fremantle

After manhandling the Eagles in last week’s 88-61 win, the Tigers battle the slumping Fremantle Dockers as lofty 29.5-point chalk. Richmond has regularly thrashed opponents in recent outings, with their past six wins coming by an average margin of over 32 points.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL
RICHMOND TIGERS 88 beat
WEST COAST EAGLES 61#AussieFooty pic.twitter.com/YNvvQ9cWKY

— DMT Sports Media 🇦🇺 (@au_dthompson) August 27, 2020

However, the club’s offense has sputtered at times, averaging just 63 points per game in recent wins over a pair of inferior opponents, Gold Coast and Essendon. The Tigers offense has particularly struggled early on, averaging just 10.33 first-quarter points during their current three-match win streak.

While the Tigers’ slow starts are unlikely to put them at risk of defeat against the Dockers, it certainly raises doubts about their ability to cover a wide 29.5-point spread. While Fremantle is coming off a dismal 91-53 loss to Greater Western Sydney, they have other played stingy football, allowing just 121 total points over their previous four outings.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS BEAT FREMANTLE DOCKERS #AussieFooty pic.twitter.com/7mhM1UXF60

— DMT Sports Media 🇦🇺 (@au_dthompson) August 29, 2020

Fremantle’s recent history against the Tigers is far from inspiring, however. The Dockers have been utterly dominated in three straight losses to Richmond, falling to defeat by an average margin of 68.67 points. And with just one win in four road matches this season, more of the same should be expected on Wednesday.

Picks: Richmond Tigers -29.5 (-110); OVER 121.5 (-112)