Richmond vs Western Bulldogs AFL betting tips – Round 7

It is a rare thing these days to see Richmond start as outsiders at the MCG, but that is the situation as the reigning premiers take on the Western Bulldogs on Friday night in round seven of the 2021 AFL Premiership season.

Damian Hardwick’s Tigers will be without three of their most important players, as Dustin Martin is out with concussion while Kane Lambert and Dion Prestia are sidelined with calf injuries.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge will be in a similar position to Hardwick at the selection table, as he needs to find replacements for Tim English (concussion), Josh Dunkley (shoulder) and Lin Jon (hamstring).

Richmond Tigers vs Western Bulldogs match preview

With Martin, Prestia and Lambert all missing for the Tigers, a handful of players need to stand up in Richmond’s midfield. Shai Bolton has spent increased time in the centre this season, and he will play an important role against the powerful Western Bulldogs engine room.

On a similar note, the Bulldogs will need someone to stand up in the guts in the absence of Dunkley, and we think Tom Liberatore is the right man for the job. Look for both Bolton and Liberatore in the disposal markets at online bookmakers.

The Bulldogs have scored over 100 points in four of their last five matches, making them the clear leader in the AFL for points scored. The have also passed the total points line of 158.5 for this game in four of their last five, so the overs looks the way to go.

RichmondTigers

• David Astbury
• Noah Balta
• Dylan Grimes
• Nathan Broad
• Rhyan Mansell
• Jayden Short
• Kamdyn McIntosh
• Trent Cotchin
• Marlion Pickett
• Daniel Rioli
• Shane Edwards
• Jake Aarts
• Tom Lynch
• Shai Bolton
• Jack Riewoldt
• Toby Nankervis
• Jack Ross
• Jack Graham
• Bachar Houli
• Riley Collier-Dawkins
• Jason Castagna
• Liam Baker
• Patrick Naish (Emg)
• Will Martyn (Emg)
• Callum Coleman-Jones (Emg)
• Maurice Rioli (Emg)
• Coach: Damien Hardwick

WesternBulldogs

• Mitch Hannan
• Josh Bruce
• Josh Schache
• Rhylee West
• Aaron Naughton
• Adam Treloar
• Lachie Hunter
• Marcus Bontempelli
• Bailey Smith
• Bailey Dale
• Zaine Cordy
• Caleb Daniel
• Easton Wood
• Alex Keath
• Taylor Duryea
• Stefan Martin
• Jackson Macrae
• Tom Liberatore
• Anthony Scott
• Jason Johannisen
• Hayden Crozier
• Patrick Lipinski
• Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Emg)
• Buku Khamis (Emg)
• Lachlan McNeil (Emg)
• Roarke Smith (Emg)
• Coach: Luke Beveridge

Key matchup: Shane Edwards vs Jack Macrae

With all the players missing from Richmond’s midfield, perhaps only Shane Edwards has the speed and endurance to match Jack Macrae in the middle. Macrae has averaged 35 disposals from his last five matches against the Tigers, and he is yet to fall below the 30-touch mark this season. Edwards will try his best to match up with Macrae, but at $1.20 with Sportsbet to get 30+ disposals, the star Bulldog will be extremely hard to stop.

Richmond Tigers vs Western Bulldogs betting predictions

Tom Liberatore to get 30+ disposals

Earlier in his career, before the Bulldogs had such a stacked midfield, Tom Liberatore was one of the star attractions in a team that won a premiership. Libba is playing good footy this season and averaging 25 disposals per match, and there is a good chance he will top 30 touches this week with Josh Dunkley out of the team.

Western Bulldogs to win by 1-39 points

We expect the Bulldogs to keep their undefeated season alive for another week, as they should overcome the Tigers this Friday night. Dustin Martin and Kane Lambert are massive outs for Richmond in terms of both ability and experience, not to mention Dion Prestia. We have taken the Bulldogs at the 1-39 margin, as we think it will be a close contest.

Same game multi: 3 legs @ $18.50

The winning margin should not spill out beyond the 39-point mark, as the Tigers are still an impressive outfit even without their biggest stars. Jack Graham is likely to step into the Dustin Martin role, starting in the centre and pushing forward. Graham kicked three goals against the Bulldogs back in 2018, and we think the young midfielder can strike again.