Round 3 of the 2024/25 A-League season brings us the clash we have all been waiting for, the inaugural Kiwi Clasico between Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC.
With the debutants enjoying a perfect start to life in the league, their first away day promises to be a special occasion with both clubs happy to trade barbs in the lead up to kickoff.
Elsewhere this weekend, Brisbane will take on Sydney in the first match of the round and there is a special Monday night Melbourne Cup eve clash between Western United and Melbourne City to round out the weekend.
Check out who we are backing in all six A-League fixtures below.
Brisbane will enter their home opener hoping to replicate their achievements of 12 months ago when they blasted Sydney FC 3-0 in their first match at Suncorp Stadium for season 2023/24.
For all intents and purposes this is the proper start of their season with a round Round 1 draw away to Auckland before last weekend’s bye.
However Sydney will be no pushover after their disappointing Round 2 defeat in Auckland to close out a busy week of travel.
On paper the Sky Blues should have this match covered and their $2.02 price seems a touch overs, but the value here is in backing the unders.
For starters, Brisbane was held scoreless by Auckland and Sydney have not shown the most potent attack through their two A-League outings either.
Which makes the price on a low scoring game slightly surprising but that also is where the value lies.
Under 2.5 Goals @ $2.40
The excitement to this first meeting between New Zealand’s two A-League clubs has been building all offseason.
Both will come into this match with a point to prove however it is tough to look past Wellington’s desire to put their “noisy neighbours” in their place.
The Nix were a solid bet as the home team last year, recording 10 wins from 13 home games in the regular season and the crowd will be firmly on their side.
Add in that this is the Black Knights’ first away day and they might be going into this one a touch overconfident after riding their luck against Sydney last week.
Either way this should be a lot of fun.
Wellington to Win @ $2.40
Perth’s struggles continued last week at home with a home loss to the Nix, and now they head back to the east coast to face the reigning champions.
Central Coast has not exactly begun their season on the strongest terms, having to settle for draws at home to the Victory and in Adelaide over the opening two rounds.
However Perth shapes as the perfect get right opportunity for this side who will come into this match off a full week of rest.
They have had their issues with Perth over the last few season, winning just one of the last five head to head meetings but with the way the Glory are travelling, anything less than a comfortable Mariners win would be a surprise.
Central Coast to Win -1.5 Goals @ $2.20
It’s fair to say that Western Sydney’s season has begun in less than ideal fashion and last week’s draw against Western United was not quite what they would have been hoping for out of that game.
Compare that to Adelaide who were tipped by some to compete for the wooden spoon, taking a point off Central Coast in their first fixture.
The effort and endeavour Adelaide showed last week will make up for their talent deficiencies most weeks while the Wanderers look like a build in progress that is yet to click.
Perhaps this is the week that it comes but it might be worth approaching this with a bit more caution and sitting on the fence.
Draw @ $3.90
Having the Victory start as such short priced favourites seems like a big time overreaction to their derby performance last week.
Patrick Kisnorbo got his tactics spot on to tackle City but it was just over a month ago his side was stifled by this same Macarthur team.
Goalkeeper Filip Kurto was the hero on the night for the Bulls as they held on for a 1-0 win at this venue to claim the 2024 Australia Cup.
The value in this market is backing the Bulls to get something from this match, something they have done in their last three matches against the Victory.
Macarthur Win/Draw Double @ $2.30
Melbourne Cup Eve sees Western United host Melbourne City in the final game of Round 3 and it is shaping up as a fascinating clash.
Western United have been far from disgraced over the first two weeks, taking a point from an away game in Wellington and a home game against Western Sydney.
City meanwhile have flattered to deceive, just scraping past Newcastle in Round 1 before a first half no-show against the Victory last week.
They have had the edge over Western United in the last few years but there were some troubling signs in that derby last week and another no-show is a very real possibility.
Western United to Win @ $3.30
2023/24
You can always count on the A-League to throw up some unpredictable storylines and two rounds into the new campaign, there are plenty for punters to sort out.
Few would have expected Melbourne City and Sydney FC to have a combined zero points between them heading into their clash this Friday night.
Even less would have backed Adelaide and Melbourne Victory to be the two remaining perfect sides as they rekindle the competition’s original rivalry on Saturday.
We’ve studied the tactics, broken down the trends and come up with our A-League best bets for Round 3 below so read on and see who we are backing.
It has not been a fun start to the season for either of these clubs with a combined 13 goals conceded and just one scored between them.
City have already pushed the panic button, opting to jettison coach Rado Vidosic after last week’s embarrassing defeat in Adelaide.
Aurelio Vidmar will step into the void for the remainder of the season as City looks to right the ship.
Steve Corica is under plenty of pressure but he is being given the chance to right the ship, his side could have made it a game last week were it not for some phenomenal goalkeeping by Brisbane.
It might be relying on an old trope in football, but the new manager bounce is enough to get me to back City.
Melbourne City to Win @ $2.00
Coming off their most convincing A-League win in a long time, Brisbane heads across the ditch to take on the upstart Nix, who are fresh off taking the honours in the Distance Derby.
Wellington have had no problems scoring against the Roar, finding the back of the net in each of the last five head to head games, including last season’s 2-2 draw at Eden Park.
This one is back at their normal home ground, which is always a tough place for visiting teams to go.
Brisbane has no shortage of attacking prowess as we have seen in the first two weeks and this has the makings of a high scoring, end to end contest that could go either way.
Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.70
Macarthur might not have grabbed the headlines of some of the other unbeaten teams to start the season, but they are going about their business in a workmanlike fashion.
They backed up their hard fought draw with Brisbane with an impressive 2-1 win in Gosford last week as they earned all three points as the better side on the day.
It has been a mixed bag of results for Western United in the opening fortnight with a confidence boosting win over Melbourne City followed up with a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Western Sydney in Round 2.
On their day they are incredibly competitive but when it goes wrong it will do so in a bad way, which makes them a very risky team to back with any confidence.
Three of the last four between these sides have finished as draws and on their day both teams are about equal so let’s back the points to be shared.
Draw @ $3.60
By the time this game finishes, at least one club will be perfect no more but until then it sets up as a phenomenal headline match for Round 3.
Last season the Reds won the first meeting 3-0 before back to back 1-1 draws in Adelaide and Melbourne.
Rumours of Adelaide’s demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated with a pair of huge wins over the Central Coast and Melbourne City by a combined margin of 9-0.
The Victory put five past the Jets last week but did concede three going the other way and their defence might not be as stout as Tony Popovic would like.
Right now you have to side with the resplendent Reds who will take some stopping if they keep this up.
Adelaide to Win @ $3.25
A massive Saturday of action closes out in the wild west as the Glory and Mariners chase their first wins of the new A-League season.
Alen Stajcic’s late start to life as Perth’s coach might be playing a bit of a role in their struggles but the positive signs are there.
The same cannot be said for the Mariners whose first two games can only be described as abysmal, losing to Adelaide and Macarthur.
Four of the last five between these two have finished as a draw, but instead I’m looking at the total goals market since these games in Perth more often than not seem to produce plenty of wild endings.
Over 3.5 Goals @ $2.35
On their day, no team in the A-League may be more dangerous than the Western Sydney Wanderers as they demonstrated last week in a first half demolition of Western United.
Perhaps the only thing that will stop them is their inconsistencies considering that came on the back of a lethargic Round 1 performance.
Newcastle will go for broke but it might not always work out for them, as last week’s 5-3 defeat in Melbourne demonstrated.
There should be plenty of goals but after last week I’m happy to ride the Wanderers against a Jets side that is probably going to struggle.
Western Sydney to Win @ $2.30
2022/2023
Round 3 is upon us and the ladder so far this year looks completely different to what we had just a season ago.
Two weeks in and there’s only three undefeated teams, reigning champs Western United are also 0-2 – they would be staring down the barrel of relegation if the A-League ever actually organised that.
We are set for a big weekend of football and because I love you all so much, I’ve run my eyes over each game to see what markets look the most appealing!
Here is my preview for Week 3 of the A-League
The two newest teams in the league face off on Friday night and as mentioned above, the current Champions have started the year very poorly, currently sitting last in the league while Macarthur are sitting in third place.
Western United are $1.95 favourites and they will turn it around eventually but I feel like that is shorter than it should be.
Arzani has been electric for Macarthur and this one could go either way.
Both Teams To Score and Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.05
One of the remaining undefeated teams in the comp takes on a team who has yet to win a game.
WSW have had a dream start to the season and are $2.15 favourites against the Roar who are paying $3.15.
Brisbane did get the better of Western Sydney in their Australia Cup playoff back in May so they know how to beat this side.
I think they are a team that’s improving and I’m interested in taking the Roar on Head to head in this one.
Call me crazy, call me foolish but I can see the Roar leaving Commbank Stadium with three points on Saturday.
Back The Brisbane Roar to Win @ $3.15
Wellington heads to the Hunter for a matchup with the Jets that they are huge underdogs for.
The Jets are 1-0 after just beating Perth Glory in their only game of the season so I don’t understand why they are such short favourites.
The Phoenix have two draws so far and I’m backing them to make it a hattrick in this one.
I just don’t trust a football team that short when they’ve only played one game against last year’s wooden spooners.
Back the draw @ $3.50
Big Melbourne Derby on Saturday night!
My game of the round this is a match up that never disappoints!
City ($2.30) are slight favourites over the Victory ($2.80) and I’m backing City to win comfortably.
J Mac is on fire once again this year and I’m backing him to torch his cross town rivals.
Back Melbourne City (-1) @ $4.50
4th plays 9th at Allianz on Sunday and I don’t really think Adelaide are much of a chance in this one.
Sydney have scored the most goals in the comp this year and I reckon they might put a few more on their goal difference this week against United.
Adelaide on the other hand have a goal difference of -3 with only one goal to their name.
I know it’s early but they haven’t looked like they have much up front so far this year.
Sydney FC and Over 1.5 Goals @ $2.35
I am yet to see anyting from Perth yet that would make me say something nice about them.
They are 0-2 once again to start the year and will more than likely finish this round at the bottom of the table.
Central Coast will look forward to this matchup after their 2-2 draw, this could be a high scoring affair.
Some interesting things to consider, the ‘Over 2.5 Goals’ market has hit in each of Perth’s last six A-League Week 3 games and Perth has lost each of its last seven A-League away games.
3-0 Mariners could very much be on the cards.
Mariners -1 @ $3.40
2021/2022
Week 3 of the A-League Men season begins on Friday and another six quality contests are on the schedule.
The Brisbane Roar are the only side who are yet to claim a competition point, and they will need to be at their best to reverse their fortunes when Adelaide United visit on Saturday.
At the other end of the table, the Melbourne Victory will look to make it three wins from as many matches at the expense of the Perth Glory.
You can find our complete A-League Round 3 Tips and Preview below.
The action resumes on Friday evening and a quality contest looks like materialising between the Phoenix and the Wanderers.
Wellington put their best foot forward in Round 2, and recorded their first win of the season over a brave Mariners outfit.
Their Round 1 draw with Macarthur, a match they were unlucky not to win, was also franked with that side’s giant-killing win over Sydney FC.
The Wanderers are yet taste success in season 2021/22, but they are also yet to taste defeat.
They returned several quality passages of play against the Jets last week, and star import Jack Rodwell looks to be finding his feet.
I can personally build a case for both sides, so I am going to remain on the fence.
Back the Draw @ $3.60
Brisbane Roar return home on Saturday afternoon and face another tough task in overcoming Adelaide United.
The Roar are the only club who remains on a duck egg heading into Round 3 of the new season, having suffered defeats at the hands of Melbourne City and the Victory respectively.
While their campaign opener suggested that they have returned in competitive form, but the wheels completely fell off last week, and they would need to improve noticeably.
Adelaide are another side who are yet to record their first win, but draws with the Glory and Melbourne City have seen them climb off the mark, and the latter is clearly a good form indicator ahead of this match.
Back Adelaide to Win @ $3.50
Sydney FC will start clear favourites in A-League betting when the Newcastle Jets visit on Saturday night.
It certainly hasn’t been the start to the new season that Steve Corica and the Sky Blues would have hoped for.
A goalless draw with crosstown rivals the Wanderers in Round 1 was compounded with a shock 1-0 loss to Macarthur in Round 2.
The inability to find the back of the net arguably the biggest concern, given the strike power that they boast.
In my opinion, the Jets are unlucky not to have won a match, particularly last weekend’s meeting with the Wanderers.
They are building some handy combinations and I’ve really like what I’ve seen of the Georgian international, Beka Mikeltadze, up front.
I can’t really trust Sydney as such clear favourites given what they’ve done so far this season, so I’m going to stay away from match betting.
Back Mikeltadze Anytime Goal @ $3.25
The first Derby of the weekend sees the reigning champions host Western United, and there is a case to be built for both sides.
City proved too good for the travelling Roar in Round 1, but they were forced to settle for a draw on the road in Adelaide last week, having had that side on the ropes at the 70th minute.
Western United were defeated by the Victory in Round 1, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Tony Popovic’s side might be really good, and they did manage to record a tough win over the Glory in Round 2.
I personally believe that City are under the odds as such firm favourites in the market, and while I do think that Western United are a chance of winning, I am going to hedge my bets a little.
Back Western United or Draw @ $2.45
Macarthur return home on Sunday afternoon and they look capable of recording another win over the Central Coast Mariners.
They were probably lucky to steal a point from the Phoenix in Round 1 but boy, I’m not even sure that Ante Milicic foresaw the Bulls’ win over Sydney FC!
Regardless, they are on a roll, and they are deserved favourites in Round 3.
The Mariners recorded an impressive win over old rivals the Jets in Round 1, but they were brought back down to earth by a handy Wellington outfit last weekend.
I can certainly understand why they bookies are giving both clubs something of a chance in match betting, but I’m pretty confident the Bulls will win this, and we’re getting a great price!
Back Macarthur to Win @ $2.40
The ladder-leading Melbourne Victory host the struggling Perth Glory in Round 3’s final fixture on Sunday evening.
Sure, it’s only Round 3, but I’m finding it quite difficult to ignore what the Victory have already done this season, and I could already be a believer.
Their tough win over Western United in Round 1 was franked with a demolition job over the Roar most recently.
Perth meanwhile were held to a draw by Adelaide United in the nation’s west first-up, before suffering defeat to Western United in Round 2.
The form looks to be pretty clear to me, and I think that the Victory are over the odds at their current price.
Back Victory to Win @ $2.10
2021
It’s another light weekend of A-League action with just two matches set to take place after the early season fixture reshuffling.
Brisbane’s return clash with the Victory has been postponed to a later date after the area went into a three day lockdown.
Check out our previews for all of those matches below.
There will be reunions aplenty in the Hunter on Friday night when the Newcastle Jets host former manager Carl Robinson and a fair few former players in the Western Sydney Wanderers.
It’s been a tumultuous week for the one time A-League champions with the club’s license being revoked and handed over to a new managing entity and it’s hard to see the squad being completely focused on the task at hand.
The Wanderers went down 1-0 in their opening match to new boys Macarthur FC however that was not an indicative performance of their potential for the rest of the season.
Newcastle is a side that is probably going to be in contention for, if not the favourite to take out the Wooden Spoon and at least until they generate some momentum, I’ll stick with my early season promise to back against them.
Back Western Sydney to Win @ $2.40
The new boys got their season off to a perfect start with a 1-0 win in Round 1 but were brought back to earth by the Mariners last weekend going down 2-0.
Wellington is a dark horse contender for honours this season and their opening match defeat to Sydney FC has not put me off them at all.
We have seen the best and the worst of Macarthur already and while they will have to work hard to score, Wellington’s backline is hardly a brick wall.
I’ll back both teams to score as Wellington should create a fair number of chances themselves and they have the players to break down even the most stubborn opponents.
Back Both Teams to Score @ $1.70
*MATCH POSTPONED*
If this matchup seems familiar, it should as the Roar and Victory face off for the second time in eight days.
A tactical masterstroke on halftime by Roar coach Warren Moon swung the game in the Roar’s favour at AAMI Park on Saturday evening and now his side will look for its first home win of the new campaign.
If you have seen the Roar play in the opening two rounds its hard to not to be impressed by what they have put on the pitch so far.
Even though they are yet to keep a clean sheet, their attack came together in the best possible fashion on Saturday and I like the odds of them continuing that run this weekend.
Back Brisbane to Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ $3.40
2019/2020
The A-League’s marquee fixture returns to Parramatta with Sydney’s two clubs set to face off for the first time in the revamped BankWest Stadium.
We’ve already seen the potential for this arena but this will be the showpiece event the A-League could really use.
Of course there are plenty of other big games coming up this weekend as well with the Roar and Victory kicking things off in a clash with plenty of history.
There’s also Adelaide and Melbourne City backing up from the FFA Cup Final plus the distance derby between Wellington and Perth.
In short it’s a big round of A-League action ahead and we’ve got your match previews and betting plays right here.
It’s one of the Roar’s favourite rivalries as the Melbourne Victory come to town for Robbie Fowler’s first match in charge at Suncorp Stadium.
The one time Liverpool legend will remember playing at Suncorp as a member of the North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory but he and pretty much his entire matchday squad will be taking to the pitch in orange for the first time here.
After a late equaliser in Perth in Round 1, the Roar were able to sit back and watch as the Victory dropped points in their second straight match.
Last season Melbourne dominated this matchup winning 4-2 and 5-0 at Suncorp before grinding out a 2-1 win at Docklands in the midst of their Champions League duties.
Of course this is not the same Roar side as last year, in fact nine of the starting 11 were making their A-League debuts against Perth so you can throw out that history here.
It sure looks like Fowler has set out to fix the Roar’s defensive woes above all else and with the Victory struggling for cohesion in the front third, this could be a great opportunity for a confidence booster.
Unfortunately for the Roar that has come at a bit of a cost when it comes to creativity in the front third so they may find themselves limited up front as well.
Back Under 2.5 Goals @ $2.00
Now we get a chance to see what Newcastle has to offer this season.
You can’t take much from Round 1 since they were on a bye and the Round 2 derby performance has to come with an asterisk since it was, after all, a derby.
Adelaide might be in a vulnerable position as well, with just three days to recover from the FFA Cup Final against Melbourne City which includes a travel day to get to the Hunter region.
Scoring has not been at an all time high through the early rounds of the A-League but the both teams to score market has been a good play so far with that hitting in all five matches last weekend and eight of the ten played so far.
Whether Adelaide brings out its full strength team again or opts to give some of its players a bit of a rest, defending has been an issue although they are fun to watch going forward so we’ll expect a few goals in this one.
SGM: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.07
This edition of the Sydney Derby could not have had a better build up, the two lone perfect teams in the A-League facing off in front of a packed stadium.
The Markus Babbel overhaul of the Wanderers has them well placed to contend in this one and are primed for their first win in seven meetings.
Overall the derby has not been favourable for the Wanderers with three of their four total wins coming in the first five meetings, but you have to be impressed with how they have looked early on.
Write off Sydney FC at your own peril though, they haven’t quite hit top gear but have been able to grind out two wins and that ability will come in handy in a derby.
Both keepers will be tested and Rhyan Grant from Sydney should have another big game here but in the end it looks like these two sides will find a way to cancel each other’s strengths out.
Since this is the A-League both teams to score seems like a very good play and we’ll also throw in the draw.
SGM: Draw & Both Teams to Score @ $4.62
From the Sydney Derby to the Distance Derby, Wellington welcomes Perth fresh off a very long flight over to New Zealand.
Despite sitting on zero points and having scored all of one goal so far this season, the Nix haven’t been out of either of their games, they’ve just missed that cutting edge.
Perth haven’t exactly been lighting things up either with a pair of 1-1 draws to get things started.
We’re all still waiting for the Fornaroli-Castro-Ikonomidis combination to really click but the support behind them has not been giving them enough opportunities either.
At best this seems destined for a 1-1 draw, so we’ll take a low scoring affair as both sides look to defend first and hope to jag a goal.
Back 0-2 Goals @ $2.00
It’s Western United’s first taste of a local(ish) derby as the host Melbourne City in the Round’s final match.
After taking on Adelaide in the FFA Cup Final, City travels the 100 or so kilometres down the road to face their newest rivals for the first time.
With four days to recover a short road trip and it being so early in the season, the fatigue factor for City probably won’t play as much of a factor as it will for Adelaide and you can look at this one pretty much as a straightforward match.
Overall, there might be a slight edge to the young legs on the City side but it’s hard to discount the experience in the centre of the park with guys like Kone and Diamanti.
That might see both sides find a way to cancel one another out in a score draw.
SGM: Draw & Both Teams to Score @ $4.70
2018/2019
Believe it or not, there was some fairly entertaining football played in Australia last weekend, not that you would know with the VAR taking all the headlines.
What is jumping out after the first two rounds of the A-League season is the fact that this is setting up as one of the tightest competitions in recent memory.
Last year’s Grand Finalists sit in eighth and tenth while finding an early pacesetter is nearly impossible with any side capable of picking up points any week.
Read on for our previews and predictions of the upcoming weekend of A-League action.
The “Light Blue Derby” (don’t call it the Sky Blue Derby) kicks off Round 3 of the A-League.
Sydney are having to back up three days after losing the FFA Cup Final and with the travel added into the mix, this is a very tough assignment.
Having picked up three wins over City in three meetings last season (and five in a row), they would love to repeat that feat however City have a great recent record at AAMI Park winning their last three matches.
For the past few seasons, Sydney have been the benchmark side in the competition and a win here would go a long way to setting City up for a good campaign.
Back Melbourne City to Win @ $2.50
Wellington took care of business in Round 2, avoiding defeat in Brisbane with a resilient performance.
That being said, defender Steven Taylor won’t be putting his hand up to fill in at striker anytime soon after his woeful miss from point blank range.
They will need his defensive organisation to neutralise a Wanderers side that will be on the attack despite coach Markus Babbel serving a touchline ban after his red card last week.
In their past seven meetings, Wellington have not recorded a victory over the Wanderers and as the market has these sides fairly evenly split, a draw is the play this time.
Back the Draw @ $3.50
Saturday’s primetime clash is a rematch of last season’s Grand Final and while Victory fans would happily take another 1-0 win, everyone involved would prefer the VAR not play a role in this one.
After back to back losses in their opening two games, picking up three points here is imperative for Melbourne.
Newcastle’s start to the season has only been marginally better with a draw and a loss, but they do also need a win here.
This fixture has favoured the Victory with five wins and two draws from the last nine but given this is the season of the draws, that is the play here.
Back the Draw @ $3.50
Brisbane will feel as though they should have more than two points from their opening two games.
Whatever encouragement they could take from their performance in the opening week was gone after a limp effort against Wellington forced them to settle for another draw.
Striker Adam Taggart returns to his former club, who appear to be doing fine without him after a huge win in Melbourne last week.
The optimism is building out west and it is fair enough with how they have looked so far and they should be able to pick up three points against a Roar side that is yet to click into gear.
Back Perth to Win @ $1.95
Adelaide will be glad their match isn’t until Sunday allowing them at least a little bit of time to celebrate their FFA Cup triumph.
They will need to be on the ball here though, as they travel to face a Central Coast side that has been able to hold their own in the first two rounds, picking up back to back draws against more fancied opponents.
Adelaide have won seven of the last ten games but the Mariners will certainly push a side that is still short of striking options.
With the game setting up this way, do not be at all surprised if Adelaide have to chase down Central Coast but they do have the quality to come away with a win here.
Back the Draw @ $3.80
2017/2018
It’s Round 3 of the A-League and as per usual there are five games to keep you entertained this weekend.
One of the original rivalries gets things started as Melbourne Victory will try to find their first points of the season at the Adelaide Oval before the first Sydney Derby of the season on Saturday night.
The surprise packets so far, the Newcastle Jets will look to add more trouble to the Brisbane Roar as they visit Suncorp Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Back to back losses is a less than ideal start for a side many expected to be in contention for the Premiers Plate and the now face a trip to Adelaide.
The return of their Socceroos stars did not help as they dropped the derby to City and there are questions now around whether or not they are too predictable.
Adelaide’s preseason fitness work appears to have paid off as they closed out a difficult game in Brisbane with two late goals.
Two high quality midfields face off in this game and I like the confidence around Adelaide at the moment and think they will get by the Victory in this one.
Back Adelaide United to Win @ $2.50
Far and away the form side of the competition, City get their third straight game in Melbourne thanks to playing as the away side in the derby last week.
Those home comforts have been very beneficial so far as they have taken their first two games and look like genuine contenders so far.
Wellington are certainly proving their ability to scrap for a result by pushing Sydney FC last week and can score when needed.
Even then, Melbourne City are deserved favourites this week and even though they might not be the best value here it is hard to go against them.
Back Melbourne City to Win @ $1.50
A game which those in FFA Headquarters will be hoping can live up to the spectacle of the build up.
The champions are two from two and now face their local rivals who, despite a tough draw last weekend, would feel fairly confident as the only side to defeat them last season.
This has the makings of a tight game and with plenty of firepower on both sides, a score draw seems to be the most likely result.
Back Both Teams to Score and a Draw @ $4.50
A week of drama for the Roar will have them eager to get on the pitch Sunday evening against the Newcastle Jets.
In the middle of a busy home schedule, they will want to put last week’s collapse against Adelaide United behind them and with the potential addition of French import Eric Bautheac, it might change their attacking fortunes.
The Jets meanwhile have assembled a squad that has gelled together really quickly and have the fans in the Hunter right behind them.
With the Roar still missing their midfield anchor in Thomas Kristensen, the Jets should be able to control that area of the pitch and the match.
Back the Jets to Win @ $2.75
Perth will be happy to return home after an visit east that produced a loss and a draw.
Adam Taggart pitched in with a late goal to get that point against the Jets and is hoping his connection with new signing Xavi Torres only improves with more time on the pitch.
Central Coast are a bit vulnerable at the back and can’t help but concede goals but they are set up to hit the Glory on the counter attack should the opportunity present itself.
The vulnerability of both sides defensively screams draw here and that is the recommendation.
Back the Draw @ $4.00
2016/2017
It has been an absolutely thrilling start to the A-League season and the action continues this weekend.
The round begins on Friday when Tim Cahill and Melbourne City host Perth Glory before Adelaide United take on the Melbourne Victory in the match of the round on Saturday night.
The Sunday double-header includes two very intriguing fixtures and there will be betting interest in every single game this weekend.
Melbourne City stamped themselves as the early favourites for the A-League title with their truly outstanding performance against Melbourne Victory and they are dominant favourites to account for Perth this weekend.
Tim Cahill’s wonder goal stole the headlines, but the entire Melbourne City outfit were nothing short of brilliant and they are the benchmark side of the competition.
Melbourne City have won nine of their past 12 games as home favourites and they really have been able to turn AAMI Park into a fortress.
Perth got the job done against Wellington last Sunday afternoon, but this clash represents a much tougher challenge.
The Glory have won just three of their past 11 games as away underdogs for a loss and winning away from NIB Stadium has proven to be an issue.
Melbourne City should be able to get the job done comfortably and they are one of the safest bets of the weekend.
Back Melbourne City To Win @ $1.67
The Brisbane Roar were truly woeful against the Newcastle Jets last weekend, but they are clear favourites to return to winning form against Central Coast.
Brisbane clearly missed Matt McKay last weekend and his return will be crucial to their chances on Saturday.
The Roar have now won just one of their past eight games as away favourites and it is extremely tough to get them as short at their current price.
Central Coast made a positive start to the season against the Perth Glory, but they regressed badly last weekend against Sydney FC.
The Mariners have not beaten Brisbane since 2014 and they have won just one of their past 13 games as home underdogs.
Both these teams are tough to trust from a betting perspective and I am happy to stay out of this clash.
No Bet
This is a crucial game for both these sides that have made a slow start to the A-League season.
Adelaide United went down to the Western Sydney Wanderers in controversial circumstances last weekend and are favourites to record their first win of the season against the Melbourne Victory.
The Reds have won nine of their past 14 games as home favourites for a clear profit, but their record against Melbourne is not particularly strong.
Melbourne Victory were completely embarrassed against Melbourne City in the Melbourne Derby last weekend and they face another tough assignment on Saturday.
The Victory have won just one of their past six games as away underdogs and they have not beaten Adelaide away from home for a number of seasons.
Adelaide have already let us down a couple of times this season, but we are willing to give them another opportunity this weekend.
Back Adelaide United To Win @ $2.38
The Wellington Phoenix have won just one of their past eight games and they desperately need to take the three points from this clash.
Despite having the home ground advantage, Wellington will still go into this game as clear underdogs and this is not a position in which they have thrived – they have won just two of their past eight games as home underdogs.
Sydney FC continue their momentum from their heavy defeat of the Western Sydney Wanderers to handily account for the Central Coast Mariners in what was an impressive performance.
The Sky Blues played an impressive brand of football and a repeat of that performance would be enough to account for the Wellington Phoenix, but they have won just two of their past five games as away favourites for a loss.
This is a match that they market looks to have got just about right and I am more than happy to stay out from a betting perspective.
No Bet
The Newcastle Jets have made a very positive start to the A-League season, but it is the Western Sydney Wanderers that will start this clash as clear favourites.
Western Sydney were completely outclassed by Sydney FC and they struggled at times against Adelaide, but they were still able to come away with the three points in what would have been a confidence-building performance.
The Wanderes have won eight of their past 13 games as favourites for a narrow profit and they have won their past three games against Newcastle.
Newcastle have been the surprise packages of the A-League season to date and they were clinical against the Brisbane Roar last Sunday afternoon.
They now have a strong platform to build on this season, but whether they can take something from this clash is a challenge – they have won just one of their past ten games as away underdogs.
Western Sydney are always tough to beat in front of their home fans and they can win again this weekend.
Back Western Sydney Wanderers To Win @ $1.73