The BetDeluxe AFL Game of the Round sees us set our sights on the Saturday night clash at the Gabba when Brisbane take on Essendon.
After landing the suggested head to head, first goalscorer and total points scored bets in our Game of the Round last week, we think we’ve found the selections to do it again!
HEad to HEAD
April 17th 7:25pm
Joe Daniher faces his old club on Saturday night when Brisbane does battle against Essendon at the Gabba.
In what will be the first ever game Daniher plays against Essendon, both teams are seeking to bounce back from Round 4 losses against the in form teams of the competition.
The Lions fell short against the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Ballarat succumbing to a 10.13.73 to 8.6.54 loss, while the Bombers played out a thrilling yet heart-breaking three-point defeat against Sydney.
Sitting precariously in 16th spot with a 1-3 record and a percentage of 85.8, a return home to the familiar surroundings of the Gabba will be a much welcomed relief for the Lions who have had to remain in Melbourne due to COVID-19 restrictions in Queensland.
Essendon did have a tough time of it when it played the Lions at Metricon Stadium last year and would ultimately go down by 63 points after only managing to score 3.10.28 to the Lions 14.7.91.
Since then, the Bombers have arguably become weaker but the form it showed against the Swans last week suggests Ben Rutten might have a bit to be excited about this season.
Just not sure if the Bombers are trustworthy enough against a team who made the preliminary final last year and would be eager to get a home win on the board.
Prediction: Lions by 28 points
Suggested Bets:
Brisbane Lions to cover the -25.5 line at $1.89.
FIRST GOAL SCORER
Jake Stringer/Joe Daniher
After conceding the first goal of the game against Geelong in Round 2, Brisbane have manufactured the first major of the game it has played since then as well as the Round 1 loss against Sydney.
The tall timber of Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood have nailed the first goal and it was Zac Bailey who managed to do it in Round 1.
There is a clear emphasis and focus on the Lions targeting both Daniher and Hipwood to set the tone early. Expecting not too much to change here.
The Bombers have tossed their form around having managed the first goal twice in through the first round rounds of this season.
Jake Stringer was the man to nail the six-pointer in both those games which came against St Kilda and last week against Sydney.
With all that said, this game looks like it will be a big man to nail it between the big sticks first.
Suggested Bet:
Joe Daniher first goal scorer at $8
Jake Stringer first goal scorer at $11
total points scored
Over 175.5
Brisbane have been involved in fairly low-scoring fixtures in the last three weeks.
From Round 2 through to Round 4, matches involving Brisbane have only averaged 144.3 points and the Lions have only managed to score 69 points on average per game.
Lions coach Chris Fagan will surely place an emphasis on his team to be far more aggressive in attack this week especially with the the game being in front of its adoring fans who will be begging for goals.
The Bombers, too, have shown their prowess in front goal this year and have actually achieved the second highest score of the year after booting home 22.11.143 against St Kilda in Round 3.
Despite being held to 80 points last week, they did play at the small confines of the SCG and against a Sydney side which is strong in defence.
Predicting this to be an open, end to end, high octane game of football.
Suggested Bet: Total points scored over 175.5 points at $1.88
