After a trio of midweek entanglements, the A-League offers up a full slate of action this weekend with a very busy Saturday headlining the card.
Adelaide will put their red hot form to the test over in Wellington with the Nix still searching for the form that made them a very profitable play last season.
Meanwhile we also have the first edition of the “other” long distance derby between Auckland FC and Perth out west, with the final nickname for the fixture almost as exciting as the 90 minutes themselves.
Check out our full breakdown and best bets for every match below.
On recent form it is a bit of a surprise to see the Victory such clear favourites for this clash with Western United.
Admittedly the visitors are coming off a midweek defeat at the hands of Melbourne City, but prior to that they had won four in a row and were starting to look like it was all coming together under John Aloisi.
Meanwhile, the Victory have three draws and a defeat under Arthur Diles, and while every draw has had some justification, they don’t seem to be playing to their full potential right now.
The nominal visitors have every chance of getting something out of this game, even if it is just a point and the disparity in the market makes it the best value play on offer.
Western United Win/Draw Double @ $2.10
Since their impressive start to the season which yielded nine wins from their first four, the Nix have fallen in a heap.
Saturday’s loss in Melbourne was their fourth defeat from their last five starts, with the only interruption coming in a win at home over Newcastle.
Meanwhile Adelaide is flying, boasting a perfect record of five wins from five starts away from home and that is a big reason why they can take over top spot on the A-League ladder for at least a few hours.
The Reds have not won in the New Zealand capital since November 2018 but this is without a doubt their best shot at it.
Adelaide to Win @ $2.15
After 11 games and nine defeats, there is only so much you can say about the Brisbane Roar.
They put in an effort to try and beat Newcastle but the deficiencies at that club (on the men’s side of things at least) meant it still wasn’t enough.
Last time they went to AAMI Park to face City, they were on the wrong end of a historic 8-1 battering in Luciano Traini’s only match in charge.
While a repeat of that scoreline is somewhat unlikely, it should still result in a comfortable win for Melbourne City.
Melbourne City to Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.00
The short turnaround from Sydney’s midweek clash with Perth is the only thing that might stop the Sky Blues from running rampant here.
Central Coast did win their last start but as we are learning, a win over Brisbane is not exactly an indicator that all has been solved at a club.
While the Mariners have improved in the last few weeks and they did beat Sydney in December, it is just too hard to ignore what Sydney have put on the pitch in the last few weeks.
Both teams to score has hit in each of Central Coast’s last four while it has also been a solid play for the Sky Blues as well.
Sydney FC to Win and Both Teams to Score @ $2.50
Travel might be the only thing that stops this scoreline getting out of hand as Auckland makes their first trip to HBF Park.
The Glory just cannot get out of their own way with four losses from their last five and eight from 11 on the season.
However we are not getting the wild and crazy high scoring games out west, save for Western United’s late show last weekend.
Auckland’s plan this season has been to play smart and cautious football to get through matches and it has paid dividends.
But it also does not suggest that this will be a high scoring game with a comfortable 3-0 for Auckland very much on the cards.
Auckland to Win and Under 4.5 Goals @ $1.95
The round wraps up in the Hunter with Newcastle coming back home from Brisbane three points better off than when they left.
However they were still cut open at times by one of the worst attacks in the competition and Macarthur is going to have a field day here.
A shock loss to Adelaide on Monday notwithstanding, the Bulls have been in strong form and look well placed to avenge a 2-1 loss at home to the Jets on October 25.
Given the respective trajectories of these teams, it is actually quite surprising for the market to be this close.
Macarthur to Win @ $2.45
2023/2024
It’s back to normality for the A-League this weekend (mostly anyway), after the inaugural edition of Unite Round.
Western United and Adelaide have the weekend off after a venue could not be found but there’s still six matches on the cards with Newcastle and Brisbane having a catch up game on Tuesday night.
However it’s Friday evening’s top of the table clash from across the ditch that is the must watch fixture of the weekend as Wellington hosts Melbourne Victory.
There’s a lot to look forward to this weekend so check out who we are backing below!
*MATCH POSTPONED*
Brisbane did it the hard way against Newcastle on Sunday night, but they won’t have much time to enjoy the first victory of the Ben Cahn era.
They have a quick backup before pulling double duty this weekend starting with this home game against Macarthur.
While they have not defeated the Bulls since February 2022, losing two and drawing two including the Round 1 stalemate in Campbelltown, the Roar should be able to build on their momentum here.
At the time of publish there is still an injury cloud hanging over key players Florin Berenguer and Henry Hore, but Jay O’Shea has carried this team in their absence and is in the midst of his best season in orange and black.
His creativity should be the difference.
Brisbane to Win @ $2.02
A top of the table clash starts Friday’s double header and there have not been many more tantalising Wellington Phoenix fixtures in their history.
The Nix have been scoring for fun thanks in large part to the form of one-time Victory striker Kosta Barbarouses who gives them a chance in every match.
But you cannot count out the Victory, who have gone unbeaten through 12 rounds and will not want to lose ground in the chase for the premiership as we move towards the midseason mark.
With both teams eager to win but more desperate not to lose, a draw looks to be the way to go here.
Draw @ $3.50
Despite a litany of off-field issues that would give many teams reason to quit, the Jets continue to battle even if the results are not always there.
It’s why Sydney cannot afford to take them lightly, but the talent mismatch is going to be telling when analysing the final score.
The Sky Blues will be desperate to atone for their 4-3 defeat against Adelaide last week and they should be able to see off Newcastle.
Sydney to Win and Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.05
Speaking of teams with a reason to give up, an already short-staffed Perth team is going to suffer more blows in the January transfer window.
With their ownership status up in the air, they are unable to sign new players and shore up their roster and if that was not enough, influential midfielder Oli Bozanic is being forced to leave at the end of his loan spell with no chance of having it extended.
There may never be a better chance for the Wanderers to end their month long obsession with alternating wins and losses.
Each of the last four home games have ended with the Wanderers winning and keeping a clean sheet.
Instead of taking the Wanderers to win to nil, I’ll instead look to the handicap market given the apparent mismatch between these teams.
Western Sydney to Win -1 Goal @ $2.30
If it were not for the top of the table clash on Friday, this would easily be the pick for the best match of the round.
Neither club will have been overly happy with their Unite Round scorelines, with the Mariners forced to settle for a point against the Victory while City were held scoreless by a resolute Wanderers team.
Barely a month ago they played out an enthralling 3-3 draw in Melbourne but with this game in Gosford, it might be the deciding factor for the home side.
Either way it will be must watch tv and I am giving the edge to the Mariners.
Central Coast to Win @ $2.30
*RESCHEDULED FIXTURE*
Another rescheduled match that was originally in place for the Unite Round weekend sends us to the Hunter for the midweek matchup.
Brisbane rode their luck when they met in Sydney but they have historically had the edge over the Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Not to mention the added advantage of another 24 hours of rest which should serve as a bit of an equaliser when it comes to travel.
They should be able to head down and come home with all three points.
Brisbane to Win @ $3.05
2022/23
We’re officially at the halfway mark of the A-League season and the ladder is still as tight as ever.
If you backed the draw last week you would have done reasonably well, there were four draws in six games in Round 12.
Hopefully we get a few more results this week but clearly this is one of the closest seasons of the A-League we’ve ever seen.
I’ve run my eyes over each game and have your back for tips as always!
Here is my preview of Week 13 of the A-League.
Friday night United will host Macarthur in a match up that they are heavy favourites in.
United boast a fascinating 4-4-4 record and currently sit 6th on the ladder. Are they actually any good?
The 5-2-5 Bulls sit just one point above them on the ladder and are a crazy $3.60 to win compared to Adelaide’s $1.85.
Here’s an interesting stat for you, Adelaide has lost four of its last five A-League Week 13 home matches. Does that have any bearing on the game? Probably not but I do like Macarthur’s chances in this one.
Back Macarthur H2H @ $3.60
Speaking of tight games, Western United will take on the Sky Blues on Saturday afternoon. Where you ask? North Hobart Oval.
The bookies are struggling to split this one, United are slight underdogs $2.80 to Sydney’s $2.30
They’re both coming off draws last week which makes this even harder to tip but Western United FC has won three of its last four A-League matches as an underdog.
They will be without defender Jacob Tratt who picked up a red card in the 75th minute but I am liking a Western United W here.
Back Western United H2H @ $2.80
Saturday night up at Redcliffe the Roar will host the top of the table Melbourne City. The Roar are one of only two teams that lost last week and I’m struggling to see how they will turn that around against City.
The underdog has won each of Brisbane’s last three A-League matches but do we really think that’s going to happen here? I don’t think so.
This could be 3 losses in a row for the Roar, The ‘Under 2.5 Goals’ market has hit in six of Brisbane’s last seven A-League matches and The ‘Under 2.5 Goals’ market has hit in each of Brisbane’s last seven A-League night matches as an underdog.
Back Melbourne City to win & Under 2.5 Goals @ $4.24
Haven’t the Glory found a bit of form!
They’re up against the last placed Melbourne Victory, at home but somehow are still underdogs.
It’s another night game in Perth and the last few weeks we have seen that suck the life out of the East Coast teams. Throw in the fact that Melbourne Victory has lost five of its last six A-League night matches as a favourite.
I’m taking the Glory head to head! $3.05 thanks for coming.
Back the Glory H2H @ $3.05
Sunday afternoon at Sky Stadium the Phoenix will take on the Mariners who are absolutley flying right now.
CCM have won 5 of their last 6 games and currently sit just four points behind City. A win here for the Mariners would make this league even tighter than it already is.
This game is the tightest of the round, Wellington are ~slight~ favourites, $2.45 to $2.55, when I see odds like that I always think the draw is the attractive play but the Mariners are ripping and tearing at the moment.
Wellington has lost three of its last four A-League matches as a home favourite following a win, I think that’s enough to sway me into just taking CCM on the nose.
The ‘Both Teams to Score’ market has hit in each of Wellington’s last seven A-League home matches, putting those two legs together will get you a price of $4.20 which looks very appealing but for the sake of a winning tip, I’ll just get on the Mariners.
Back CCM H2H @ $2.55
Rounding out the round we have the Newcastle Jets taking on 3rd placed Western Sydney.
It’s been a rough campaign for Newy, they’re 3rd last on the table and are 4-1-7 on the year. While WSW are currently sitting quite high on the ladder, they only have 1 win to their name in the last 5 games.
The Jets are only slight underdogs but their massive goal difference of -10 scares me away from backing them.
Western Sydney has lost seven of its last eight A-League matches as an away favourite and Newcastle has won four of its last five A-League home matches against Western Sydney.
They are certainly good omens but I can’t back them with confidence, I’m taking the draw.
Back the Draw @ $3.20
2021/2022
There are several more rescheduled matches on this weekend’s A-League Men slate, and the action begins in Newcastle on Thursday evening when the Jets take on the Roar.
Wellington Phoenix were unlucky to miss Saturday night’s FFA Cup Final, and they will look to take their frustrations out on Macarthur on Sunday, before Melbourne City start clear favourites in their match with Perth Glory.
You can find our complete A-League Round 13 Preview below.
The young Jets have fallen out of form and to the bottom of the ladder, and they’ll need to improve in order to reverse their fortunes against the Roar in Round 13.
It was a bright start to the season for the Jets under the care of new manager Arthur Papas, but the pandemic/rescheduling has thrown their campaign into turmoil, and they’ve suffered disappointing defeats at their last two matches.
The Roar have slowly started to gain momentum, and they have won two of their last three matches, highlighted by a dominant performance against the Wanderers last Saturday.
I can’t have the Jets as favourites on what they have been producing recently, and the Roar are slight overs at around the $3 mark.
Back the Roar to Win @ $3.05
Adelaide United will look to continue their climb up the table at the expense of Sydney FC on Friday.
Granted, they have played more matches than any other club, but the Reds have been making the most of their chances recently and they are undefeated in their last five league appearances, winning three times.
Sydney have been inconsistent at best this season, but they do take winning form into this match after sneaking past the Mariners on Sunday.
In Adelaide, I am happy to continue riding the home side’s red-hot form.
Back Adelaide to Win @ $3.05
*RESCHEDULED ROUND 7 MATCH*
The Wanderers host Western United in a match with plenty of intrigue.
They still have a long way to go before they can be considered a finals threat, but boy the Wanderers looked a whole lot more structured and dangerous under Mark Rudan on Wednesday night.
Captaincy really does look like it suits Jack Rodwell, and the classy Englishman returned his best performance of the season, ultimately slotting the match winner.
Rudan’s dismissal from Western United will still be fresh in his mind, and he’ll be eager to take bragging rights against his form club, who still managed to go top of the league despite only drawing with Macarthur on Tuesday.
Up 2-0 at the 75th minute, Western United went to sleep, and blew the chance to really stamp themselves as the benchmark.
Off those efforts, I can’t split them.
Back the Draw
Wellington hosts Macarthur on Sunday afternoon, and betting suggests that there is a case to be built for both clubs.
Wellington have let plenty of chances go beginning during the A-League Men season; the perfect example being their Round 1 meeting with this opponent.
They were clearly the better side for 90 minutes, but squandered chances and allowed the Bulls to score.
They simply cannot afford to do that against a vastly improved Macarther this week.
Their rust was evident during the first half of their match with Western United on Tuesday, their first since Boxing Day, but the injection of Lachie Rose completed changed the complexion of the Bulls, and they incredible salvaged a draw.
I am confident that Macarthur will only improve for that effort, and in my opinion they are over the odds at $2.55.
Back Macarthur to Win @ $2.55
The chopped/changed/abridged A-League weekend will conclude in Melbourne on Sunday evening, and City will be confident in their chances of recording another win at the expense of the Perth Glory.
City are another club who really haven’t made the most of their chances this season, but they’ve done enough to sit fifth on the ladder, and within one win of top spot.
They suffered a disappointing defeat to Western United last weekend; a result which was compounded by that opponent’s inability to maintain a 2-goal lead midweek.
The Glory recorded just their second win of the campaign over Sydney FC two matches back, but they were unable to frank that effort when dropping all three points to the Wanderers on Wednesday night.
I think that the bookies have just about got this one right, and City can bounce back.
Back City to Win to Nil @ $2.45
*RESCHEDULED ROUND 7 MATCH*
*RESCHEDULED ROUND 12 MATCH*
2021
It’s a massive matchweek coming up in the A-League with eight contests all with different implications on the cards.
Even with the differing fortunes of both clubs, the Big Blue between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory promises plenty of drama with the latter’s attempts to salvage something from what has been a miserable season.
Elsewhere the Central Coast Mariners will attempt to put a halt to Melbourne City’s surge in form.
We are previewing every A-League match below so read on to see who we are backing.
A Perth side that once briefly looked unstoppable is now staring down the barrel of a four match winless run.
It’s fair to wonder how much they will have in the tank after a draining wet weather draw against Central Coast last Sunday and the prospect of another cross country trip to take on the Wanderers.
On the plus side Western Sydney is coming off short rest for this fixture as well, getting by Wellington in a wild 4-3 encounter on Monday evening.
A light bulb has gone off for the Wanderers and they are starting to look like a much more cohesive side.
While Perth has the attacking quality to cause some problems for their hosts, I just can’t bring myself to back them in what is a bad spot.
Back Western Sydney to Win @ $2.30
Macarthur heads into this match having lost three of its last four, all of which came by multiple goal margins.
Ante Milicic’s side have scored just twice in those matches as well which does not give them an awful lot of hope of getting anything here.
The first defeat in that run came in a 4-1 loss to Western United in the first meeting between the A-League’s newest clubs.
Western United might not have been overly convincing in their 1-0 win over a scrappy Brisbane side but they came away with all three points to move into touching distance of the top six.
I’m happy to take on Macarthur who have been installed as early favourites and instead back Mark Rudan’s outfit to come away with a big three points on the road.
Back Western United to Win @ $3.50
*MATCH POSTPONED*
It’s time to panic in Brisbane, the Roar have now gone six matches without a win, picking up just three points in that run and falling out of the A-League’s top six.
Making matters worse is up next comes a trip to face Wellington (in Newcastle), who have rediscovered their scoring touch.
They have scored nine goals in their last three outings and should be able to put plenty of pressure on Brisbane’s normally strong backline.
What swings this fixture in the favour of the nominal home side here is the fact that Brisbane cannot score at the moment, being held without a goal in four of their last six matches so if Wellington can break through early, Brisbane will battle to get themselves back into it.
Back Wellington to Win @ $2.55
The second half of the Newcastle double header actually features the Newcastle Jets and they take on the flying Reds.
For some reason the visitors are underdogs here despite their free scoring form which has seen them win their last four, including a 2-1 win in Adelaide two weekends prior.
Punters should be jumping at the value on offer on Adelaide here as they should manage to extend Newcastle’s losing streak to four.
Back Adelaide to Win @ $3.30
This could very well be a midseason preview of the 2021 A-League Grand Final as the surging Melbourne City hosts the league leading Central Coast Mariners.
Even if City were to win both of their games in hand, they would still trail Central Coast by a point however they can give themselves a chance to overtake them with this six pointer.
Part of Central Coast’s rise to the top was a 3-2 win over City in early February in Gosford with the Mariners digging themselves out of an early 2-0 hole.
I have learned not to back against Central Coast without a very good reason and City’s insanely good form of late is a very good reason.
At $1.70 (at the time of writing) that’s far too short to take on Alen Stajcic’s steam train but there is other value in the market.
Both teams are very strong going forward and we should see plenty of goals flying in here.
Back Over 3.5 Goals @ $2.40
Sydney’s wild weather spared the Victory from a (likely) Big Blue bashing on Saturday evening, however assuming the weather cooperates they will have to face the music against Wellington on Wednesday evening.
The Phoenix have shown signs of life and would feel hard done by to have taken just a solitary point from their last two outings.
Having been cruelly (but correctly) denied a draw against Western Sydney before another cruel (and maybe correct) no-penalty decision denied them a win against Brisbane, this is their chance to remove luck from the equation and pick up all three points.
While this is one of the few matchups the Victory have taken a point from this season, winning 2-0 in late February, I just can’t back the worst team in the A-League this season to win.
This is a “play it smart” decision and there’s no need to overcomplicate the bet.
Back Wellington to Win @ $1.75
Just like the Victory, Sydney FC heads into this match with an unexpected weekend off following the wash out of their Big Blue clash.
Those fresh legs could prove to be the difference against a Perth side that has seen the wheels come off during their three match east coast road trip.
Despite being over halfway through the current A-League season, this will be just the Glory’s fourth home match and they have taken six of nine possible points at HBF Park.
We should see goals in this match with Sydney starting to come into a nice patch of form and the extra rest will be very useful for their aging stars.
I’ll back the extra rest to be the difference as the Sky Blues head east with a third consecutive victory.
Back Sydney FC to Win and Over 2.5 Goals @ $3.00
2019/2020
It’s an early start for Round 13 of the A-League as the Western Sydney Wanderers host the Brisbane Roar on New Years Day.
Adelaide United is the next side to try and slow down Sydney FC’s march to the Premiers Plate while the Victory take on the Jets.
Check out who we are backing this round right here!
If the Roar can’t break their first half duck against the Jets, they’re going to struggle against pretty much everyone.
The Wanderers got back on track with a win over Adelaide last weekend that was entertaining if not slightly controversial.
Brisbane has given me absolutely no reason to back them here and best case scenario for them is a repeat of the dour 0-0 draw from November.
Much like last season, back against the Roar until they prove otherwise and considering they are yet to score in the first half all season, why not ride that as well.
SGM: Western Sydney to Win, Brisbane Under 0.5 First Half Goals @ $2.52
Talk about a kick in the gut, City lead against a 10 man Sydney team last weekend, only to give up two goals to walk away from that with nothing.
If they want to prove they are legitimately good side, they have to rebound against a Western United team that had their own wakeup call from Wellington.
Instead of over-complicating things in this match, I’m just going to back a City response as the season begins to take its toll on United’s aging squad.
Back Melbourne City to Win @ $1.82
Wellington got their bragging rights over former manager Mark Rudan last weekend and now all of a sudden they have a chance to extend their winning streak to three.
The Mariners have lost three of their last four but have shown a big improvement over last year.
I like both teams to score but have to give the edge to the Nix at home.
SGM: Wellington to Win and Both Teams to Score @ $2.89
Already nine points clear on top of the A-League table, Sydney FC needs to continue their push to the plate before their Asian Champions League commitments kick in.
Adelaide will give them a good run for their money here considering they have the attacking firepower to match them goal for goal.
Add in Sydney missing Rhyan Grant for the next three matches after his red card against Melbourne City and they will have to find a way to outscore the Reds here.
I’m not going to back against them here though, they are a phenomenal side and should still come away with a win here.
SGM: Sydney to Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.74
The Victory’s Christmas Derby win might be what they needed to wake this side up, they are too far down the table for a side with so much talent.
The good news for them is they are taking on a Newcastle side that they are a long way better than.
Defensively it’s hard to see them finding a way to keep that Victory front line at bay and they will find a way to score as many goals as they need to.
Back Melbourne Victory to Win @ $1.95
2018/2019
It’s a busy week of A-League action as the packed summer calendar begins to wind down.
Our Round 13 preview also features the final match of Round 12 as well as the opening match of Round 15 tacked on to the regular five games as midweek fixtures, yes that does make sense… kind of.
So with little time to waste, check out our A-League preview with analysis, best bets and more for all SEVEN games coming up in the next week.
At some point Brisbane will be able to get that elusive second win, for a while it looked like it would come last week before a second half collapse.
The Roar did beat Melbourne City in Round 5 at Suncorp Stadium but when they head to the Victorian capital it’s a different story.
A 2-0 loss in last season’s semi final was the latest in a line of disappointing results, in fact the Roar have only beaten City at AAMI Park once in their history.
The market is starting to catch up with the Roar’s recent run of results and has them at their longest price of the season.
With the gap in class between the two sides you can still back City to win with confidence, but to add in extra value, back both teams to score as well, the Roar have only been held scoreless twice this season.
Back City to Win and Both Teams to Score @ $3.10
One side is massively overachieving from its preseason expectations and the other is somehow failing to clear the very low bar it was set.
Central Coast lost to Wellington 2-0 four weeks ago and have to find a win somewhere on their schedule as the pressure ramps up on Mike Mulvey.
After a confidence boosting, dramatic win over the Wanderers midweek, Mark Rudan is feeling much less pressure about his job stability and will have his eyes now firmly trained on a home final.
To do that the Nix need all three points from games like this one and look to be a relatively straightforward play at home.
Back Wellington to Win @ $1.53
We’ve already had the Grand Final Rematch this season so this is the Grand Final Rematch… rematch?
Either way, Newcastle would love to come away with all three points after losing the last two games to Victory 1-0, including the 2018 Grand Final.
Things did not go to plan for the Victory during the week losing in Adelaide and the absence of star midfielder Keisuke Honda being found out.
That being said the combination of Barbarouses and Toivenen should give the Victory enough firepower to get by a Jets side in a low scoring contest.
Back Victory to Win @ $1.91
Sydney’s trip to Perth could not have gone worse for the Sky Blues going down 3-1 and missing a chance to make it a three-way tie at the top of the table.
Adelaide and Sydney have already faced off in Adelaide twice this season with the Round 1 match ending in a 1-1 draw and the Reds winning the FFA Cup Final 2-1.
When they last met in Sydney, the Sky Blues ran out 3-0 winners and they will be eager for a repeat performance here.
This will only be Adelaide’s second away game in the last month, and Sydney are still adapting to life at Jubilee Stadium, but the Sky Blues look to be the play here on the back of Adam Le Fondre.
Back Adam LeFondre Anytime Goalscorer and Sydney FC to Win (SGM)
Perth gave everyone a strong reminder of its quality during the week with a convincing win over Sydney FC.
Now they take on the Sky Blues cross town rivals and will look to maintain or possibly extend their lead at the top of the table.
Joel Chianese has been in superb form to offset the absence of Chris Ikonomidis and is really stepping up at the moment.
Perth is looking very good and against a side down on confidence, they should be able to come away with all three points here.
Back Perth to Win @ $1.72
*PART OF ROUND 15*
32 days since these sides faced off in a wild clash at Suncorp Stadium, they are back for more.
Brisbane’s French import Eric Bautheac will be hoping his involvement lasts longer than 21 minutes from that mid-December clash after receiving two yellow cards.
The Roar will be glad that Keisuke Honda is not involved in this game having felt the Japanese star’s influence last month.
There is just too big of a gap in class between these sides to back anything other than a Victory win here.
Back Melbourne Victory to Win @ $2.00
*PART OF ROUND 12*
Round 12 (finally) concludes 14 days after it started with the Mariners hosting City.
You hope that the goal posts at Central Coast Stadium have been reinforced after that New Years Eve debacle.
One plus for the Mariners is that City is one of the two sides they have taken points off with a phenomenal rearguard effort in Round 2.
That won’t happen this time though, City will win and pick up all three points on the road.
Back Melbourne City to Win & Over 2.5 Goals (SGM)
2017/2018
Sydney’s show rolls on, the Victory pick up the pace and Brisbane do exactly the opposite of what we are used to seeing them do, getting rolled late at Suncorp.
Round 13 of the A-League season brings us into 2018 with the New Years Day fixture featuring the desperate Wanderers looking for a much needed turnaround against a City side bouncing back from a derby defeat.
Brisbane travel to Adelaide where there were plenty of last minute fireworks there, not to mention a bust up in the tunnel post-match.
But before all of that our preview starts in Melbourne where the Victory hosts the Jets in the Friday night fixture.
The best form matchup of the round has the Jets travelling to Melbourne who are fresh off a last gasp derby win.
Newcastle romped home 4-1 when these sides played five weeks ago where Mark Milligan saw red for a brain snap.
It will be a much tougher task for the Jets this time as the Victory look like they might be living up to the potential of their squad.
There is not a lot to separate these two sides and a draw seems to be the most likely outcome here.
Back the Draw @ $3.30
A quick turnaround for Adelaide coming off a 1-0 win over the Mariners on Boxing Day.
Brisbane have been off since December 21and are reeling with two losses on the trot.
When these sides met in Round 2 Adelaide became the first opposing team to score twice in the last fifteen minutes and win at Suncorp.
It is hard to see the Roar finding a way through what was a very organised Adelaide defensive group and if they show the same resolve they did against Central Coast.
Back Adelaide to Win @ $1.95
Much like another team that wears light blue that is in England, Sydney FC are looking almost unstoppable.
Perth will be coming into the match very confident having run over Brisbane in the second half of their game last round and will be very fresh which should offset the cross country travel.
At an average of four goals per game in their last three outings, Sydney are firing on all cylinders and if they get the same number of chances Brisbane did, they will bury more chances.
Even with the return of Andy Keogh, it is hard to see Perth being able to match the Sydney output.
Back Bobo to Score and Sydney FC to Win @ $
Despite creating plenty of chances the Mariners could not find a way through the Adelaide defence.
They will be quite optimistic about getting past a Wellington team that has been shipping an average of just under 2.5 goals per game.
Even so they still tend to find a way to score a couple of goals themselves and they will come in bunches.
I don’t mind the play of Mariners winning straight up but there is a good bit of value in taking a high scoring game here and this way you have the play regardless of the result.
Back Both Teams to Score and Over 3.5 Goals @ $3.50
Josep Gombau’s tenure has not gone the way many Wanderers fans were hoping for with a poor run featuring four losses without scoring a goal and conceding fifteen goals in that time.
Melbourne City are not faring much better having lost their last two including giving away a late derby penalty to drop that game.
Games on New Years Day tend to be quite slow and underwhelming so be prepared for a draw in this game.
Back the Draw @ $3.30
2016/2017
The festival of football continues across the Christmas and New Year’s Period.
Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar will do battle in a genuine blockbuster before the Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne face-off on New Year’s Eve.
The New Year’s Day Double-Header includes the Wellington Phoenix, Adelaide United, Western Sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory before the Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets do battle on Monday night in Geelong.
Plenty of football action means plenty of betting action and you can find our recommended plays for every game below.
Sydney have won only four of their past 10 games as home favourites, while the Brisbane Roar are 1-4-3 as away underdogs over the past 12 months.
Back The Draw @ $3.60
The Central Coast Mariners have won just one of their past 11 games as home underdogs and Melbourne City have won one of their past six games as away favourites.
No Bet
The Wellington Phoenix have won only three of their past 13 games in front of their home fans, while Adelaide United have won three of their past eight games as away underdogs for a clear profit.
Back Adelaide United To Win @ $3
Western Sydney have won only three of their past 11 games as home favourites for a clear loss, while the Perth Glory have won four of their past 11 games as away underdogs for a big profit.
Back Perth Glory To Win @ $3.75
The under has saluted in nine of the past 13 home games played by the Melbourne Victory and has also been a profitable betting play in Newcastle Jets fixtures.
Back Under 2.5 Goals @ $2.63