Richmond vs Hawthorn AFL Round 3 betting tips

Richmond vs Hawthorn betting preview

What better way to start round three of the 2020 AFL Premiership than with a local derby between the reigning premiers and one of the modern game’s most successful clubs?

The Richmond Tigers have been a top-three squad since winning the 2017 flag, but their skills were well down last week in their scrappy draw with Collingwood.

A surprise win over Brisbane in round one had plenty of people excited about the Hawthorn Hawks, but that optimism has subsided somewhat after a 61-point loss to the Cats.

The Tigers wouldn’t want to waste this opportunity to kick a team while they are down, but Alastair Clarkson always has a few tricks up his sleeve in moments of adversity.

The presence of Brownlow Medal winners Dustin Martin and Tom Mitchell should make for a great midfield battle, which could go up a notch if Jaegar O’Meara passes fit for the Hawks.

Richmond vs Hawthorn disposal tips

Even with shortened game time and Dusty spending more time in the forward half, he still manages to get plenty of the footy. He only just slipped in with 20 last week against the Magpies, but Dusty matches up well with the Hawks and had 37 last time they met. The odds are very healthy for a player of Martin’s calibre to get only 20 touches.

Only one Hawthorn player was good enough to get 20 disposals last week and that was Tom Mitchell, but James Worpel stands out as a player that will come out and do some damage in the midfield. His tough body, compact body allows him to hit the contest with pace and find plenty of the footy, which he displayed in his last clash with the Tigers in 2019.

Richmond vs Hawthorn goalscorer betting

It was brilliant to see Jack Higgins back on the footy field after undergoing brain surgery in 2019, but it was even better to see him play well. The livewire was hard to stop on a lead, taking the most marks for the Tigers with eight and kicking a sneaky goal close to the boundary. We see Higgins getting loose again this week and popping up with another classy goal.

Consistency is what keeps Alastair Clarkson selecting Luke Breust week in, week out. It can be hard for a forward in Breust’s role to kick goals every round, but he has been doing it since his debut season in 2011. You can expect the smart forward to be on the end of a couple of goals for the Hawks this Thursday.

Richmond vs Hawthorn match predictions

Seeing that Richmond both kicked and conceded 36 points last week and the Hawks only booted 47 of their own, we aren’t expecting a shootout at the MCG. The Tigers also couldn’t get past the Magpies defence over the weekend, leading us to believe another low scoring Thursday night is on the cards.

Although Hawthorn looked bright in the first half at Geelong, you would have to say Richmond came out of the ugly draw with Collingwood in better shape. The Hawks need to find a way to score that doesn’t rely on individual brilliance, as the Tigers’ defenders are excellent in one-on-one contests.