North Melbourne Picked to Bowl Over Essendon in Aussie Rules Football

Chris Wassel
By , Updated on: Mar 24, 2026 12:00 AM
OSB North Melbourne Picked to Bowl Over Essendon in Aussie Rules Football

So, we get toward the end of March! The Spring begins (Fall in Australia) and March Madness is heading toward the Sweet 16. We love the kangaroos, koalas, and yes the Australian Rules Football! At Online Sports Betting, we dive into Round 4 with much exuberance. Now, let us dish out a few Aussie Rules Prime Bets for this weekend's action.

  • What: Aussie Rules Football
  • When: March 26th, 2026 - March 29th, 2026
  • Where: All over the Australian continent

2026 Aussie Rules Ladder Update

So, we examine the Aussie Rules Ladder Update. Naturally, we spotlight a few Saturday early morning matches (Eastern Time Zone). Yes, online betting sites for these sports have some strange choices and peculiar times. For now, we list the following early morning match below in our table.

Aussie Rules SaturdayBovadaBetOnlineMyBookie
North Melbourne-200-220-225
Essendon+150+160+170

Here is where the fun begins. Most forget how long the season is. Also, some higher-profile teams are on a bye this weekend. Yes, the top four teams happen to get the week off. I am always concerned how teams come off that first bye of the season. Will they be rested, rusty, or both? One or two of those might be on our radar at the tail end of this article. West Coast surprised us last week with an early season win while Richmond and Essendon continued their poor form.

With Essendon looking like the 18th place finisher more and more, it may be the time to feast on their misery a little. The Bombers keep on misfiring early and gave up a ton of points against Hawthorn. Richmond's offense looks even more sporadic while Gold Coast and Western are on a nice roll. Sorry, those two 3-0 teams again will not play until the first week of April.

Like we have mentioned before, it is a long, long season. Teams can start off really well then tail off and vice versa. However, even early on, teams are establishing trends that are good, bad, and even ugly.

Aussie Rules Prime Bets For North Melbourne vs Essendon

Let's deal out some Aussie Rules Prime Bets for North Melbourne vs Essendon. With the preseason and some games behind us, now it is all about this weekend. Making several wagers is our likely plan. The goal is to again stay simple and not veer into far-off props. Who will win, cover, and more this week?

Hopping Mad About The Spread

This is that one team which might be hopping mad about the spread. However, North Melbourne is only 1-1 on the season and anything can happen even against a downtrodden Essendon squad. Losing by 63 and 62 points is certainly cause for dire concern. The fact that North Melbourne is only favored by 12.5 points is a little surprising even with the venue being where it is. Some of what is going into the sportsbooks is this.

Now, the early trends consider the fact that North Melbourne has not beaten Essendon in a dozen straight tries. Anytime, Essendon has been an underdog in the past five meetings, the Bombers have covered. That was then and this is now. If one examines how Essendon performed early in matches over the second half of last year and now, there are some excruciating numbers. The Bombers have now dropped 14 of the past 15 opening quarters. Talk about getting behind!

Essendon has lost 19 of its last 25 matches. Currently, it is hard to see them climb out of the funk they are in right now. We believe a better performance is in them this weekend but will it be enough? Our early projection has North Melbourne finding a way to scratch out a win probably by about three to four goals or so.

North Melbourne To defeat Essendon by 13+ points
Bovada
-115

The Game Over Once More

Yes, it is little secret that the Bombers cannot defend right now. Essendon now has allowed an average of 139 points in the early going. Maybe, North Melbourne is a little challenged offensively but the game total for Saturday's match is down to 182.5. This is a number that comes in across the board at -115. Bovada even has been stuck at -115 from opening until press time.

Early overs making the mark have been ticking closer to 60%. This is far from must see television. However, we are expecting a little higher scoring match than what Essendon has managed so far. Considering the way the Bombers play, they need to get off to some kind of good offensive start. Either that or North Melbourne is going to get a little more in the goal department as opposed to the behinds.

Okay, the 44.5 over during the first quarter is worth a look. Keep an eye on the halftime number with maybe the second quarter under in mind. Either way, North Melbourne will be desperate to get off the mat after the performance against West Coast.

North Melbourne and Essendon To score 183 or more points
BetOnline
-115

Combing Through More Saturday Matches

Finally, the Aussie Rules Prime Bets aim at West Coast and Port Adelaide. The West Coast Eagles found a way to notch their first win of the season with an impressive 111-94 win over North Melbourne. Yes, the Eagles are exceedingly young but have battled well in March. One wonders could Port Adelaide really win this match by 29 or more points on Saturday?

Honestly, despite this match being in Adelaide, West Coast may have a chance to cover here. It is a risk but the 28.5 points is a lot. Port Adelaide could wind up being one of the better teams as far as the ladder. On the other hand, West Coast could show some fight and bite.

West Coast Eagles To cover against Port Adelaide
MyBookie
-110

Aussie Rules Football Bets And More

Make those 2026 Aussie Rules Football Bets and more at one of the bookmakers below. The best 2026 sportsbook reviews offer many types of online sports bets are available.

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Meet the author

Chris Wassel

Chris Wassel AA, AAS CURRENTLY Sports Writer and Journalist RESIDES IN Rahway, NJ EDUCATION Union County College, Montclair State University EXPERTISE Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and Baking Cookies Summary A long s...

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