AFL Tips – Essendon v North Melbourne – Round 3 2026

Bombers vs Kangaroos - AFL Tips

Two sides under early pressure after disappointing starts to the season collide at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, with neither Essendon nor North Melbourne able to afford another loss.

Featured Betting Sites

UpYaGo 🔥JUST LAUNCHED! March 2026
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join UpYaGo
betnow logo 🆕 New Betting Site - Feb 2026
Exclusive Code: BET500
Join BetNow
puntx logo 🔬 RaceLabs Insights built in
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join PuntX
epicodds logo 🔥 Just launched February 2026
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join EpicOdds
ripperbet logo 🦘 Ripper odds, ripper site!
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join RipperBet
Dabble logo 💸 Social betting + super fast withdrawals
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join Dabble
betbuzz logo 🏉 Great AFL/NRL odds + SGMs
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join BetBuzz
betnova logo 🏇 Best of 3 Tote odds
Exclusive Code: NOVA500
Join BetNova
TeamBet logo 📋 Racing toolkit + form guide
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join TeamBet
nextbet logo 🛠️ Best multi builder + LiveYard form
Use Code: WELCOME
Join NextBet
betvista logo 📈 Competitive sports + racing odds
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join BetVista
Picklebet logo ⭐ Top-rated betting site
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join Picklebet
betdragon logo 🖥️ Punterstech platform + fast payouts
Exclusive Code: SEEKER500
Join BetDragon

Imagine what you could be buying instead.

Set a deposit limit.

Best Bet

North Melbourne Over 100.5 Points
Team Total
Bet Now
$1.90

Neither of these teams can be trusted right now, but the strongest angle in this game is North to put up a score.

Whatever else is going wrong for the Roos, their offence is not the problem. They scored 113 against Port Adelaide and 94 against West Coast, with just 12 points in each of the two middle quarters. Over their last five matches they average 104.2 points, ranked third in the competition. This team is capable of scoring, especially against poor defensive teams.

Essendon is an ideal opponent. The Bombers have struggled to defend ball movement for years and in the first two rounds they have put in two of the worst pressure performances seen in recent memory. If North can move the ball the way they did against Port and West Coast in the first quarter, Essendon will have no answer.

North have their own defensive problems but that works in their favour here too. this figures to be an open, high-scoring game, and the Roos have shown they can contribute to that.

Back North to get to three figures.


Same Game Multi

North Melbourne Over 100.5 Points, C.Zurhaar 2+ Goals, N.Caddy 2+ Goals, C.McKercher 20+ Disposals
Bet Now
$4.20

Cameron Zurhaar has a superb record against the Bombers, kicking 13 goals across his last four meetings with them. Essendon don’t appear to have a matchup for him.

Nate Caddy is a genuine threat in the air and on the ground and North don’t have a great match-up to contain him. He kicked 4.3 last week and bagged 2.3 against the Roos last year.

Colby McKercher should settle back into his half-back role on Saturday night, where he piled up big possession numbers through the back half of 2025.


Value Bet

C.Zurhaar 4+ Goals
Anytime Goalscorer
Bet Now
$6.50

Zurhaar has kicked four or more goals in two of his last four games against Essendon and the matchup looks just as favourable this week. The Bombers were hurt badly by Jason Horne-Francis last week — a similar marking medium forward — who kicked 3.2. If Zurhaar gets a sniff early, this could be a big day.

Betseeker’s expert tipsters have you covered for the best AFL tips, predictions, same-game multis, and more, for each game of the 2026 AFL season.

Avatar photo
Frankie has spent more than a decade working in the Australian wagering industry and is widely regarded for his expertise in AFL, NRL and horse racing tips.