If you’re an A-League fan, you’re going to love this weekend of matches that are on offer. 

With just four rounds remaining in the regular season, spots in the top six are still up for grabs—and there are some cracking contests on the cards. 

Let’s see if we can find some value in our A-League Round 26 tips and preview. 

It’s the only Friday night football match of any code in Melbourne this week, and Melbourne City will be out to make a statement against the struggling Brisbane Roar, who sit second-last on the table with just two wins for the season. With finals looming, City will be eager to lock in a top-two spot and show no mercy. 

At the time of publishing, Melbourne City are $1.44 favourites in the head-to-head market, while the Roar are rank outsiders at $6.50—and with good reason. 

For those chasing a value play, it’s worth noting that the Under 2.5 Goals market has hit in each of Melbourne City’s last 10 A-League matches as favourites.  

However, considering Brisbane are coming off a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Macarthur and are on the road for the second week in a row, I’m expecting a ruthless City performance.  

I’ll be backing them to win and the Over 2.5 Goals in this one. 

Tip: Back Melbourne City FC and Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.05  

 

Wellington host Melbourne Victory in Round 26, with the Phoenix managing just six wins for the season.  

While they’ll take some confidence from last week’s 2-1 away win over the Jets, they face a tough challenge against a Victory side coming off a 5-3 demolition of Adelaide United before their bye. 

Victory sits fifth on the table and need to keep banking wins to cement their spot in the finals. Interestingly, the Under 2.5 Goals market has landed in the last seven meetings between these two sides in regular time. 

Even away from home, Victory should get the job done here. 

Tip: Melbourne Victory to win & Under 2.5 goals @ $4.33 

 

The Sky Blues are clinging to a spot in the top six as they host Auckland FC at Allianz Stadium for the first-ever meeting between the two sides. With finals on the horizon, every point matters for Sydney—but they’ll need to be at their best against a well-drilled Auckland outfit. 

Auckland have been remarkably consistent in their debut season, with four of their last five matches ending in a draw. They’ve proven hard to beat and look overdue for a proper win. 

Meanwhile, Sydney FC have been entertaining when playing at home, with the Both Teams to Score market hitting in each of their last six A-League matches at Allianz. 

Given Auckland’s reliability and attacking threat, they’re a great value play on the road. 

Tip: Auckland FC to win & Both Teams to Score @ $4.60 

No matter where these teams sit on the ladder, the F3 Derby always delivers—and Saturday night’s clash at McDonald Jones Stadium should be no different. 

Both sides come into this one off 1-0 losses, with the Jets going down to Wellington at home, while the Mariners fell short against Melbourne City. 

Despite sitting 9th and 10th on the table respectively, there’s still plenty of pride on the line. History is on the side of the visitors, with Central Coast winning each of their last seven away games against the Jets in the A-League. 

Given that streak—and the $3.50 on offer—there’s good value backing the Mariners to get the job done again. 

Tip: Central Coast Mariners to win @ $3.50  

 

Perth Glory are chasing a rare win over Adelaide United on Saturday night, as the Reds look to stop a worrying slide that’s put their finals hopes in serious doubt. 

Adelaide are coming off a thrilling 3-2 loss to Sydney FC, while Perth went down 3-1 on the road to Western United last round. 

Recent history between these two sides has been evenly matched, with three of the last four meetings ending in a draw. HBF Park has also seen goals when these teams meet, with the Both Teams to Score market hitting in each of the last six A-League clashes at the venue. 

While Perth will sniff a chance to pile more pressure on Adelaide, the draw combined with both teams finding the net looks like excellent value. 

Tip: Draw & Both Teams to Score @ $4.60  

 

It’s a blockbuster with major top-six implications as the red-hot Wanderers host fellow free-scorers Western United at CommBank Stadium to close out Round 26. 

Western United sit second on the table and are determined to hold their ground, while the Wanderers—currently fourth—are pushing hard for a top-two finish with finals looming large. 

At the time of publishing, the head-to-head market was tight: Wanderers are narrow $2.15 favourites at home, with Western United at $2.85 and the draw paying $4. 

Western United enter this clash in outstanding form, riding a five-game winning streak. The Wanderers are also unbeaten in their last five, though they’ve had to settle for draws in their past two. 

Expect fireworks in this one. I’m backing the in-form visitors from the other West to keep on keeping on.

Tip: Western United to win & Over 2.5 Goals @ $3.50  

 

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2023/2024

It’s taken six months to get to this point but we have finally reached the last round of the A-League regular season.

In true football fashion, last week’s massive storm in the Middle East has had an impact on the premiership battle with Central Coast pulling double duty thanks to a catch up fixture to be played next Wednesday.

However they can wrap it all up with a win and Wellington dropping points when they play on Saturday in a well scheduled set of simultaneous kickoffs.

Five of the six spots in the finals have been locked up but every team has a chance to move around depending on their results this weekend.

Read on and see who we are backing in Round 26 of the A-League season.

While finals are officially beyond both of these teams, they are still playing for the privilege to end their season on Friday night.

A win for either team would secure eighth spot and avoid an Australia Cup playoff to make the national stages of that tournament.

Brisbane has been limping to the finish line in the last few weeks with one win and a draw from their last five with a grand total of three goals scored in that run.

Adelaide’s stellar run has ground to a halt in the last couple of weeks but they are still scoring for fun and this match might come down to which team can dictate the style of play.

Generally Adelaide has been better at that this season and as the underdogs, they are the easy value play in this market, if they score first they should have no problems going on with it.

Adelaide to Win @ $2.85

We were all set up for a grandstand finish to the A-League season with Central Coast and Wellington playing at the same time to decide the premiership… then that storm in the Middle East decided to intervene.

For the Mariners there is still a chance they could win the plate at the home of their local rival (and hopefully not in said rival’s last A-League game) which would make it even more sweet.

To accomplish that, they need to beat the Jets and have the Nix drop points in their match, which is certainly on the cards.

Otherwise as long as they get something from this fixture, they will have a chance to win it in their catch up match next Wednesday.

History is very much on their side when it comes to the F3 Derby, they have won the last four head to head meetings including a 1-0 victory at McDonald Jones Stadium in early March.

While they do have the fatigue factor, coming off their AFC Cup clash on Wednesday night, they should still win this fixture and give themselves a chance of raising the plate.

Central Coast to Win @ $1.92

There is no doubt that the Nix are the story of the season and it would be phenomenal to see them claim their first piece of A-League silverware at the Caketin.

With Central Coast having a game in hand, the only way Wellington can clinch it on the night is with a win and Mariners loss in Newcastle.

Macarthur will be no pushovers however with Mile Sterjovski’s side a chance to (temporarily at least) take hold of third spot on the A-League ladder.

With so much on the line, there will be plenty of nerves on both sides of the pitch, which might make this a more cagey affair than if it had been played in say late January.

Three of Wellington’s last four matches have seen one or two goals scored while the under also hit in Macarthur’s remarkable 1-0 win over Sydney FC.

Wellington has won both meetings between the clubs this season and four of the last five over the last two campaigns, but the Bulls playing for their own finals positioning has me thinking this might be more of an arm wrestle.

Under 2.5 Goals @ $2.45

It is a simple equation for the Western Sydney Wanderers, beat the Victory in Melbourne on Saturday night or their season is over.

Despite the club having more than their fair share of bizarre seasons throughout their history (for both good and bad reasons), this is going to be right up there with this club somehow still a chance despite a litany of off field dramas.

However it sure seems like Western Sydney are limping to the finish line, losing their last three matches, all by a 2-1 scoreline.

The Victory, or more accurately Bruno Fornaroli won the first meeting between these teams this season with the Uruguayan born Socceroos striker netting four goals in that match to the Wanderers’ three.

He might not need to score that many (although he wouldn’t turn down the boost to his golden boot candidacy), but he will likely get on the score as the Victory secure third spot and set up a potential Melbourne Derby Elimination Final.

Melbourne Victory to Win @ $1.85

While fourth place may or may not be in play for Sydney FC by the time this match kicks off, fifth definitely will be regardless of the other four fixtures.

Sydney needs to win to avoid potentially getting overtaken by Melbourne City two hours after the conclusion of this match and with all due respect to the Glory, anything less than a comfortable win is going to be a massive shock to the system.

Ufuk Talay’s side should have no problems running away with this match in their last tune up opportunity before the win or go home fixtures start.

Sydney FC to Win -1 Goal @ $2.00

If the Saturday night and early Sunday matches go the way the markets are expecting them to, this match will be little more than a training run for both of these sides.

Melbourne City will be locked into sixth spot and Western United might be able to sneak a consolation win in after a nightmare season.

Either way, the intensity may not be all that high and some of City’s players might have an eye on next week’s potential derby Elimination Final.

Take the under as insurance for this match falling a bit flat.

Under 3.5 Goals @ $1.83

*REARRANGED FIXTURE*

Well as it turns out, the premiership will be decided in the final match of the season.

Central Coast’s win on Saturday was not enough to get the job done as Wellington took care of their own business by defeating Macarthur.

However it could not have been set up any better for the Mariners, with a chance to lift the plate at home by taking on a side that has nothing to gain or lose from this fixture.

Adelaide’s win over Brisbane ensured that they will finish in eighth spot, but they will without a doubt want to end the season on a high.

Not to mention the chance to play spoiler for the Central Coast’s title celebration and send Nestory Irankunda off to Bayern Munich on a winning note.

However even after taking all of that into account… I just can’t see any other outcome beyond a Central Coast win, they have too much on the line and just don’t lose these games.

Central Coast to Win and Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.05

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2022/2023

We are into the final round of the regular season! Can you believe it?

There is still so much to play for in this last week of fixtures and I’m almost completley certain that the ladder will look incredibly different after the weekend.

As always I’ve run my eyes over each game and have picked my favourite bets of the round.

Here is my preview of Round 26 of the A-League.

WSW will take on the first placed Melbourne City and a win here could see them jump up as high as second.

The Wanderers are one of only two teams to have won their last two games but it will be a big ask against a City side that has been unstoppable for majority of the season.

City are a very short $1.83 to WSW’s $3.75 and it’s hard to argue with those odds.

Four of Western Sydney’s last six A-League away matches have resulted in a draw but those games haven’t been against City.

It’s boring, it’s not sexy but I’m with City to win.

Back Melbourne City H2H @ $1.83

We’ve got two games on Friday night, both with massive top 4 implications.

United will host the Mariners and will be desperate for three points to hold onto second place.

The Reds have been on a rough run recently, only two wins in their last five and no wins in their last three.

CCM have only lost one of their last five so this is truly anyone’s game.

The home team has won each of the last eight A-League matches between Adelaide and Central Coast and with the odds as close as they are ($2.40 ADL vs $2.50 CCM).

That stat is the tie breaker for me.

Back Adelaide H2H @ $2.40

Newcastle need three points in this one if they want a chance of making the finals but the bookies don’t like their chances.

The Jets are the biggest odds to win this week of any team.

Sydney are the only other team to be on a two game win streak and it’s looking likely that they will extend that to three games coming into the finals.

There’s some hope for you Jets fans, Newcastle has won each of its last three A-League Week 26 matches but I think this is set up too well for Sydney.

Back Sydney H2H @ $1.65

Macarthur will host the ‘Nix in their final game of the regular season and will be looking to avoid the wooden spoon with a win at Campbelltown Stadium.

Wellington has lost each of its last five A-League Week 26 away matches and honestly, we need to have a crack at a couple underdogs.

I was very high on Macarthur at the start of the year and they’ve been the exact opposite of what I thought they’d be but lets back them to win in their last game of the year.

Back Macarthur H2H @ $3.30

A win for the Victory here could mean they have the sixth most wins in the league and if things go their way could jump all the way up into seventh.

The Vics are very short favourites, mainly because the Roar have been dismal but I don’t believe either of these teams should be in the finals.

Melbourne Victory has lost five of its last six A-League matches as a favourite following a win and I’m after a bit of value on Saturday so I’m going to roll with the Roar.

Back The Roar H2H @ $3.60

Last game of the Regular Season and Perth have themselves one final late home game.

If you haven’t read one of these before, Perth at home is incredibly profitable, I truly believe the jetlag is an extra player for them.

Perth to win.

Back Perth H2H @ $1.98

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2021/2022

We are into the final week of what has been the most bizarre A-League season we have ever seen.

It’s going to be an electric race to the finish with Victory, Melbourne City and Western United all a possibility for the Premiers Plate.

Sydney FC are an outside chance of finishing in the Top 6 as well but will need to rely on other results from Central Coast and Wellington.

Here are our tips for Round 26 of the A-League Season.

I lied about the mid week fixtures being finished in last weeks preview. We’ve got a heap of them this week!

Tuesday evening we head to Redcliffe where the Roar look to play spoilers and pinch some important competition points off the Central Coast Mariners.

It’s a short turn around for both these sides, the Roar went down 2-0 to Adelaide on Saturday while the Mariners scored an upset over Western United which could be what they need to lock in their spot in the finals.

The bookies can’t split these two sides, the Roar are currently $2.60 and the Mariners $2.55 but the Roar haven’t won in five outings and the Mariners are on a three game win streak and have something seriously to play for.

I reckon Central Coast get it done.

Back Central Coast to Win @ $2.55

Western United might’ve lost their opportunity to lift the Premiers Plate early in the clubs history after doing down to Central Coast on the weekend.

They’ve got two games to play but are going to need some other results to go their way.

Newie on the other hand are ready to spoil the party, they’re coming into this match after toweling up Macarthur 3-0 which has ended their debut season and are keen to ruin another new clubs aspirations on Wednesday night.

This is another matchup that the bookies are struggling to split, I like the hometown side.

They’ve only had a 2 day break but are coming off that huge win and I see them using that momentum to make sure Western United can’t finish on top.

Back Newcastle to Win @ $2.60

Now this is the matchup I’ve been waiting for all season!

12th hosts 1st on Wednesday night and City look to blow them out of the water and potentially lock up that minor premiership.

There’s money to be won on this match, I reckon it’s going to be a goal fest and I don’t think the Glory get one.

There’s a heap of ways to bet on this one but I’m thinking about putting together a cheeky little same game multi.

SGM: Both Teams To Score (No) / Over 2.5 Goals / Melbourne City -2 Goals @ $4.58

Wellington are into the finals but they need a win in one of these last two games to absolutely lock it in, they come up against a WSW side that have only won one of its last five matches.

There is a heap of value for the Phoenix, they’re currently sitting at $3.70 which is incredibly generous for a team that is 3-2 in it’s last five matches. Value like that doesn’t come around that often.

Granted they did lose on Friday 3-1 to the Victory but I can’t see them losing to WSW, $3.70 is HUGE value for the Kiwi outfit.

Back Wellington Phoenix to Win @ $3.70

Saturday night gives us the F3 derby!

The Jets travel to Central Coast Stadium for their last game of the regular season.

The Mariners secured a place in the finals with a midweek win over the Brisbane Roar and a win here could see them finish as high as 4th.

Newcastle will miss out on a finals birth after a very up and down season and will look to finish strong against their local rivals before putting their feet up.

While the Mariners look strong favourites to get the chocolates here but it’s worth having a little look at Newcastle.

The underdog has won four of the last five matches between Central Coast and Newcastle.

I like that stat and rivals always stand up for local derbies so I’m taking the Jets.

Back Newcastle to win @ $3.70

The other Saturday night game this weekend is Sydney FC taking on the Victory. Your guess is as good as mine as to why they scheduled two Saturday games on at the same time.

Sydney need two wins from their last two games for a chance to make the finals and the Victory have an opportunity to put some serious pressure on Melbourne City for the Premiers Plate after City absolutely bottled their mid week matchup against Perth Glory.

Sydney FC has won eight of its last nine A-League matches against Melbourne Victory so I’d imagine there is going to be a bit in this one. The bookies can’t split these two, they both come in at $2.65.

Toss a coin here and see what comes up, I’m backing Sydney here I feel like they have a lot more to play for and if history suggests anything it’s that they know how to beat the Victory.

Back Sydney FC to Win @$2.65

Macarthur come into their final regular season match unable to make finals, they take one The Wanderers who you’d imagine are pretty keen to hang up their boots for the year.

Macarthur are on a three game losing streak here and have only scored three goals in their last five matches. Western Sydney have also struggled to win in recent times but have only failed to score once in their last five games.

Another matchup that the bookies can’t split. WSW are slight favourites at $2.55 over Macarthur’s $2.60 and I believe that Macarthur’s recent attacking woes will be what split these two teams.

Back WSW to Win @ $2.55

Western United will have to rely on the Victory’s results to score a top 2 finish this season, they had a golden opportunity to win against the Jets in their mid week fixture but a draw was all they could salvage.

They take on an Adelaide outfit who are looking to extend their winning streak to five straight, they are racing towards finals and are the form team of the comp currently.

I didn’t like what I saw from Western United and Adelaide are red hot right now, the bookies are backing The Reds to get it done and so am I.

Back Adelaide United to Win @ $2.20

It all comes down to this, the Premiers Plate is up for grabs this evening in City’s final regular season game of the year.

A couple months ago we thought they had it locked down comfortably but recently Melbourne have lost to the current top of the table Victory and Wooden Spooners Perth.

They come up against a Phoenix side who beat WSW on Thursday to lock in their spot in the top 6.

I think that City will bounce back and find the red hot form that they’ve been in for the majority of the season in this one.

They haven’t played a lot of A-League recently thanks to Asian Champions League but they are at home on Monday night and have a heap to play for.

Back Melbourne City -2 Goals @ $2.55

The last game of the regular season and it’s a State of Origin derby!

Both teams have already been eliminated from finals contention, they’re playing on a Tuesday and it’s forecast to rain a lot. The scene is set for a firey finish to the A-League Season!

“But can they do it on a cold rainy night at Moreton Daily Stadium?” a question that all the punters are asking about the Brisbane Roar and to that I say “Probably not”

I haven’t liked what I’ve seen from the Roar this year, they have been dismal and I really don’t think that we are going to see anything inspiring from them on Tuesday.

That being said, Sydney FC got spanked 4-1 by the Victory over the weekend so they aren’t doing that much better.

Back the Draw @$3.40

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2021

*NO ROUND 26*

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2019/2020

*MATCHES POSTPONED DUE TO COVID*

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2018/2019

The A-League Premiership is decided and Perth have wrapped up their first ever piece of A-League silverware and the club’s first national honours since 2003/2004 NSL Championship.

While the top of the ladder has been decided, the races for second and fourth place are still to be decided.

Sydney is two points ahead of Melbourne Victory as it stands and both sides will have to put aside their disappointment at missing out on the regular season silverware here.

Just one point separates Adelaide, Wellington and Melbourne City in the race for fourth place and a home final in the first week.

Read on for our previews and predictions for every A-League match this Easter weekend.

This could have been the biggest game of the season and up until last Sunday night it would have been.

Perth now gets to enjoy a trip to Sydney to enjoy the adulation of being crowned Premiers with two rounds to play.

The Sky Blues on the other hand will be kicking themselves after last weekend’s derby draw which ended their unlikely quest for a third straight premiers’ plate.

Back in Round 9, they handed Perth one of their two losses this season over in Perth before the Glory got one back in Round 12 winning 3-1.

At this time of the year you have to back the team in a more desperate situation and while Perth would love to get one over Sydney ahead of a possible Grand Final, the Glory don’t have anything to gain other than injuries so don’t be surprised if Perth puts out a reduced squad.

Back Sydney to Win @ $2.20

Generally when Adelaide is kept scoreless, you can attribute that to their lack of strikers but not last week.

Two phenomenal goalkeeping performances resulted in a 0-0 draw between the Reds and Melbourne City in a result that neither team would have been happy with.

Even so they still managed to move up to fourth place thanks to Wellington’s loss.

The Victory bounced back from their Big Blue defeat to get by Central Coast 2-1 but it would not have inspired a whole lot of confidence in them.

Playing at home was the deciding factor in the first two meetings with the Victory winning in Melbourne in Round 7 and Adelaide took out the Round 12 meeting, both games had the final score of 2-0.

Based on that logic you have to like Adelaide at home here, however, unlike the first game this weekend, both sides are going into this game equally desperate.

The Reds have been the competition’s draw specialists though, with eight already this season and given how these two sides have the potential to cancel one another out, they could very well add to this tally here.

Back the Draw @ $3.30

There are some meaningful matches this weekend in the A-League and this is not one of them.

Brisbane and Newcastle are pretty much locked into ninth and seventh respectively, so this game is basically just two sides playing out the schedule.

We’ve had a lot of success this season backing against the injury ravaged Roar and expecting them to concede a lot of goals but there just isn’t the value in the market right now.

NO BETS

With the top six all facing off against each other this weekend, it also means the bottom four play off and with not a lot of change set to take place at that end of the ladder, this game isn’t worth having a punt on because it’s hard to forecast how these teams will approach it.

The Wanderers had their biggest remaining game last weekend against Sydney in the derby and could be primed for an upset, but it’s hard to be too confident in a side that is locked in for another wooden spoon.

NO BETS

Thankfully the weekend closes out with a huge game, especially if Adelaide drops points on Friday night.

A loss (or draw) will likely lock one of these sides into an away final in the first weekend and possibly a trip to face the Victory, which is the worst case scenario.

This is where playing in Wellington will be a huge boost for the Nix, they have recorded comfortable victories in their last two games there.

After a shock loss to Brisbane last weekend, the Nix need to respond and with the speculation about Mark Rudan’s future finally being resolved, I’m expecting a very focused Wellington team to come out and pick up a vital win.

Back Wellington to Win @ $2.30

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2017/2018

In a development that will surprise nobody that has been following the A-League this season, Sydney FC are the Premiers and they return home for Round 26 to face an Adelaide side that is still holding out hope for a finals berth.

The Melbourne sides both play at home this weekend as they continue to battle for third spot while the race for sixth could be decided when the Roar and Wanderers face off early Saturday evening.

Read on for our round preview and recommended plays.

Since becoming locked into second place, the Jets have turned their focus towards giving themselves the best preparation for the finals and they have suffered back to back losses in the past fortnight.

In last week’s 3-0 loss to Melbourne City they looked pretty average and paid the price for a lacklustre approach.

Working in their favour is the fact Perth have not been all that strong in their travels to the East Coast.

The Glory need to get maximum points from this game to give themselves the best possible chance of sneaking into sixth spot.

With Newcastle downing tools until at least next week’s F3 Derby and Perth’s road struggles this is a game that I’ll steer clear of.

NO BET

Depending on Friday’s result, this is a game that could lock in the finals picture with Brisbane looking to continue their late season resurgence.

Brisbane are tied for Sydney in the recent form table taking 19 points from their last nine A-League matches and the Roar are on a four-game unbeaten run.

Western Sydney will be without Michael Thwaite in this game after his red card against the Victory which will do the Wanderers chances of ending their two-game losing streak no favours.

Brisbane’s good run of results has been based on a solid defensive effort and scoring just enough goals so it is hard to see this game turning into a blowout one way or another.

There is not enough here to swing me one way or another in terms of a result so instead look for a low scoring encounter.

Back Under 2.5 Goals @ $2.10

Melbourne City looked like the side many have expected them to be in their front to back demolition of the Jets last weekend as they set their sights on third spot.

With no threat of relegation and no chance of climbing higher than ninth spot the Mariners enter the final fortnight just trying to stay above the Phoenix in the race to avoid the spoon.

Despite the difference in fortunes of both teams the Mariners were only narrowly defeated in the first meeting while the second one ended in a 2-2 draw.

The past two weeks have seen this weekend’s visitors deploy five defenders in an attempt to limit the damage which is going to be a brave call to make against a City side that has plenty of goal scorers in it.

This may be the match of the round where things get really ugly and City put down another marker ahead of finals time.

Back Melbourne City to Win -2 Goals @ $3.20

With their cross town rivals setting the bar the night before, Victory will enter this game knowing anything less than three points will be considered a letdown.

After beating the Wanderers last weekend and midweek continental duty, they cannot afford to drop their guard against the presumptive wooden spoon side as they have been competitive in recent weeks.

Even so the Victory are still a better side and should be able to come away with a high scoring win.

Back Melbourne Victory to Win and Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.75

Sydney FC return to Allianz as back to back Premiers in the late Sunday contest.

They face an Adelaide side that forced them into a scrappy 0-0 draw when they last met and will want to erase that result from their memories with a convincing win.

It will be a tough ask having faced Suwon midweek in a last ditch effort to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

That win should give Graham Arnold the confidence to rest some of his key players such as Adrian and Milos Ninkovich.

In their last home match Brisbane managed to grab a shocking upset and Adelaide are good value to pull an upset against what is likely to be a Sydney B-Side.

To play it safe, take the double chance here for Adelaide to get something out of this game and continue to build momentum towards the finals.

Back Adelaide Win/Draw Double Chance @ $1.62

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We have reached the penultimate round of the 2016/2017 A-League regular season and there will be plenty of jostling for positions in the top six.

The Wellington Phoenix are making a late charge for the A-League Finals, but they face a tough challenge against Sydney FC.

The Perth Glory and Western Sydney Wanderers also have tough fixtures and we are set for another exciting weekend of betting action.

Melbourne City have lost two games on the trot, but they will still go into this clash with Adelaide United as clear favourites.

Home favourtism has been one position in which Melbourne City have thrived and they have won seven of their past 11 games in this scenario for a profit.

Adelaide United have played some credible football in recent weeks and they have not lost a game for over a month.

One of their big problems this season has been winning away from home and they have won just one of their past nine games as away underdogs for a clear loss.

Melbourne City must win this clash to be any chance of catching the Brisbane Roar in third and they really should be able to return to winning form this weekend.

Back Melbourne City To Win @ $1.62

The Wellington Phoenix must win their past two games to have any chance to make the A-League Finals and they face a very tough assignment against Sydney FC this weekend.

Sydney FC have not slowed down since winning the Premier’s Plate and they were nothing short of outstanding against Melbourne City.

They have won nine of their past 12 games as away favourites for a clear profit and they have lost just one game in this scenario.

Wellington have scored eight goals and conceded none in their past two games and they were excellent against Melbourne Victory last weekend.

This is a much tougher challenge and the Phoenix have won only one of their past seven games as home underdogs.

Backing Sydney FC continues to be a winning play and there is no reason to jump off this weekend.

Back Sydney FC To Win @ $1.85

This is a crucial clash for the Western Sydney Wanderers as a win would ensure that they qualify for the A-League Finals and they will start this clash as favourites.

Western Sydney have won three games on the trot, but their record as home favourites this season is still very poor – they have won only three of their past 11 games as home favourites for a clear loss.

Melbourne Victory produced one of their worst performances of the season against Wellington last weekend and they have struggled badly in recent weeks.

Winning away from home has not been a problem for Melbourne, but they have won only two of their past seven games as away underdogs for a clear loss.

This is a game that the market look to have got just about right and I am happy to stay out of this clash from a betting perspective.

No Bet

This is a crucial game for both sides and the Perth Glory will go into this clash as narrow favourites.

Perth can secure a place in the A-League Finals with a win over the Brisbane Roar and their is plenty to like about them heading into this clash.

The Glory have won five of their past nine games as home favourites and they have lost only one game in this scenario this season.

Brisbane came from behind to record an emphatic victory over the Central Coast Mariners and they can solidify their position in third place with a win.

Winning away from home for the Roar has been a problem this season and they have won only one of their past eight games as away underdogs for a clear loss.

This is a crucial clash for Perth and they should be able to maintain their stellar record at NIB Stadium.

Back Perth To Win @ $2.30

This will not have any finals relevance, but the A-League wooden spoon could be decided in this F3 Derby.

Both these teams have lost four games on the trot, but it is the Central Coast Mariners that will go into this clash as narrow favourites.

This will only be the second time that the Mariners have started as favourites over the past 12 months and they are a tough team to trust from a betting perspective.

Newcastle have fallen to pieces in recent weeks and they have conceded 12 goals in their past three games without scoring.

The Jets have won only two of their past 12 games away from home and are another team that is very tough to trust from a betting standpoint.

Five of the past eight games played between these two sides have ended as draws and another stalemate looks likely this weekend.

Back The Draw @ $3.60

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2015/2016

This is the penultimate round of the 2015/2016 A-League regular season and there is finals interest in every single game this weekend.

The round starts on Friday night when the Western Sydney Wanderers host the Central Coast Mariners at Parramatta Stadium before Sydney FC take on Adelaide United in another key encounter on Saturday night.

The round concludes on Sunday afternoon when the Perth Glory take on Melbourne City in what could be a finals preview.

The Western Sydney Wanderers suffered a loss to the Melbourne Victory last weekend, but they have an excellent chance to return to winning form against the Central Coast Mariners this weekend.

Central Coast have won just one game away from in the past 12 months and that does not look like changing.

They have simply been outclassed this season and it is tough to see the Wanderers failing to walk away with the three points.

You can’t back the Wanderers at their current price of $1.22, but the Total Goals market does stand out here.

I expect the Wanderers to grind out a fairly boring 2-0 victory and the $3 on offer for under 2.5 goals is a good bet.

Recommended Bet: Back The Under (2.5 Goals) @ $3

The Wellington Phoenix are out of finals contention, but the Melbourne Victory can still climb their way up the ladder and finish the regular season in fifth.

Melbourne returned to winning form against the Wanderers last weekend and they are favourites to make it two wins in a row – a position in which they haven’t been a winning propoisition this season.

The Phoenix are 2-1-2 as home underdogs this season and they have an excellent record as underdogs this season.

Wellington often play spoiler at this stage of the season and they can cause another upset against the Victory here at a good price of $3.

Recommended Bet: Back Wellington Phoenix To Win @ $3

Sydney FC have really struggled in the A-League in the past month and they suffered another loss at the hands of the Brisbane Roar last weekend.

Adelaide United returned to winning form with a scratchy performance against the Central Coast Mariners and they are narrow favourites to put the pressure on both the Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City.

The Reds have been a winning proposition as favourites this season and they do have far more to play for than Sydney FC.

Sydney FC have been a very poor betting side this season and I can’t really work out why they aren’t a much longer price this weekend.

Adelaide United are 9-3-3 on the back on a win in the past 12 months and they can continue that strong record against Sydney FC this weekend.

Recommended Bet: Back Adelaide United To Win @ $2.60

It is only goal difference that separates  the Brisbane Roar from Melbourne City at the top of the ladder and they can temporarily go top of the table for at least a couple of hours with a win over the Newcastle Jets.

The Roar have been absolutely outstanding as home favourites this season and they have lost just a single game in this scenario in the past 12 months.

Newcastle were arguably unlucky against the Perth Glory last weekend and they have been a very profitable proposition as underdogs this season.

In addition, their record against the Brisbane Roar is surprisingly strong and they have actually won five out of their 13 games at Suncorp Stadium as underdogs.

It is clear that the Brisbane Roar are the team to beat here, but their is plenty of data that suggests the Jets can record a big upset here and I am happy to take the gamble at $7.

Recommended Bet: Back The Newcastle Jets To Win @ $7

This is clearly the highlight of the weekend and it could have massive consequences for the Premier’s Plate.

Melbourne City maintained their position on top of the A-League ladder with their comfortable 3-0 victory over the Wellington Phoenix and they will be buoyed by the return of Aaron Mooy.

Despite that, they are still underdogs ahead of this fixture and they have been a fairly neutral betting proposition in that position throughout this season.

The Perth Glory have won seven of their past eight games and their record as favourites this season is almost flawless – having lost just one of seven games as the punters elect.

They are a very difficult side to beat in front of their home fans at NIB Stadium and I am confident that they can put a dent in the title hopes of Melbourne City this weekend.

Recommended Bet: Back Perth Glory To Win @ $2.25