2023/2024 A-League Round 7 Preview

Six weeks in and the A-League is already at its unpredictable best with plenty of preseason prognostications already proven wrong.

Few would have expected the Wellington Phoenix to be leading the way but the team from across the Tasman has looked very strong thus far.

Round 7 is highlighted by Sunday’s clash between Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar as two of the competition’s best attacking teams face off.

We’ve got our previews and best bets for all six matches below so read on and see who we are backing.

The last two A-League champions have been slow out of the blocks in season 2023/24 but only one has shown signs of life in the last month.

Central Coast is coming off a hard fought draw with Melbourne Victory last week and are starting to show flashes of a decent football team with Alou Kuol coming to life up front.

The same cannot be said for Western United who have slumped to their fifth straight defeat against Wellington last week, with just one goal in 450 minutes of football.

There’s no need to overcomplicate this tip and until Western United start picking up points, or even scoring goals at a consistent clip I’ll be backing against them at every opportunity.

Central Coast to Win @ $1.94

We’re heading out west for the second half of Friday night’s double header and regular viewers of the A-League will know that anything and everything can happen in these late night Perth games.

The Glory will be pleased to be heading home after a rough three game road trip that saw them lose to the Wanderers, Roar and Sydney FC.

City has been racking up the frequent flyer points over the last few weeks with trips to Wellington, Tokyo, Newcastle and now Perth as their continental commitments start to take full effect.

Locally their season is finally starting to pick up some steam on the back of last week’s win against the Jets, but there are still some concerns about travel fatigue and their overall sharpness.

Perth tends to save their best for HBF Park and it’s just enough to give me pause on backing a City win, instead I’ll go for a slightly safer play and back the overs.

That has hit in four of the Glory’s last five home games in the league and three of the last four head to heads.

Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.62

Tipped by many to have a bit of a down season after the departure of Ufuk Talay, the Nix are flying under Giancarlo Italiano as the early season pacesetters.

With four wins and two draws so far, they are well placed to ensure they spend at least another week on top of the table with a very favourable matchup here.

Newcastle are out of sorts and have really struggled since the November international break.

Heading to Wellington for this one does not look like the easiest task and the market is giving them a much better chance than I am, so I’ll jump on the home side.

Wellington to Win @ $1.88

Sydney have to receive plenty of praise for weathering the storm last Saturday and coming up with a win against Perth, but there are still some issues with the Sky Blues, especially at the back.

Plenty of part time observers would be surprised to see that the Bulls are currently third on the table and still unbeaten, but they are playing some good football.

The discrepancy between these teams is nowhere near as big as the market is suggesting and there is some real value backing Macarthur to get something out of this game.

They showed some real mettle backing up from a testing AFC Cup trip to beat Adelaide on Monday night and they can cause problems for the Sydney backline.

Macarthur Win/Draw Double Chance @ $1.91

We’ve got the match of the round to kick off Sunday’s action and mercifully the weather forecast is looking favourable for some flowing football with relatively mild temperatures expected.

It might still get heated on the bench however with plenty of history between these two clubs, with some of the most famous moments involving former Reds captain and now Roar coach Ross Aloisi.

Add in the fact that both clubs are happy to play free flowing football and have two of the most potent attacks in the A-League, we could be in for an end to end contest.

They have combined for 29 goals through 12 total matches and neither side has been watertight at the back so the over looks to be the way to go in this fixture.

Over 3.5 Goals @ $2.15

The jokes have been made ad nauseum about the Victory needing to be renamed Melbourne Draw after four successive stalemates, but they might be happy with a point here.

Western Sydney once again showed remarkable resolve to come from 2-0 down to get a point in a rain delayed match last Friday, although it did come at a cost.

Club captain Marcelo went off in the first half with a painful injury and it looks like he will be joining Brandon Borello on the sidelines for a little while.

That opens up the door for Bruno Fornaroli to have another profitable day in front of goal and that should be enough for the Victory to get another draw.

Draw @ $3.50

2022/2023

The A-League is back! After one of our greatest World Cup campaigns ever, our boys return home to the league that started it all for a lot of them.

If you enjoyed our World Cup games as much as I did, it’s time to get around the A-League and give it as much support as possible right now.

The more we get behind it, the better we will do in the next World Cup!

I’ve run my eyes over each game and hopefully I’ve found a few winners!

Here is my preview of the A-League Round 7

Friday night up in Redcliffe we get the season up and running again with the Brisbane Roar hosting third place Adelaide United.

Adelaide striker Craig Goodwin (Of two World Cup goals fame) is expected to lace up the boots. We’ve seen what he can do on the world stage, surely taking on the Brisbane Roar will be a walk in the park.

The Roar have only one win to their name so far this season and Adelaide are 3-2-1, I think Adelaide should win on the road here.

Back Adelaide to win @ $2.65

Saturday afternoon sees the Phoenix take on Western Sydney in the gong.

Another tough match up to pick here. The bookies slightly favour WSW ($2.40) over the Nix ($2.60).

The fact that they’re so evenly matched combined with the month off makes me think that the draw could be a huge shout.

WSW are second on the ladder and are 4-1-1 but I think Wellington should really push them in this one.

Back the Draw @ $3.35

Allianz Stadium will host the two sky blue teams on Saturday night in a match up that historically never disappoints!

The World Cup break couldn’t come soon enough for Sydney, they lost two on the trot after a strong start to the year. A break is probably what they needed to get out of a funk.

Melbourne City are still Melbourne City, they are quite good.

I get the feeling JMac might have a bit of a point to prove after getting next to no minutes in Arnie’s Socceroos team despite scoring goals for fun at City.

I think he could come out and put on a show against Sydney here.

Back City to win and Jamie Maclaren to score

The Glory are coming home!

It’s been over 12 months since their last game at home but that all comes to an end on Saturday night when the Glory take on Western United.

If Sydney FC needed the World Cup break, it is quite the opposite for Western United.

The reigning premiers FINALLY got their first win since a little game called the “Grand Final” (I’d never heard of it either).

While you and me would love a month off after winning one game in six rounds, I can’t imagine Western United would agree.

The Glory are slight underdogs but the narrative of returning to Perth is too good not to get behind.

Back Perth to win @ $2.75

It was scheduled for Round 1 but the weather had different ideas.

We finally get our first F3 Derby of the season and the bookies are favouring the Mariners in a huge way?

Is it a bit of Cumdog bias?

Probably not, I reckon it’s got more to do with the fact that Newy have lost three games in a row.

It’s hard to gauge how much that will effect them because they have obviously had a month off but I can see the Mariners putting on a show here on Sunday afternoon.

Back the Mariners -1 @ $3.10

Wrapping up the round of Sunday evening we have Macarthur taking on the Victory in Campbelltown.

Macarthur is 2-2-2 this year which is probably not where they wanted to be.

Lucky for the Bulls however, the mediocre start to the campaign has them sitting in fourth.

A win against the Victory should be what they need to build a bit of momentum and despite them being $3.60 underdogs. I like Macarthur to get it done in this one.

Back Macarthur to win @ $3.60

2021/22

It’s a light week in the A-League Men’s competition to say the least.

Four of the six matches have succumbed to Covid postponements however the two games we will see should provide some solid entertainment.

Read on for our previews and best bets for the remaining A-League Round 7 fixtures.

There is a good price available on the unders in this fixture considering we have two of the more listless attacks in the competition facing off.

Adelaide in particular has struggled to find a way to goal and the loss of Kusini Yengi will only make life tougher.

Wellington has lost its last three league fixtures and just cannot seem to put it all together.

With both teams coming into the match desperate to avoid defeat while coming off a lengthy break, don’t be at all surprised if we see a cagey and perhaps a bit rusty first half.

Back First Half Under 0.5 Goals @ $2.88

2021

A massive eight A-League fixtures await us over six days in Round 7 of the 2021 season after some late updates to the schedule.

We now get a double dose of the highly entertaining Brisbane Roar with Warren Moon’s side set to host Melbourne Victory and Macarthur FC in a 72 hour span.

That will be the Bulls’ second fixture of the round after they face inaugural opponent Western Sydney for the second time.

Read on for our previews and best bets for every A-League fixture below!

Consider this, the last two times these teams met, the scoreline has been 5-3 with Adelaide and Perth sharing the victories.

Their most recent meeting was a wild encounter just 20 days ago at HBF Park and by all accounts, this match will be going ahead after a few nervous moments with the situation in Perth last weekend.

Adelaide’s backline was shredded by a rampant Roar side in Redcliffe last weekend and Perth knows how to cause plenty of headaches for them as well.

Of course the Glory can’t keep a clean sheet and if Adelaide can get the likes of Tomi Juric back then they will be every chance of nabbing all three points.

Even if they can’t, I’ll still expect the goals to be flowing in this fixture.

Back Both Teams to Score and Over 3.5 Goals @ $2.65

12 months ago, Robbie Fowler’s Brisbane Roar were getting some pretty harsh criticism for playing boring, defensive football.

Whether you agreed with that or not, it’s hard not to see the changes put in place by Warren Moon as Brisbane roared to a win over Adelaide last week.

Their go for broke attacking style is making them a must watch prospect as teams struggle to keep up with their pace of play.

Up next is another home date with Melbourne Victory, and the market still is not totally buying the Roar’s prospects yet.

Not that any punters should be complaining with the Roar representing the value of the weekend.

Back Brisbane to Win @ $2.15

Western Sydney will forever be known as the side that lost to Macarthur in the latter’s first ever A-League fixture.

It was a scrappy arm wrestle at Bankwest Stadium in late December that we hope is not replicated in the return fixture here.

Macarthur will be without their captain Mark Milligan after he was sent off in his side’s 3-0 loss to Sydney last weekend.

While the Bulls will still have Adam Federici marshalling things from his goalkeeper spot, losing Milligan is a huge hole to fill.

So much so I’ll take the value of a Wanderers upset as Carl Robinson’s side tries to atone for their draw with Newcastle last weekend.

Back Western Sydney to Win @ $3.00

Newcastle might have been able to fight for a point against Western Sydney last weekend but I’m still not ready to abandon my back against them at all costs approach on that alone.

Melbourne City’s recent form does help the Jets case with a loss to Perth on Sunday preceding a 3-2 defeat on the Central Coast on Wednesday where they squandered a 2-0 lead.

City is much better than their last two results, after all they were grand finalists last year with a fair portion of the players back for another go round.

Newcastle will push them though and are capable of taking advantage of a situation where City might take them lightly.

I’ll back a rebound from Patrick Kisnorbo’s side as much out of stubbornness that the Jets are a class or three below them on paper.

Back Melbourne City to Win @ $2.35

It’s old against new, veterans against youth and inevitably, Matt Simon against everyone, including Matt Simon.

The good vibes are back in Gosford after the Mariners produced a stunning comeback against Melbourne City during the week to mark Simon’s 200^th match.

Western United felt aggrieved after some VAR decisions went against them in their scoreless draw with Melbourne Victory last weekend and will see this as a great opportunity to get three points.

Generally it’s worth putting emotion aside when trying to find the right bet to take but in this instance, how can you not enjoy the Mariners returning to their form of a decade ago?

Not to mention that depending on the Brisbane result, they may need a point to regain top spot on the A-League ladder.

They are much more evenly matched than the prices in the market so I’ll back the home side to hold the palm tree fort and pick up all three points.

Back Central Coast to Win @ $2.85

In terms of the entire globe, there is no bigger match on Monday (AEST) than the A-League clash between Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix, not even the Super Bowl…

That may be overselling this clash just a touch but it will shape up as an interesting bout between the two managers.

Despite winning 3-0 last weekend, Steve Corica has to still be somewhat concerned about the performance of his side before Macarthur were reduced to 10 men.

We are still yet to see the defending champions really hit their stride four matches into the season however there have been glimpses of the side tipped by many to win the title (again).

Wellington looked like they were starting to click in their 2-1 win over the Mariners that looks to be worth a lot more than in the past few seasons.

It would not be surprising if this fixture turned into a contest where the teams are trading frequent scoring opportunities.

I’ll still back Sydney to win but I can’t see either side keeping a clean sheet.

SGM: Sydney FC to Win & Both Teams to Score @ $3.56

The Roar might have conceded twice against a depleted Melbourne Victory side on the weekend but when you are playing the sort of attacking football we have seen from them, letting in two is not a big deal.

Up next for Brisbane is their first ever clash with Macarthur FC whose defence has hardly been impenetrable in the last few matches.

There’s no need to overcomplicate this tip with the market still not quite all in on Brisbane’s fast start.

With a chance to regain top spot from Central Coast, I’ll jump on the Roar at this price.

Back Brisbane to Win @ $2.25

It looks like any hope of the Victory rebounding from last season’s poor showing has evaporated after they were thoroughly dismantled by Brisbane on the weekend.

There is not much time to dwell on their defeat however as they head south to take on the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Last season the Victory were beaten by the Wanderers in both meetings by the score of 2-1.

Western Sydney is still yet to really put it all together this year however they are doing a great job at avoiding defeat since their opening match.

More than anything, when a Victory opponent is at $2 or anything higher than that, you have to put together a compelling case to not take said opponent.

There is no compelling case to not take the Wanderers at home.

Back Western Sydney to Win @ $2.25

2019/2020

Coming off their first defeat of the 2019-20 season going down to Brisbane Roar 4-3 after being 3-1 up at the start of the scond half, Melbouren City heads to Bankwest Stadium to take on the Western Sydney Wanderers.

City will be licking their wounds whilsit Western Sydney will want to maintain their fortress at the new Wanderland.

Travelling to play the Wanderers away does not make for good reading for Melbourne City who have only won one of their last 11 away against the boys from Parramatta

With both teams coming off a loss despite occuping the top three spots on the A-League ladder we should still be in for a highly entertaining contest tonight.

Jamie McLaren remains the X-Factor for Melbourne City with seven goals to his name so far this season and was close to a hat-trick last weekend.

The Wanderers record at home is two wins, one draw at Bankwest Stadium this season and will look to continue it tonight.

This should be a great game to kick-off the round, but for value I’m more than happy to back the draw.

Back Draw @ $3.40

Coming off their first win in arguably the most entertaining game of the season, Brisbane Roar heads across the ditch to take on Wellington Phoenix who are still yet to register their first W of their 2019-20 campaign.

Phoenix will be fresh off the bye and had a 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory going into this game and depstie the fact they haven’t achieved the three points this season, they have shown to be no easy beats.

The cake-tin AKA – Westpac Stadium hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Roar having not won their in almost  three yeras.

They would love to have Roy O’Donovan score another hat-trick like he did against City last weekend in Redcliffe.

If the Roar are going to break their drought in New Zealand now is the time, with Robbie Fowler and his men brimming with confidence against the Nix side that looks lost.

Back Brisbane Roar Half Time/Full Time @ $4.25

Going into the “orginal rivalry”, Adelaide United are looking to make it four in a row against their old nemisis Melbourne Victory at Hindmarsh this Saturday night.

The Reds have been on the rampage in recent weeks with solid wins over Newcastle, Brisbane Roar and the Marniers with the likes of Ben Halloran, Nikola Mileusnic and Kristian Opseth all scoring.

It’s been a pretty ordinary start for new manager Marco Kurz and Melbourne Victory.

With one win in their opening six matches and currently sitting on eighth spot, a win over the Reds in Adelaide would sure be something to get Victory’s season back on track.

Captain Ola Toivonen has been a shining light in an otherwise grim looking start to their 2019-20 campaign but Victory’s recent form in Adelaide isn’t that great and they haven’t scored in their recent two meetings against the Reds.

Expect Adelaide to get the job done at home.

Back Correct Score Adelaide UTD 2-1 @ $8

The re-match of last sesaon’s Grand Finalists is always one to look forward to and there’s no doubt that the Glory would like to get the better of Sydney FC on their home deck this Saturday night.

Sydney FC has had a fine start to the season, the sky blues are coming off a 2-1 come from behind win over Melbourne Victory going into this match.

The Sky Blues not only have the A-League trophy (the toilet seat) over Sydney FC, they’ve also won 11 of their last 12 over Perth Glory with Glory not even scoring in their last two games over the Sky Blues.

Glory have struggled to get going this eason,sitting on sixth spot on the ladder with one win, one defeat and three draws.

Sydney FC look simply too good going into this match and I expect their winning streak over Perth Glory to continue this Saturday night.

Back Sydney FC @ $2.45

Coming off a shock loss at home, Western United make their first trip to the pine trees and sauce bottles of the Central Coast to take on the Marniers to finish off the round.

In their infancy, Western United have shown not to be flat track bullies winning their two past away games.

The Marniers can be a very entertaining team to watch and can be a little hit and miss.

They are the kind of team that can cause an upset on their day and I’m willing to risk it on this one and take the draw.

Back the Draw @ $3.40

2018/2019

If you are wondering what happened last weekend, don’t worry you’re not alone in that.

There was just about everything that could be fit into a round of football with spectacular goals, blowouts, controversy and even a few tempers flaring.

It is a lot for Round 7 to try and live up to but a couple of potential blockbusters on the cards, we just might be in for a treat with Saturday’s triple header.

Read on for our previews and predictions for all five A-League fixtures this coming weekend.

Two sides looking to bounce back from different forms of disappointment last weekend kick off Round 7 of the A-League.

The Wanderers were embarrassed by Melbourne Victory while the Mariners were so close to taking a point off Sydney before a Sky Blue Bullet broke their resistance.

Working in the home side’s favour for this one is the fact they have won six of their past nine against the Mariners, with two draws in the mix as well, plus the Mariners have not won away from home since November 2017.

While neither side gave great cause for optimism last week, the Wanderers have history on their side and a win here is the play to take.

Back the Wanderers to Win @ $1.60

Over the last two seasons, Sydney have enjoyed a great record against Wellington (which to be fair most clubs have) as the two clubs face off to kick start a Saturday triple header.

The markets for this game reflect the massive gulf in quality between these two sides with Sydney heavy favourites and it is easy to see why.

The Sky Blues have won five of the last six meetings while the Phoenix have just one point from their last eight away games.

In that same time Wellington have conceded two or more goals on six occasions and it would not be at all surprising to see Sydney come out firing here.

Back Sydney to Win -1 Goal @ $2.00

After a fiery win last weekend, Adelaide travel to Melbourne to face their “original” rivals the Victory.

They will be without their enforcer Taylor Regan, suspended after eye gouging Stefan Mauk last week and an undermanned defence is not what they need facing an attack as lethal as the Victory’s.

Melbourne looked like a side more than capable of going back to back after their demolition of Western Sydney last week.

This won’t be a repeat of last Saturday’s blowout win, Adelaide will fight to make this a contest (perhaps even literally), but Victory look the goods to come away with the win here.

Back Melbourne Victory to Win @ $1.90

Perth needed a whole lot of luck to preserve their unbeaten start to the A-League season, needing a fortunate VAR call and a late equaliser from the returning Diego Castro.

NiB Stadium has been a bit of a bogey ground for Melbourne City with eight losses and a draw in their last ten trips there, although last week at least gave some hope that this won’t be a one-sided contest.

This is a fixture that has produced plenty of goals in the past, averaging 3.12 goals per game and the Both Teams to Score Market hitting in nine of the past 12 meetings.

Perth are still the better side here and offer good value for a straight up win, but a Perth Win and Both Teams to Score play is too tempting to pass up here.

Back Perth to Win and Both Teams to Score @ $3.90

Brisbane will need every possible day to recover from a costly trip to Adelaide last round.

Midfielder Stefan Mauk will miss this game through suspension after his rash challenge on Craig Goodwin and striker Adam Taggart is considered as touch and go with the groin injury picked up in Adelaide as well.

Travelling to Newcastle has produced some favourable results for the Roar in the past and the Jets have struggled to pick up points this season too.

Neither side has really shown that killer instinct to take over a game this season and as such, neither side really deserves the benefit of the doubt backing them to get the win.

Back the Draw @ $3.40

2017/2018

With the Socceroos matches done and dusted for 2017, the local attention turns back to the A-league although the fans may still be celebrating their qualification.

Their summer of action which kicks off with the Mariners and Adelaide kicking off Round 7.

All eyes will be on Allianz Stadium on Saturday night as the top of the table Jets face Sydney FC and look to establish themselves as a contender for this season.

The round closes out with Perth hosting Melbourne Victory with both sides desperately chasing a win.

One impressive way to get your first win of the season is to upset the defending champions at your home ground when many had written you off.

The fans party can commence in Gosford with the first game of the round. Adelaide are in the midst of a freefall as they struggle with injuries trying to get the best combinations out on the pitch.

Three straight losses at the hands of City, Perth and Newcastle, two of which came at home suggest that this side might be a bit distracted with the looming FFA Cup Final.

Expect a slightly rotated squad with one eye on Tuesday night and Central Coast to take full advantage of that.

Back Central Coast to Win @ $2.50

The second meeting between these sides this season with City claiming the win in round one at AAMI Park to kick off the competition.

That result has mirrored the two teams fortunes since then with the Roar anchored to the bottom of the table and with recent comments about players still reaching peak fitness suggest they are still a way off performing at their expected level.

With three straight draws they will be desperate for a win here, especially in front of their home fans.

City are up into second place thanks to some clinical performances however a draw and loss in their last two games suggests form might be on the wane.

A draw in this game seems to be the most likely scenario as the sides try to cancel each other out.

Back the Draw @ $3.60

Five straight draws for the Wanderers and they finally have their new boss in place with Josep Gombau marking his debut with a battling draw in Melbourne last week.

On Saturday afternoon he is unveiled to the home faithful against a Phoenix side that pulled a massive 5-2 seemingly out of nowhere last week.

Rookie goalkeeper Keegan Smith is currently proving to be a vulnerable part of the Phoenix side so expect the Wanderers to have license to pepper him with shots all game as a part of Gombau’s attacking approach, so the Wanderers should win this one comfortably.

Back Western Sydney to Win -1 Goal @ $2.60

Few would have expected this to be the top of the table clash at the start of the season, but the Jets are surprising plenty with their successful start to the season.

There will be few bigger chances to establish themselves as legitimate contenders than a trip to Sydney FC in the feature match of the round.

The Sky Blues are looking to prove that last weekend’s upset loss to the Central Coast Mariners was nothing more than an aberration in their quest to go back to back.

Sydney built their success on the back of a resilient defensive effort week after week however the Jets have the league’s most in form goal scorer in their side so both teams will be able to find the back of the net.

Even with the Cup final coming up and some potential squad rotation Sydney should find a way to get the job done.

Back Sydney FC to Win and Both Teams to Score @ $3.10

One side is still looking for their first win in the 2017/2018 season while the other will be backing up from a very disappointing showing.

The Victory came so close to grabbing all three points against Brisbane before a late Brett Holman goal cause their fourth straight draw.

They will be happy to welcome back several key players with Mark Milligan and James Troisi returning from the Socceroos while Mitch Austin returns from suspension.

Kosta Barbarouses makes the long trip back from Lima with the All Whites and may not feature here.

Perth on the other hand were at sixes and sevens defensively as they allowed five goals to the Phoenix away from home.

Back at NIB they are a much different proposition winning both games there this year. Victory might still be getting a bit of an odds bump on reputation alone and that makes Perth an excellent play here for an outright win.

Back Perth to Win @ $2.30

2016/2017

The 2016/2017 A-League season continues to roll along nicely and we are set for another string of big games this weekend.

The action starts on Friday with a double-header highlighted by what could be a spiteful clash between Western Sydney and Melbourne City before the Brisbane Roar host Sydney FC in the match of the round on Saturday night.

I have analysed all five games so far this weekend and below you can find a host of betting recommendations for every single fixture.

The market suggests that this will be one of a number of tight games this weekend.

Melbourne City will go into this clash as narrow favourites following their fighting win over Newcastle last weekend, but they have really struggled for consistency.

They have won just three of their past seven games as home favourites for a loss, while their record in Sydney is very poor.

Western Sydney have not recorded a win since they beat Adelaide United over a month ago and they were very poor against Melbourne Victory last weekend.

The Wanderers have started just one game as home underdogs in the past 12 months and they went down, while their record as underdogs is very poor.

The market looks to have got this game just about right and I am more than happy to stay out of this contest from a betting perspective.

No Bet

This is a crucial game for two sides that are desperate for a win.

Perth Glory were no match for Sydney FC last weekend, but they will still go into this clash as a clear favourites.

Perth have won four of their past six games as home favourites for a clear profit and their recent record at home is nothing to be sneezed at.

Adelaide United are still chasing their first win of the season after their 1-1 draw with the Brisbane Roar and they are in the exact same position that they were 12 months ago.

The Reds have won three of their past seven games as away underdogs for a narrow profit, but their record in Perth is poor.

Perth should be able to return to winning form and they look like one of the safest betting plays of the weekend.

Back Perth To Win @ $2.05

The Wellington Phoenix have won two games on the trot, but it is the Melbourne Victory that will go into this clash as clear favourites.

Wellington have struggled in front of their home fans over the past 12 months and they have won just two of their past nine games as home underdogs.

Melbourne returned to winning form with a quality performance against Western Sydney and they have an excellent opportunity to record back-to-back wins.

The Victory have won just three of their past eight games as home favourites for a loss and they really have been a tough team to analyse over the past 12 months due to their inconsistency.

The one betting play that does stand out in this clash is the $3.50 available for the stalemate, which is far better value than the price on offer for either of these teams to come away with the three points.

Back The Draw @ $3.50

This is easily the match of the round and is set to be a highly intriguing clash.

Sydney FC made it six wins from as many games in the A-League season with a dominant victory over the Perth Glory and they will start this clash as narrow favourites.

They have won just one of their past eight games as away underdogs for a clear loss and their record at Suncorp Stadium is particularly poor.

Brisbane maintained their unbeaten run with a fighting draw against Adelaide United and it is no secret that they have a simply outstanding record in front of their home fans at Suncorp Stadium.

The Roar have won 11 of their past 15 games as home favourites for a clear profit and they have won seven of their past nine games against Sydney FC in this scenario.

Brisbane are the team to end the winning streak of Sydney FC and they are one of the best value bets of the weekend.

Back Brisbane To Win @ $2.75

This is a crucial game for both sides that are hoping to build on a positive start to the season.

The Newcastle Jets have lost three games on the trot, but they will still go into this clash as clear favourites.

The Jets have played just two games as home favourites over the past 12 months for a narrow profit, but their record is this scenario against the Central Coast Mariners is poor.

Central Coast have been the big improvers in the A-League this season and they will go into this clash with plenty of confidence.

The Mariners have won just two of their past 13 games as away underdogs for a clear loss and they are obviously a tough team to trust from a betting standpoint.

This is another clash that the market looks to have got just about right and I am happy to let it go through to the keeper.

No Bet