AFL Round 14 Betting Preview: Game Odds, Trends, Analysis for Week Ahead

Collingwood's finals prospects and the likelihood that coach Nathan Buckley will be coaching the club next season both go on the line in the match of Round 14 when the Magpies host Port Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

Oddsmakers have this match as clearly the tightest of the round, with a line of just 4.5 points, which is given to the Magpies, who are $2.10 AUD outsiders with Port Adelaide $1.74, according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

With Port Adelaide in the top four and Collingwood languishing in 13th, it is little wonder the Power start favourites here even though they have lost both their games in Victoria this year.

They have had the wood on the Pies in recent years, winning four of their past five encounters including a 67-point win when they last met in Round 11 last year.

Collingwood's form improved significantly in the month leading up to their bye, but at 5-7 they face a big challenge to finish in the top eight, the pass mark Buckley put on himself to earn another contract.

It's also a huge round for Richmond, who lost yet another close game last week to drop to sixth on the ladder. The Tigers confront a suddenly in-form Carlton at the MCG on Sunday.

The market has the Tigers, who beat the Blues by 43 points in Round 1, at $1.46 to win their sixth straight match against one of their key rivals, matching their longest-ever period of dominance against Carlton.

But coming off wins against Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast Suns, the Blues have taken giants steps and there are plenty of punters happy to take the $2.75 about them to cause the upset here.

The other matches predicted to be reasonably close are the Friday night encounter between Sydney and Essendon at the SCG, and Saturday night's clashes between the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne and West Coast and Melbourne.

Sydney's remarkable revival has seen them win five of their past six matches and should they win this as $1.44 favourites they would be right back in the fight for the finals. But Essendon, who are $2.80, will be no pushover, having thrashed Port Adelaide before the bye to snatch a spot in the eight.

Western Bulldogs, meanwhile, face a battle to prove their premiership defence has any life left in it after a horrible loss to Melbourne last week. They go into their Round 14 clash as $1.42 favourites largely because North Melbourne were even poorer in their defeat to St Kilda last week. The Kangaroos are $2.90 outsiders.

Melbourne fans, without a premiership title since 1964, are starting to believe they can be this season's Bulldogs after surging into fifth after three straight wins. They travel to Perth as $2.90 outsiders against West Coast, who are $1.42 having beaten Geelong at the same venue last week.

The round starts with a lopsided-looking contest when Adelaide ($1.10) host Hawthorn ($7), while the other top two team, Greater Western Sydney, travel to Brisbane where they are $1.14 favourites against the Lions ($5.75).

St Kilda goes into its Sunday game against Gold Coast as a $1.26 favourite, while Geelong are even shorter ($1.17) when they host Fremantle down at Simonds Stadium.