We’re halfway through the A-League regular season and the race towards the finals is really starting to heat up.
Week 14 of the A-League is underway earlier than usual and will see league-leaders Sydney FC host second-placed Newcastle on Wednesday night.
Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets
Round 14 of the A-League gets underway in style on Wednesday evening when first hosts second in Sydney.
Sydney FC have been simply outstanding this year and they have shown no signs of a championship hangover, nor a mid-season slump. They Sky Blues have been toying with teams and scoring for fun and that was more than the case on Saturday when they delivered the travelling Perth Glory a 6-0 thrashing. Seemingly nothing stands in their way of another title, in what looks like to be another record-breaking season.
The Jets, undoubtedly the league’s surprise packets have been terrific in their own right and have continually performed well above the standard of the competition this season. They suffered a disappointing loss to Melbourne Victory last week, but prior to that game they were pretty unstoppable and while they probably won’t win, they will put up a fight on Wednesday.
Tip: Back over 3 goals to be scored @ $2.05
Brisbane Roar vs Western Sydney Wanderers
The Roar will look to build off a Week 13 win when they host the Western Sydney Wanderers in Brisbane on Friday night.
Brisbane have been disappointing all season, but they flew the gates in Adelaide last week and netted the first two goals, before a brain snap and red card to Matt McKay put an end to their momentum. They held on to secure all three points via a 2-1 win, but they will subsequently be without their captain for this match.
The Wanderers haven’t been a lot better than their Round 14 opponents, but they do have a great overall record against Brisbane and notched a gritty 2-1 win of their own last weekend against a credible Melbourne City outfit.
The Wanderers can keep their finals hopes alive with a low-scoring win away from home this week.
Tip: Back Western Sydney to win @ $2.80
Perth Glory vs Adelaide United
Perth and Adelaide will both look to put Week 13 losses behind them when they square off in the nation’s west on Friday night.
For Perth, it was a particularly disappointing away trip to Sydney which resulted in a forgettable 6-0 score line. Sydney are clearly the league benchmark, but the Glory were extremely poor and they will need to improve on that performance to beat any team throughout the approaching weeks.
Adelaide’s slow start against the Roar was costly and although they did manage to work back into the match in the second half, could not find the goal that would have salvaged a draw. With Melbourne City also losing, they squandered an ideal opportunity to move into the top four.
This looks like a match that could fall the way of either team and a draw looms as a potentially lucrative betting play here.
Tip: Back the draw @ $3.50
Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners
Melbourne Victory will look to continue a season resurgence when they host the Mariners on Saturday afternoon.
The popular Melbourne outfit will reasonably inconsistent in the early stages of this campaign, but they have begun to steadily string together a good run of results and are playing for a fourth-consecutive win this week. Perhaps their best performance of the lot came last weekend when they ended the Jets impressive streak and they are sure to have taken heightened confidence from that win.
The Mariners have slowly dropped off the pace and after another disappointing outing in Week 13, are now perched second-last overall, having been leapfrogged by Brisbane on for and against.
This appears to be the most one-sided game in Week 14 of the A-League and the Victory loom as a lucrative fold for a multi-bet.
Tip: Back the Victory to win @ $1.70
Melbourne City vs Wellington Phoenix
The A-League weekend will draw to a close in Melbourne on Saturday night, when City look to return to winning form against the last-placed Wellington Phoenix.
City slipped to fourth overall as a result of three-consecutive losses and have a buffer of less-than a win from the fifth-placed Adelaide United. They are in serious danger of falling outside the top four for the first time this season, should they lose again.
The Phoenix were again unable to get on the board last weekend, but they did also manage to hold the Mariners scoreless and took a point from the match. It’s been another quiet season for the New Zealand-based franchise and
City simply won’t be offered a better opportunity to win and they are also worth consideration as a fold in a multi-bet this weekend.
Tip: Back City to win @ $1.65