Aussie football fans are up and about at the moment!
Not only do we have a monster week of A-League football ahead of us but the Socceroos’ Asian Cup campaign gets underway on Saturday night as well.
It’s time to make a new email address and get another Paramount+ free trial with a heap of football to be watched this month!
I’m going to get us started with Round 12 of the A-League, there’s some big games this weekend and I cannot wait!
I’ve run my eyes over the markets, checked the trends and played a bit of FIFA EAFC 24.
Here is my preview of Round 12 of the 2023/24 A-League Season.
The Bulls will host bottom of the ladder Western United to kick us off on Friday night.
United have just the one win in their last 10 games and fell to the bottom of the pack last week after their loss to City.
Surprisingly enough, they have more win in their last five games than Macarthur do. Macarthur have just the two draws and three losses in their last five games and would love to get things back on track with a victory over the current spooners.
I am taking Macarthur to do just that.
Things are grim on the western front at the moment and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon.
City are well and truly back and will challenge the Wanderers for third place on Friday in what could easily be the game of the round.
After a poor start to the year, City have rallied and are unbeaten in their last five A-League starts, they are also $2.35 favourites to pick up another three points in this game.
WSW have been very mediocre in that same amount of time, two wins and three losses sees them slowly descending down the ladder.
They have however allowed the least amount of goals this season and that’s a stat that stands out to me a lot in this game.
Given that I’m struggling to split these two sides. I think backing the draw might be the way to go here.
It’s a massive Saturday of football, a triple header of some sorts if you will.
We get things started with the Mariners hosting top of the table Melbourne Victory.
These two sides are the form teams of the comp, both unbeaten in their last five games with four wins a and a draw each.
We should see a really quality game of football here.
The Mariners are ever so slight favourites at $2.50, which just screams value for the Victory in my eyes.
The Vics are only missing Bruno Fornaroli to Socceroos commitments and should go well here.
Adelaide United are starting to get left behind and will need to start picking up some wins if they want a chance of making the finals this year.
Currently sitting at eighth place, United have just one win in their last five games and are massive $3.45 underdogs against a Sky Blues outfit that’s won three on the trot.
Three points to Sydney could also see them leap from some sides and up into finals contention after a horror start to the year.
It seems like their goal scoring problems that they started the season with have disappeared.
They’ve scored nine goals in their last three games and could sneak a few past the Reds defense who have not kept a clean sheet since their 6-0 win over City in October.
I don’t think this is a game you should think too hard about.
Take Sydney to win, -1 @ $3.20 if you’re feeling greedy but I learned my lesson the hard way last week taking City -1.
The bookies have the Brisbane Roar as $2.40 favourites over Newcastle despite the dismal last month the once great side has had.
Brisbane have copped four losses in a row, a coach walking out on them mid season and now complaints about the playing surface at Suncorp.
It really breaks your heart to see such a beloved club hanging on by a thread.
BUT.
This week as I mentioned the bookies don’t mind them against Newy, the Jets have been mediocre at best so far this season and I genuinely believe the Roar can turn things around.
The betting trends lean Newcastle, Brisbane has lost five of its last six A-League night matches as a favourite but I’m sticking with the orange and black!
We’ve got ourselves another Distance Derby… kind of.
These two sides will go at it in neutral territory in Western Sydney on Sunday evening and it’s hard to make a case for anyone not named Wellington in this one.
Granted, I’ve backed the Phoenix the last two weeks and results haven’t gone our way but I don’t see the Glory putting up much resistance in this one.
$2.45 for the ‘Nix looks great to me!