Carlton v Hawthorn: AFL Thursday preview

Carlton will be desperate to bounce back from a Round 1 upset when they take on Hawthorn in another AFL blockbuster clash on Thursday evening.

Expectations were high heading into the opening round of the season, only for the Blues to suffer a shock loss against a young Richmond side.

The defeat would have been hard for Carlton to take, but they do get the chance to bounce back against another Victorian rival.

Like Carlton, much is expected of Hawthorn in the 2025 season, but unlike the Blues they have started the season well.

Two convincing wins have got them off to a flyer and a third would have the members believing it could be their year.

Another massive crowd will pack out the MCG, and another epic battle looks to be on the cards under the lights.

Carlton v Hawthorn betting preview

Blues need to find a response

Carlton can ill-afford to go 0-2 so the pressure is on them as they prepare to take on an in-form Hawks side.

Even the most pessimistic Carlton supporter would not have imagined losing to Richmond, but they went down by 13 points.

The defeat, and the manner of it, against a Richmond side only expected to win a handful of games this season, will have set alarm bells ringing.

They struggled to boot goals, with no-one kicking more than one goal. The absence of gun forward was a big blow, and the likes of Harry McKay failed to step up to the plate.

Curnow is expected to return from injury to face the Hawks, which should give his side a lift. If Curnow does not make it, McKay can be backed at 11.00 to kick the first goal of the game.

Patrick Cripps was one player who stood out against Richmond, collecting 32 disposals in the game. The midfielder can be backed at 1.87 to collect 30+ against the Hawks.

Hawks flying high after a double

Hawthorn could not have got off to a better start when winning their opening two games against Essendon and Sydney.

The 20-point win over Sydney at the SCG really caught the eye, and they backed that up with a 26-point win over Essendon.

Nick Watson and Dylan Moore both booted three goals, while Jack Ginnivan completed a fine all-round display with two.

Ginnivan can be backed at 1.28 to boot another at anytime against the Blues.

Hawthorn snapped a two-game losing streak against Carlton when smashing them by 74 points in Round 22 last season.

It should be a tighter affair on this occasion, but the Hawks can still be backed at 2.05 to win by 1-39 points.

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Carlton v Hawthorn odds

Carlton - 2.90
Hawthorn - 1.42

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.