In the closest betting match of the round, both teams will be desperate to avoid a 0-2 record.
Best Bet
GWS -4.5 ($1.90)
The market has yet to catch up to how bad Richmond are.
While they led for much of the game against Carlton, that had more to do with how poorly Carlton converted (14.17) than Richmond playing well. They were smashed in all the key metrics including inside 50s and clearances.
Things got particularly grim for Richmond after Dion Prestia was injured. He won’t be back this week. Trent Cotchin looks old and slow. Dustin Martin looks set to miss this week.
Add to that a general lack of desperation. Richmond’s manic forward pressure was a signature of their premiership teams. In Round 1 against the Blues, they had one solitary tackle inside their forward 50, compared to 14 for Carlton.
GWS battled hard against what looks to be an excellent Swans outfit. They split things out of the middle only to be outdone by the Swans ability to hit the scoreboard when it mattered.
With Jack Riewoldt out and Phil Davis primed for the job on Tom Lynch, the Giants should be able to keep Richmond to a manageable score.
Same Game Multi
GWS – 4.5 / Noah Balta Any Time Goal Scorer / Tim Taranto 25+ Possessions / Tom Green 25+ Possessions ($5.25)
Balta bagged a couple in Round 1 and should see his target share increase with Riewoldt out. Tim Taranto is a super consistent ball winner while Tom Green was outstanding last week and looks ready to go to a new level in 2022. The Tigers got smashed out of the middle last week and will likely concede big possession numbers again.
Value Bet
GWS Giants 40+ ($5.70)
With injuries and a lack of quality in the midfield for the Tigers it is a plausible that the Giants do an absolute number on the team that smashed them in the 2019 Grand Final.
