Essendon v Melbourne betting tips, prediction & odds; AFL round 18 preview
Welcome to our Essendon v Melbourne betting tips, prediction and odds update ahead of their AFL round 18 clash at Metricon Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Demons must win this clash to give themselves a chance of making the finals; they also need Fremantle to upset the Western Bulldogs.
The Bombers kissed their finals chances goodbye several weeks back and will be farewelling senior coach John Worsfold in this game, with assistant Ben Rutten set to take the reins.
Melbourne are coming off a five-point win over GWS which breathed life into their flagging season and showed fight that was lacking in their successive losses to Sydney and Fremantle.
Essendon were hammered by 50 points by ladder-leaders Port Adelaide, also on Saturday, as their scoring woes were laid bare by the efficient Power.
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Melbourne are favourites for the clash, paying $1.50 to win, with the Bombers at $2.60. The $1.90 line has been set at 11.5 points.
The Bombers wielded the axe at selection with ruckman Andrew Phillips, former Tigers forward Jacob Townsend and Mitchell Hibberd all dropped for their final match of the year. Key defender Michael Hurley, Jayden Laverde and ,Mason Redman come into the side.
The Demons made just one change from their win over the Giants, bringing in Michael Hibberd for Neville Jetta, who was omitted.
Read on for our free Essendon v Melbourne tips ahead of their clash at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
Bombers v Demons odds
| Start: | 2.10pm AEST, September 19 |
| Venue: | Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast |
| Head-to-head odds: | Essendon ($2.60) v Melbourne ($1.50) |
| Line betting: | Essendon +11.5 ($1.90) v Melbourne -11.5 ($1.90) |
| Premiership odds: | Essendon -; Melbourne $101 |
Essendon v Melbourne tips
Our AFL betting expert has scoured the odds and found several value Bombers v Demons tips for Saturday’s game.
Clayton Oliver to get 30+ touches
Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver is consistently included in punters’ same game multis, because of his ball-winning abilities. He looks a good thing here to get a lot of the ball, with Essendon’s midfield often letting opposition teams run rampant. Last week for instance Power stars Tom Rockliff, Ollie Wines and Travis Boak all got more than 25 possessions against them. The Bombers are unlikely to put much time into Oliver, given they have Christian Petracca to contend with.
Melbourne to cover -11.5-points line
This Essendon v Melbourne tip is conservative but a good leg for your multi-bets. While it would be very Melbourne if they dropped this game, their supporters would be devastated if they did not go into Sunday’s games a live chance of making the finals. They simply must beat the Bombers or expect big questions to be asked. The Demons are paying $1.90 to cover the -11.5 line at PlayUp.
Essendon Bombers v Melbourne Demons prediction 19/9/2020
Melbourne have had some high points this season, but they have also produced inexplicable performances in big games. They are a punter’s nightmare. The Demons midfield is a little one-paced and lacks polish, which is something the Bombers can relate to. They do however have plenty of tough finals-type players and there is no tomorrow if they lose this clash. Besides, the Bombers seriously stunk against Port Adelaide, and Worsfold’s recent words were not those of someone partaking in a happy coaching handover. Our final Essendon v Melbourne prediction? Demons by 19 points.
Bombers vs Demons lowdown
Subscription TV: Foxtel; streaming/IPTV: Kayo; mobile: AFL Live Pass.
All of the top online betting sites will offer markets on the AFL.
The game starts at 2:10pm local time on September 19, 2020.
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