Carlton vs. Melbourne Predictions – AFL Round 3 2026

We have Carlton vs. Melbourne predictions for AFL Round 3 on Sunday, March 29 at 3:15pm at the MCG.

There isn’t much between Carlton and Melbourne with AFL betting markets, with Melbourne holding favouritism at $1.81.

Carlton vs. Melbourne Predictions

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Best Bet

It’s hard to know what to expect from Carlton and Melbourne, but we’re leaning in Carlton’s favour.

They suffered an opening round loss to Sydney, but they were right in the game at halftime before allowing Sydney to run rampant in the second half. That was followed by a 75-71 win over Richmond, and improvement is expected this week.

Beating Richmond by four points isn’t standout form, but with Melbourne failing to fire last week after winning in Round 1, they are there for the taking. They lost 118-70 loss to Fremantle, and bouncing back from a loss isn’t easy for this franchise.

Punters get $2.04 for a Carlton win, and it’s worth including in AFL Round 3 picks.

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Same Game Multi

Harry McKay hasn’t been at his best over the last three games, but it’s only a matter of time before he starts putting up big totals. He had seven goals four games ago, and he should get every chance to convert against Melbourne. Punters get $2.07 for McKay to kick 3+ goals.

Bayley Fritsch should keep Melbourne in the contest. He kicked a double last week, when goals were tough to come by, and he’s a solid AFL same game multi bet.

We have under 172.5 points included in our picks. It should be a low-scoring contest, and our score prediction has Carlton winning 89-79.

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Best Value Bet

Carlton’s best chance to win is by putting up points early, as they did in their first game against Sydney. Even though they lost that game, starting well will see Melbourne’s confidence levels dwindle.

McKay is a quality player, and he should get an early chance to kick a goal from a set piece. He’s accurate early in the game, and the $8.25 odds are generous enough to include as a value bet this week.