2018 AFL Round 19 Betting Preview: Odds, Game Trends, Week Analysis

Saturday's blockbuster between traditional rivals Richmond Tigers and Collingwood Magpies is set to be one of the biggest fixtures the powerhouse AFL pair have played in some three decades.

Reigning Premiers Richmond are sitting pretty on top of the ladder, having won 13 of their 17 games this year, while the Magpies have been one of the surprise packets of the season, sitting one win back in third place.

The record home-and-away attendance between the clubs came way back in Round 4, 1977, and that figure of 92,436 looks to be safe this Saturday, with the MCG expecting 86,000 after the clash officially sold out, per Simone Fox Koob of The Age.

With wins over St Kilda and North Melbourne, respectively, last weekend, both the Tigers and the Pies are marching towards September, but it is the Premiers who have recent bragging rights, having secured a third victory in a row over their arch-rival with a 43-point win back in Round 6.

Having won 17 in a row at the MCG, the Tigers are $1.46 AUD to make it 18 on the trot, according to AustralianGambling, but the Magpies aren't without a chance at $2.75 for a win which would all but secure them their first finals appearance since 2013.

The night before this blockbuster, just down the road at Etihad Stadium, the Essendon Bombers ($1.78) aim to keep their season alive with a win over the fourth-place Sydney Swans ($2.05).

The Gold Coast Suns stunned the Swans last week in what was the biggest upset of the season to date, while the Bombers claimed a 19-point triumph over the Fremantle Dockers. Essendon are just one win outside the top eight but will need results to go their way over the final five weeks if they are to qualify for their second finals campaign in a row.

Another club fighting for their season is the Geelong Cats ($1.18), who host Brisbane Lions ($4.95) on Saturday, while the Melbourne Demons are $2.05 outsiders to defeat the Adelaide Crows ($1.78) in the City of Churches on Saturday night.

The North Melbourne Kangaroos ($2) are also still in the hunt for September, but to keep the dream alive, they must defeat the second-place West Coast Eagles ($1.80) on Sunday at Blundstone Arena.

With six wins from their last seven outings, including a 22-point win over Port Adelaide last weekend, the Greater Western Sydney Giants are at the short-price of $1.13 to beat St Kilda Saints ($6.05), while Gold Coast Suns ($1.35) and Carlton Blues ($3.25) meet in the battle of the cellar-dwellers at Metricon Stadium.

The final two matches of the round see the Western Bulldogs ($3.02) and Fremantle Dockers ($2.90) hosting Port Adelaide Power ($1.39) and Hawthorn Hawks ($1.42), respectively.