Round 24 at the M.C.G. delivered a statement performance under the Friday night lights as the Brisbane Lions stamped their authority with a dominant 159–96 victory over Collingwood. Coming off a 95–53 win against the Gold Coast Suns, the Lions arrived at the venue sitting strong in third spot on the ladder and proved too powerful across four quarters. Meanwhile, Collingwood was looking to bounce back from a draw after finishing 92–92 against Hawthorn.
In the lead-up to the opening bounce, punters kept a close eye on the boards. Brisbane Lions drifted/eased (price up) from 1.32 out to 1.33, while Collingwood saw some late backing, moving from 3.3 down to 3.18 as support arrived. On the total points front, the market line sat at 184.5 points, with the over firmed/shortened (price down) from 1.9 to 1.85, while the under drifted/eased (price up) from 1.9 to 1.95 as expectations leaned toward an open contest.
How the match unfolded
The Lions flexed their scoring muscle right from the get-go, adding another high-scoring chapter to their season form line. Sitting on an average of 108.7 points per game for the year and coming off strong recent outings, Brisbane's forward movement proved impossible for the home side to contain once the match opened up.
Collingwood tried to stem the flow through their home ground setup, but the sheer weight of possession and scoring efficiency from the visitors blew the margin right out. When the final siren sounded, the scoreboard read Collingwood 96, Brisbane Lions 159, locking in a comprehensive victory for the men from Queensland and reinforcing their credentials as a genuine premiership force as September approaches.
How the tips went
Punters who followed our published selections for this clash had plenty to smile about as all three recommended markets saluted in convincing fashion.
First up, the head-to-head tip on the Brisbane Lions at 1.26 resulted in a win as the visitors powered away with the four points. In the line market, Brisbane Lions -24.5 also resulted in a win, easily covering the handicap as the final margin stretched well beyond twenty-four points. Finally, the total points selection of Over 166.5 resulted in a win, with both sides combining effortlessly to sail past that threshold on their way to a combined 255-point shootout.