Although somewhat of a dead rubber on this occasion, the Essendon vs Richmond rivalry continues this Saturday night in AFL Round 23. Find our best spread and player props for the fixture right here!
Remember, Before You Bet will be previewing every game of the 2022 AFL season, so be sure to check out our AFL Tips page for regular updates.
Essendon vs Richmond Betting Tips
MCG, Saturday 20th August, 7:25pm (AEST)
Essendon
Injuries: Nik Cox, Will Snelling, James Stewart, Tex Wanganeen
Essendon have only four players on the injury list heading into Round 23 and none of them are what you would call ‘big names’. Nik Cox is the most talented player unavailable to play, while James Stewart will be missed after putting together a couple of strong performances on the spin.
There have been a number of garbage performances by the Bombers this season but last weekend’s effort against the Power certainly tops the list. They conceded a whopping 146 points en route to an 84-point loss, which had Bomber fans seething and booing at their own at the final siren. Things only became worse after a turbulent week capped off by Alistair Clarkson deciding to turn down the head coach role at the Bombers to instead join North Melbourne.
Richmond
Injuries: Thomson Dow, Jack Graham, Dylan Grimes, Dustin Martin
Richmond continues to play without two of their superstars in Dylan Grimes and Dustin Martin, both of whom are battling hamstring strains that will keep them out for the next 2-3 weeks. Jack Graham and Thomson Dow are the other two who are potentially in their best 22 but are unable to play.
The Tigers continued their winning form with an easy 61-point victory against the Hawks last weekend, led by Tom Lynch who booted an equal career-high eight goals. They dominated the match from the opening bounce and registered a score over 100 points for the third week running. The Tigers are finding some of their best form right when it matters and will be a team that no one wants to face in an elimination final in a couple of weeks time.
Match Prediction
To say this rivalry has been one-sided in recent years is certainly a massive understatement. The Tigers have won 12 straight matches against the Bombers, including an 80-48 win over them earlier this season. The Tigers have beaten the Bombers by 5+ goals in each of their last two meetings and are clearly the better team again this season. After all the turmoil at Bomber land this week, it’s hard to see them getting anywhere near the Tigers under these circumstances. With that said, I’m happy to be with the Tigers to cover the four-goal spread for a couple of units.
Richmond Tigers -23.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Prop Bets
Probably my favourite prop bet of the night is the Bombers total to go under 77.5 points. They’ve failed to eclipse that total in three of their last four matches and the only time they did was against the 18th placed Kangaroos. They’ll struggle to kick 12+ goals against the Tigers.
Essendon Under 77.5 Points ($1.83 at Ladbrokes)
Fresh off an eight-goal haul last outing, Tom Lynch will be eyeing off another big bag to finish off the home and away season. He gets a look at an inexperienced Bombers defence that conceded 23 goals against the Power last weekend, which will have Lynch licking his lips. He could be on for another monster day at the office.
Tom Lynch 4+ goals ($1.95 at Ladbrokes)
Marlion Pickett has had a fantastic season for the Tigers and was rewarded during the week with a new one-year deal. He had 16 touches against the Hawks last weekend and should perform even better against the out-of-sorts Bombers on Saturday.
Marlion Pickett 15+ Disposals ($1.78 at Ladbrokes)
