Our focus here lies with the second of two-night games greeting us on the Saturday of AFL Round 8, as Essendon are met with a trip across the Nullarbor for West Coast to play host at the renowned Optus Stadium. Trent Callen provides his full game preview, best bet, and same Game Multi below!
Also, Before You Bet will be providing free previews and betting tips for EVERY game in the 2024 AFL season, so make sure to check out our AFL Tips regularly to keep up to date with all of our free content.
2024 AFL Round 8 Preview & Betting Tips
West Coast vs Essendon
Saturday 8:10pm AEST, May 4th, Optus Stadium
The 9-day break will have been just what the doctor ordered for the Bombers after playing in a heart stopping draw last Thursday against the Pies on Anzac Day, before having to hop on a 4hr flight to Perth.
Last time these two sides met, Essendon narrowly escaped with the premiership points, after Kyle Langford kicked the sealer late in the piece to deny the Eagles a chance to celebrate in what was a long season.
Since that encounter, West Coast have managed to lift themselves off the canvas temporarily thanks to Elliott Yeo being back in career best form, Jake Waterman riding a wave of confidence and of course the introduction of Harley Reid.
All those things, amongst others, have culminated in two wins out of their last three matches, with an undermanned Richmond side kickstarting a fruitful fortnight that ended with a triumph in the Western Derby over Fremantle.
Their most recent matchup against the Suns, however, turned into a bridge too far with the young Eagles running out of legs late in the second half, losing out to the tune of 37-points at People First Stadium.
Whilst the scoreline didn’t properly reflect the good fight fought by West Coast, with the result blown out towards the end, it gave fans of the gold and blue a glimpse into the near future.
Match Prediction: Whilst the Eagles are full of optimism after stringing together a sound month of footy, expect the Bombers to burst their bubble in Saturday night’s clash, with the travelling side proving that depth matters across the board.
Essendon -11.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
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Nic Martin 25+ disposals – Is putting together an All-Australian calibre year so far, patrolling the half back by slicing teams up with his deadly precision. Should cover this marker with ease as he’s done without fail so far this year.
Zach Merrett 30+ disposals – Like Martin, the Essendon captain is equally in the AA conversation, averaging his target on the dot in the early part of the 2024 season, presents at decent value with all things considered.
Jake Waterman 2+ goals – Has found his feet up forward with Jack Darling now playing second fiddle. Third on the Coleman Medal race for good reason, playing in scintillating form, expect him to hit the scoreboard multiple times again.
Harley Reid 1+ goal – Resting him forward seemed to be the tactic coach Adam Simpson adopted last week, that provided a positive return on investment, hoping he can sneak forward again and cause a headache or two for the Essendon defenders.
SGM Odds: $5.50 at BoomBet
