Essendon v Richmond betting tips, prediction & odds update; AFL Rd 13 preview

Welcome to our preview of the Essendon v Richmond round 13 match at TIO Stadium in Darwin on Saturday night.

This match is, of course, usually tagged ”Dreamtime at the G” and is the centrepiece of Indigenous round celebrations, with crowds of 80,000-plus. It’s almost fitting that it will be played in Darwin in front of a largely Indigenous crowd of 5000.

Richmond head into this match with a dominant recent record against the Bombers, winning the past nine clashes between the pair. Interestingly though, only one of those matches has been a real blowout and that was the 71-point thrashing in 2018.

Essendon are backing up after being thrashed by St Kilda last Sunday at the Gabba, a match which came just four days after they drew with the Gold Coast.

Richmond are also backing up from Monday night when they beat the Suns, but they enjoy a nine-day break before that game so should be a little fresher than their struggling opponents.

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Essendon have a draw and three losses from their past four games, but are still in the race for the finals and have a game up their sleeve after their match against Melbourne was postponed earlier this year.

Their big problem of late has been a dysfunctional forward line, though they are expected to regain powerful forward Jake Stringer for this match after an ankle injury. They also should get Devon Smith and Aaron Francis back after they were rested for the clash against the Saints.

Richmond have some tough selection calls to make this week, with veteran defender Bachar Houli and ruckman Toby Nankervis ready to return to action. But their form has been such that they may not want to tamper with a winning combination too much.

Read on for our free Bombers v Tigers tips ahead of their clash at Tio Stadium, Darwin, due to kick off at 7.45pm on Saturday night.

Bombers v Tigers odds

Essendon v Richmond tips

Our AFL betting expert has scoured the odds and found several value Essendon v Richmon tips for Saturday’s game.

Essendon v Richmond prediction 22/8/2020

This match marks the first time these teams have clashed anywhere other than the MCG since 1994. They are are fierce rivals and there is a lot at stake here for two teams coming off short breaks. Essendon need a win to stay in the finals race, while the Tigers are within reach of a top-four spot but can’t afford to drop games like this. We were a little concerned at the way the Suns more than matched the Richmond midfield for most of Monday’s clash, and Essendon are useful in that department. Our final Essendon v Richmond prediction: Tigers by 10 points.

Essendon vs Richmond lowdown