Essendon vs Brisbane AFL tips, odds & value bets – Rd 2, 2022

The Essendon Bombers will look to make amends for a horror start to the 2022 AFL season when they host the Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium this Saturday afternoon.

The Lions began the 2022 season with a scratchy home performance against a Port Adelaide side that became increasingly injury depleted as the game progressed. Brisbane sit near the top of premiership markets with most AFL betting sites and expectations are high. Their squad should be coming of age and hitting its peak. They are well coached and drilled and are widely considered genuine flag contenders.

So, what should we make of an entirely unconvincing performance that saw the Lions reel in a sizeable third-quarter deficit to barely scramble across the line? There was no attacking potency, and the Lions kicked a paltry two goals per quarter until booting five in the final stanza. There was little flow, they looked messy and unpolished, and they lacked purpose and accuracy. At times the game resembled, dare we say, an AFLW game. From an optimistic perspective, they did finally get going in the fourth quarter, found a way to win ugly, and there is no shortage of upside.

The Bombers got off to an even less auspicious start. They were embarrassed by a slick Cats outfit that could have won by 100 points if it was feeling especially ruthless. The Bombers kicked two goals in the first quarter, one in the second, three in the third, and five in the fourth when Geelong showed some belated mercy. These are not match winning returns. While a single dreadful performance is not the end of the world, pressure will soon build on clubs that return a meagre one or two goals a quarter. Scrappy, low-scoring games do not put bums on seats or draw eyeballs to screens. Unattractive playing styles do not energise dormant membership groups.

Key matchup: Merrett vs Neale

Clean, fluid scoring opportunities begin in the centre of the ground, and establishing midfield dominance is still the most effective way to win a game of footy. Lachie Neale put together some respectable numbers for the Lions in round one, and he should collide with Zach Merrett during round two proceedings. The winner of this match-up will be crucial to deciding the outcome of the game.

Essendon vs Brisbane predictions & best bets

Given the poor Lions performance, they might be fortunate to have drawn another lowly ranked side in round two to avoid being exposed. So, which side will bounce back hardest? Despite being away from home, the Lions are the obvious candidate to show sharp improvement. They will need to win a lot of games on the road if they hope to secure a top-four berth. So, the recommended play is the Lions -15.5, available at $1.90 on Sportsbet. The game may be close early, but we expect Brisbane to kick clear and safely cover the line. From a viewing perspective, let’s hope the scoreboard is a little more active this week.

Essendon vs Brisbane AFL same-game multi

For value hunters who love a same-game multi, take the Lions -15.5, Joe Daniher to kick more than two goals, and the Lions -4.5 in the last quarter – showing a return of $3.20 on Sportsbet. We expect the Lions to finish the stronger, and Joe might be ready to kick a bag against his former teammates.

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