Second to go in the special Friday night double-header in AFL Round 21 is a clash between West Coast and the Gold Coast out west. The Eagles have been horrible all season and the Suns have been unsighted on the road, making for an interesting betting game. We bring you our thoughts and tips 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 head over to out our AFL Tips regularly to keep up to date with all of our free content.
2024 AFL Round 21 Preview & Betting Tips
West Coast vs Gold Coast
Friday 8:30pm AEST, August 2nd, Optus Stadium
The end of the season can’t come quick enough for West Coast who are destined to finish in the bottom three for the third straight season. They’ve won just eight games since 2022 and have only four more games to improve on that tally in 2024.
The Eagles suffered their ninth straight loss last weekend when they were overrun by their crosstown rivals, Fremantle, in the Western Derby. To their credit, the Eagles showed some fight in the first half and even took a 13 point lead into the main break, but it was also Freo after that.
In positive news, Jeremy McGovern and Liam Duggan return to the side this week after short injury layoffs, although they’ll lose one of their stars in Tom Barrass.
Similarly, Gold Coast will have one eye on the end of the season now that their finals hopes have been dashed. A loss against the Lions in the QClash last weekend was the final nail in their coffin in what’s been another frustrating season for Suns supporters.
Remarkably, the Suns are still yet to win on the road this season as we head into Round 21. They’re 0-9 away from People First Stadium and are simply yet to ‘grow up’. The Suns have lost five of their past seven games overall including two in a row.
In lineup news, Ned Moyle has been dropped after a failed attempt to play key forward last weekend, while Alex Sexton comes into the team after kicking five goals in the VFL, and looks set to return forward this weekend after spending all of the season prior in defence.
Match Prediction: The numbers don’t look pretty for either club over the past five games, with both ranking in the bottom eight in the competition in a lot of the key metrics including clearances, scores from stoppage, and contested possessions to name a few. And with that being the case, it makes for a tricky match to get a read on.
This is probably the match to avoid in Round 21 from a betting perspective. We all know how bad the Eagles are, and the Suns are just horrible away from People First Stadium. However, if you do feel inclined to have a punt, then taking the Eagles at the +3 goal handicap at home with the likes of McGovern and Duggan back in the team does look like an OK play here.
West Coast +17.5
$1.90 (0.5 Units)
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Sam Flanders 30+ Disposals – He’s somehow flown under the radar this year despite being the Suns best player by a fair distance in my opinion. He’s as consistent as they come.
Harley Reid 20+ Disposals – He’s been criticised all weekend and something tells me he’s the sort of guy that will be desperate to put in a big performance. He’s also far better at home than on the road early in his career.
Jake Waterman 2+ Goals – Waterman is simply having a terrific season and should get enough looks up forward for multiple goals here against the vulnerable, travelling Suns.
SGM Odds: $2.90 at BoomBet
