The AFL’s inaugural Wildcard Finals Round opens with a finely balanced contest at the MCG.

When: Friday August 28, 2026 at 7:40 pm

Where: MCG

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Magpies Odds

Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Magpies Preview

The Western Bulldogs claimed eighth place by defeating Melbourne 108-87, with returning captain Marcus Bontempelli producing 27 disposals, 13 score involvements, 11 marks and two goals. Tim English is also pushing to return from an MCL injury. Collingwood enters after a 159-96 loss to Brisbane and will be without Scott Pendlebury because of a hamstring injury, while Brayden Maynard remains sidelined by a knee concern. The Bulldogs won the Round 12 meeting 97-93 and appear to carry the stronger recent momentum. Collingwood’s finals experience and rest advantage demand respect, but the Bulldogs’ midfield power and healthier attacking form give them a narrow edge in an elimination setting.

The Tampa Bay Rays got county approval Friday on a financing plan that will allow them to build a new stadium, a day after city officials approved their part for the $2.3 billion ballpark project that will replace the domed Tropicana Field.

The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 on Friday to approve its $796 million share of the mixed-use entertainment district that includes a new 31,000-seat stadium that will be near Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rays’ new stadium is expected to open in 2029. The Tampa City Council city voted 4-3 on Thursday to approve $80 million.

Rays CEO Ken Babby said the team’s partnership with the county and city on the project secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay.

“We now look forward to celebrating before breaking ground with Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa on a future that has long been doubted, but will indeed happen,” Babby said. “By making the Forever Home a reality, the Rays are now home forever in Tampa Bay.”

The Rays have committed to contributing at least $1.3 billion, plus any cost overruns. Another $30 million will come from federal disaster recovery funds.

The Rays’ ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and entertainment district on the campus and to renovate some of the school’s buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across a highway from the NFL stadium.

Since the team’s inception in 1998, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, except for moving home games to the Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025 following hurricane damage at the Trop. The Rays’ lease runs through at least the 2028 season. The team returned to the Trop for the start of this season.

A proposed $1.3 billion redevelopment deal for a new ballpark adjacent to the Trop fell through last year, raising new questions about the future of the team, which was bought last September by Patrick Zalupski’s ownership group.

“This has been a long and challenging process, and we know that transformational projects rarely come easily,” Zalupski said Friday. “Today’s vote represents an extraordinary milestone, not simply for the Rays or for a ballpark, but for the future of Tampa and the entire Tampa Bay region.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Match Details

Fixture: (4) Novak Djokovic vs Mariano Navone

Date: August 30, 2026

Tournament: US Open Tennis Championships

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hard

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York City

Prize Money: $108,000,000

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

Novak Djokovic vs Mariano Navone preview

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic will face off against unseeded Mariano Navone in the first round of the 2026 US Open on Sunday.

Djokovic enters off a three-set loss to Thiago Agustin Tirante in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters. This defeat snapped a run that had included a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon and a runner-up finish at the Australian Open earlier this year. At 39, he’s now made a Grand Slam semifinal or better at two of the four majors in 2026, showing he’s still a threat deep into these events despite the occasional early loss elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Navone comes on the back of a straight-set loss to James Duckworth in Winston-Salem, despite pushing it to a tiebreak in the second. He’s had a breakout season overall, highlighted by his maiden ATP title at the Tiriac Open in Bucharest back in April, and he’s already matched his win totals from each of the last two full seasons combined.

Novak Djokovic vs Mariano Navone head-to-head

Their current head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

Novak Djokovic vs Mariano Navone odds

(Odds via BetMGM)

Novak Djokovic vs Mariano Navone prediction

Djokovic’s return game remains his defining edge, statistically still one of the best returners on tour, and he’s backed that up with a genuinely strong 2026, an Australian Open final and a Wimbledon semifinal among the highlights. Navone’s second serve has also been a genuine vulnerability of late, sitting around 42% of points won behind it in recent months, well below tour average, which plays directly into Djokovic’s biggest strength.

Navone’s actual counter here is his own return game. He’s been the more disruptive returner in his recent matches, taking close to 48% of opponents’ second-serve points, numbers that suggest he can create pressure even against a bigger name. But Djokovic’s own service numbers have held up well this season too, running above his career averages in first-serve points won, so Navone’s return quality would need to be near its peak just to generate the looks he’d need.

The bigger factor might simply be physical. Navone’s already logged a long season with a title run and multiple deep finals, while Djokovic, at 39, has generally managed his schedule carefully and arrives comparatively fresher heading into a best-of-five format.

Pick: Djokovic to win in four sets.

Novak Djokovic vs Mariano Navone betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have at least 30 games.

Tip 2: Navone to win a set with a score of 7-5 or better.