Carlton v Essendon AFL tips & same game multi – Sunday, June 11

Carlton v Essendon AFL predictions & best bets

Carlton v Essendon R13 match preview

After a disastrous month of football, the Carlton Blues will be looking to get back on track when they host old foes Essendon at the MCG in a Sunday night grudge match.

Carlton slumped to their fifth consecutive loss when they were held to a mere 44 points by Melbourne in round 12. Sitting 14th on the AFL ladder, pressure is now beginning to mount on both the coaching staff and the club’s marquee players.

The Blues generated a disappointing 39 inside 50s against Melbourne, were beaten at the clearances 38 to 29, and lost the contested possession count 148 to 119. Charlie Curnow found the ball 11 times to kick one goal, Patrick Cripps continues to handball to teammates who are under pressure, and there are few positives to draw from the loss.

The Essendon Bombers were pushed all the way to the final siren in their round 12 clash against the vastly improved Kangaroos, getting home by six points. The Bombers have experienced both sides of close results recently, as they scrambled home by a point against the Tigers in round 10 but lost by five points to the Power in round eight.

Still, after a difficult stretch that included consecutive defeats to Collingwood, Geelong, Port Adelaide, and Brisbane, the Dons have strung together three wins on the bounce to sit in sixth place heading into round 13. With plenty of percentage to make up on the top five, Brad Scott’s side will be hoping to secure a comfortable win over an out-of-form rival.

Carlton v Essendon betting strategy

The Bombers go in as slight favourites with the line set at a meagre 1.5 points. Their form on paper is clearly superior, and the market might be underestimating the improvement of the Kangaroos when assessing this contest. It is hard to get excited about Carlton’s recent scores of 44, 51, 57, 59, and 74 points, so we will happily back the Dons at the line.

Key matchup: Nic Martin v Adam Cerra

Nic Martin vs Adam Cerra

Essendon midfielder Nic Martin is rounding his skill set and emerged from the round 12 win with 21 disposals, seven marks, five tackles, four clearances, three goal assists, and two goals. The 22-year-old boasts poise beyond his years and is one of Essendon’s best users, so Carlton would do well to keep the ball out of his hands.

While many of his colleagues have struggled, Carlton midfielder Adam Cerra is posting career-best numbers with 27 disposals, 4.6 tackles, and 4.0 clearances per game this season. He is also one of the few players in this Blues side that can hit a target by foot at the moment. If Carlton are to arrest their slide this weekend, they will need Cerra to get plenty of the footy and use it well.

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