Essendon v Western Bulldogs betting tips and prediction; AFL rd 7 preview
Essendon and the Western Bulldogs square off on the Gold Coast on Friday night in a great test for the high-flying Bombers.
Much has been said and written about how well positioned the Bombers are in fourth place with a match in hand.
But the Bulldogs are a real problem team for Essendon, having beaten the Dons in their past five meetings, with a couple of real thrashings thrown in.
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It should also be remembered that the teams Essendon have beaten this season are Fremantle, Sydney Swans, Collingwood and North Melbourne, while their lone defeat came against Carlton. Of those teams only Collingwood are rated in the first 10 in premiership betting.
Western Bulldogs are expected to give a debut to exciting forward Cody Weightman on Friday night. The Dogs are coming off a humiliating 52-point defeat by Carlton on Sunday so will undoubtedly be ready to hit back hard.
Below we have highlighted our Essendon v Western Bulldogs betting tips and winner prediction, for their AFL round 7 clash being played at Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast, on Friday from 7.50pm.
Bombers v Bulldogs odds
| Start: | 7.50pm AEST, July 16 |
| Venue: | Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast |
| Head-to-head odds: | Essendon ($1.89) v Western Bulldogs ($1.91) |
| Line betting: | Essendon -1.5 ($1.91) v Western Bulldogs +1.5 ($1.91) |
| Premiership odds: | Essendon $19; Western Bulldogs $21 |
Essendon v Western Bulldogs tips
Our AFL betting expert has scoured the odds and found several value Essendon v Western Bulldogs tips for Friday’s game.
Bulldogs to win/match total over 124.5
This double is paying around $3.60 with Australian bookie PlayUp. We are confident the Dogs will be sparked into action and we are a little dubious about the Bombers’ attacking capabilities with no Jake Stringer or Joe Daniher. It’s hard to knock the Dons’ fighting spirit though. Both these teams favour a free-wheeling style and with perfect conditions forecast they should cover the match total over/under line of 124.5.
Cody Weightman 2 goals or more
We are expecting this electric young forward to make an immediate impact on the big stage. He was drafted with pick No.15 in 2019 and he is certain to be a fan favourite with his all-action style. There should be good value for him to kick two or more goals when the market is set.
Essendon v Western Bulldogs prediction 17/7/20
The Western Bulldogs have won their past five games against Essendon with ease, but the Dogs have been hot and cold this season. Their best is good enough, and the last time they played the Bombers they obliterated them by 104 points at Marvel Stadium. We think the Bombers’ ladder position is a little misleading and we expect the Dogs to win easily. Western Bulldogs by 33 points.
Bombers v Bulldogs lowdown
Free to air TV: Channel 7Mate; Subscription TV: Foxtel; streaming/IPTV: Kayo; mobile: AFL Live Pass.
All of the best online betting sites will offer markets on the AFL.
The game starts at 7:50pm local time on July 17, 2020.
