St Kilda v Essendon betting tips, prediction and odds update; AFL Rd 12 preview
Welcome to our St Kilda v Essendon betting tips, prediction and odds update for their round 12 AFL clash at the Gabba on Sunday afternoon.
With both of these teams in finals contention, it is looming as a cracking contest that could be shaped by the Saints having two extra days rest than the Bombers.
St Kilda is coming off a terrible 59-point loss to Geelong on Monday night when their premiership credentials had a blowtorch applied to them. But we don’t think Brett Ratten will let his team dwell on this performance for too long with the Saints sitting in fifth position and in contention for an important top four position.
Essendon played out a thrilling draw against Gold Coast on Wednesday night, a game they probably should have won in the end. After trailing all day the Bombers hit the front in the final term, before allowing the Suns to snatch a dramatic draw. But like their opponent they cannot afford to let the missed opportunity get to them and desperately need a win to stay in touch with the top eight.
AFL betting sites have priced St Kilda at $1.42 to defeat Essendon ($2.79) and the $1.90 line has been set at 14.5, which will be tempting for Saints fans.
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Saints improving midfielder Jade Gresham suffered a stress fracture in his back against the Cats which is likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season. They will however be boosted by the inclusion of Zak Jones and Paddy Ryder. Key defender Jake Carlisle is likely to be managed after playing every game barring the first round this year.
The Bombers suffered another injury blow to a forward against the Suns with former Tiger Jacob Townsend going down with concussion. But in better news, lively forward Orazio Fantasia is set to return from a calf injury.
Read on for our free St Kilda v Essendon tips for their clash at the Gabba due to kick off at 3.35pm on Sunday.
St Kilda v Essendon odds
| Start: | 3.35pm Local Time, August 16 |
| Venue: | The Gabba, Brisbane |
| Head-to-head odds: | St Kilda ($1.42) v Essendon ($2.67) |
| Line betting: | St Kilda -14.5 ($1.90) v Essendon +14.5 ($1.90) |
| Premiership odds: | St Kilda $34; Essendon $101 |
St Kilda v Essendon tips
Our AFL betting expert has scoured the odds for some value and found several value St Kilda v Essendon tips for Sunday’s game.
St Kilda to cover the -14.5 line
We are tipping the -14.5 line is going to be covered by St Kilda in this contest and while the $1.90 price does not jump out at you, it is a conservative but smart wager. The head to head betting offers no value for Saints’ fans in this contest, but the line looks to be good value given they have two extra days rest and will be hell-bent on bouncing back into form after the terrible Geelong showing.
Dan Butler to kick the first goal
If there was one player who typified the performance of St Kilda against Geelong it would be Richmond recruit Dan Butler, who gathered only four touches and was exposed going the other way by a hard-working Cats midfield. Butler has been instrumental in the Saints’ improved form this year and has a habit of bobbing up to kick the first goal of games. He will be keen to make an impact early and put the dirty day against the Cats behind him.
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti to kick 2+ goals
The Bombers forward has been in the gun this week after being below his mercurial best in 2020 and we think he can respond with a couple of goals here. Helping his cause, will be the return of livewire Fantasia, who will make things easier for his teammate by taking another small defender. Fantasia’s pressure and pace make the Bombers forward line much more effective and make the other forwards better players. Over to you Walla!
St Kilda Saints v Essendon Bombers prediction 16/8/2020
We think St Kilda is in the box seat to win this game after two extra days rest and the $1.42 price almost offers enough value to include them in your multibets. We expect the game to be closely fought in the opening half before the Saints kick away in the second half. For us we’ll be taking the Saints to cover the 14.5 line. Our final St Kilda v Essendon prediction? Saints by 22 points.
Saints vs Bombers 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 3:35pm local time on August 16, 2020.
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