AFLW Round 3 Betting Picks 2026

The Aussie Rules Football Women’s division is entering its third round of the 2026 season. It’s still early in the season and teams are starting to forge their identities. There has been some impressive play from the top of the ladder. However, there are some hungry teams at the bottom hoping to improve their fortunes before the season gets any older. These AFLW Round 3 Betting Picks 2026 aim to get you invested in this weekend’s action.

Moneylines are all over the place this week with heavy juice towards the favorites in many of the matchups. As tempting as it is to try and predict a major upset this week, it’s going to be a little safer to stick to the bets with some of the more favorable odds. With that in mind, here are a pair of bets we think will cash this week.

Brisbane Lions Over Melbourne Demons (-110 via theScore)

Melbourne has exploded out of the gates scoring 60 points in back-to-back wins to start the season. In Round 1, the Demons notched a 60-41 victory against the Hawthorn Hawks. They followed that up with a 60-12 drubbing of the GWS Giants. Melbourne is currently in second place having scored 24 fewer points than their neighbors in North Melbourne.

Brisbane currently sits in sixth place on the ladder with an even 1-1 record. The Lions started the season with an 85-37 win against Essendon. Unfortunately, they ran into the Kangaroos of North Melbourne last week suffering a 44-33 loss.

Rania Crozier lays a big tackle and slots her first AFLW goal 👏#AFLWLionsNorth pic.twitter.com/kCQDSBtY8k

— AFL Women’s (@aflwomens) August 22, 2026

As strong as Melbourne has been through the first two weeks of the season, the series record sways heavily in favor of Brisbane. The Lions have left with the win in each of their last four matches against the Demons.

Essendon Bombers Over Richmond Tigers (-105 via theScore)

Essendon is off to a rocky start this season and are 0-2 landing second to last on the ladder. However, that record is a touch deceiving given they have scored 78 points this year which is in the ballpark of a decent chuck of the teams around the middle of the league. The problem has been a defense that has given up the second-most points (151) on the ladder. Of course, Essendon has taken on both Sydney and Brisbane to start their season.

Luckily, the Bombers’ Round 3 opponent is a team that hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard so far. Richmond is currently 1-1 and in tenth place on the ladder. The Tigers opened up the year with a 46-28 win against Collingwood, but were bested by the Western Bulldogs in a 48-37 loss last week.

Given what we have seen from both teams this season, Richmond should have no problem putting away a struggling Essendon club. However, there is something about the Bombers that gives the Tigers fits. Essendon is 2-0-1 against Richmond in their last three head-to-head matchups.

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