
We have Essendon vs. Richmond predictions for action on Friday May 23 at 7:40pm at the MCG.
Essendon looks to bounce back from a humiliating loss against a Tigers team also looking to bounce back from a poor showing.
Essendon vs. Richmond Predictions
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Best Bet
Rebounding from poor losses is what Essendon does, and it needs to muster enough energy to get past Richmond on Friday. We believe they will play much better this week, and Richmond’s lack of physicality in the middle of the field plays into Essendon’s hands.
Losing 127-36 is tough to bounce back from, but with the Tigers losing to North Melbourne, that’s arguably a worse performance. When Essendon lost to Collingwood, it bounced back with consecutive wins over North Melbourne and Sydney.
Covering a –18.5 line shouldn’t be too difficult for Essendon. It has enough young talent to put Richmond away, and this is a Richmond team that only defeated West Coast by two points.
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Same Game Multi
Essendon didn’t kick too many goals last week, but Nate Caddy and Peter Wright should bounce back with 2+ goals. Caddy scored seven goals in his three prior games to last week, so he was in good kicking form.
He’s one of the more reliable kickers for the Bombers, who we expect to score around 80-85 points. Peter Wright hasn’t been at his best over the last three weeks, scoring just one goal last week. However, he had a six-goal game earlier this year, which showcased his ability.
We’re including under 166.5 in our same game multis. Richmond could struggle to score points, as it did when scoring 63 points against Melbourne and 44 points against Hawthorn. The final score should be around 90-65.
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Best Value Bet
Xavier Duursma has already had a 25+ disposal game this season, so we’re taking the generous odds for him to have another big outing.
His last five disposal totals are 20, 19, 25, 19, and 24, so given the odds, he’s a player worth including in AFL picks. Duursma should get plenty of ball in the midfield, which is one of the weakest areas for the Tigers.
We priced him at around $2.80 for 25+ disposals, so jump on the generous odds.
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