West Coast vs. Essendon Predictions

We have West Coast vs. Essendon predictions for AFL Round 12 on Sunday, May 31 at 7:20pm at Optus Stadium.

West Coast is the $1.60 favourites to beat the Bombers, but a new coach could result in newfound ability for Essendon.

Best Bet

Essendon @ $2.35

Essendon are hard to recommend based on form, but the tide could be turning. They got rid of Brad Scott after a dreadful run with the team, and with talks of James Hird potentially coming back to coach, there is a level of renewed excitement.

The Bombers are currently riding a losing streak, which isn’t anything unusual, but they get another good chance to post a win against West Coast. They failed to beat Richmond last week, but the Eagles have only one win from their last five games.

Not a lot of improvement is needed to beat the teams at the bottom of the AFL ladder, and with Essendon on the hunt for a new coach, the players could lift for whoever fills the role. That’s why we’re taking the $2.35 odds with head-to-head markets.

Same Game Multi

Essendon +8.5, Nate Caddy 2+ Goals, Archer May 2+ Goals, Total Points Over 163.5 @ $7.50

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Nate Caddy had been the standout player for Essendon, having kicked 12 goals from his last three games. He’s due for another solid performance, and $1.57 to kick 2+ goals is a good AFL SGM addition.

Archer May tried his best to keep Essendon in the contest last week with three goals. Essendon lacks depth in the scoring department, but with May kicking eight goals in his last three games, they have at least two notable scorers.

West Coast and Essendon could produce an entertaining game, and although scores have been low for these teams in 2026, they should play like they have nothing to lose, which should see the total exceed 163.5 points.

Best Value Bet

Archer May 3+ Goals @ $3.25

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The odds for May to kick 3+ goals are at $3.25 because bookmakers expect a low scoring game. However, there are plenty of points in Essendon if they play well, and May could lead the charge.

He kicked three of their seven goals last week, and there is no reason why he can’t kick 3+ goals again for the Bombers.

Editor In Chief

Daryl Curnow

After graduating from the University of Auckland (BA - English), Daryl was thrown into the world of sports and horse racing journalism.

Having worked as a racing journalist for two years, he decided to move into the online world of horse racing and sports writing. After years of honing his craft, Daryl became a professional punter in 2009 - with a focus on horse racing, NRL, AFL, NBA, Rugby, NFL, and US college sports.

Daryl's tips have been featured on various websites around the world before joining the GoBet team. When he's not working, Daryl tries to avoid making bogeys on the golf course.