After a weekend of interesting results in the A-League that saw us hit on 2 of 3 bets at decent odds, we are back with another slate of tips for the upcoming weekend of A-League action. See our preview and tips for Week 9 of the A-League season below.
A-League Week 9 Betting Tips
Adelaide United vs Sydney FC (Friday 7.50pm AEDT)
Adelaide and Sydney get Week 9 underway Friday night at Hindmarsh Stadium. Both teams had good wins over WSW and Brisbane respectively last weekend and will be looking to back it up with another win here. Sydney can move five points clear of Newcastle atop the A-League ladder with a win while Adelaide can cement a spot inside the top four by winning at home.
Sydney are still the premier club in the competition despite a few small slip ups this season. They were able to defeat Brisbane on Saturday night with a makeshift lineup due to resting players after a historic FFA Cup Final win. The FA Cup win sees them holding all three Australian football trophies at once, and their favoritism to win both the league and title this year could see them become the first Australian team to win a same season treble.
Sydney are undefeated in their last four games against the Reds. In those four games Adelaide have scored just one goal, highlighting Sydney’s extraordinary defence throughout the last few years. Decent odds for Sydney here due to being away from home and we like them to make it four wins in a row against Adelaide.
TIP: Sydney to win - $2.05 at Ladbrokes
Western Sydney vs Brisbane Roar (Saturday 5.35pm AEDT)
The two losers of games against teams in the Friday night match will square off at ANZ Stadium Saturday afternoon. Both teams will be disappointed in their losses, as a result for either one would have seen them knocking on the door of the top six. Western Sydney will be desperate for their second win of the season here. They currently sit in 7th place, just one point behind Central Coast after already having racked up five draws so far this season.
Brisbane will also be on the hunt for their second win, although heads will be down after an embarrassing performance against what was essentially a Sydney 2nd XI. The Roar have scored just 10 goals so far this season, which is the second lowest of any team in the competition and despite signing Serie A legend Massimo Maccarone at the start of the season, have struggled to find an avenue to goal.
Western Sydney have also struggled to score so far this year, finding the back of the net just nine times in their opening seven games. Three of the last four games between these two clubs have produced 1-1 draws, with the other a 2-1 win to Brisbane. There is a tendency for the two clubs to play out defensive battles and we think that continues here.
TIP: Total goals UNDER 2.5 - $2.05 at Sportsbet
Newcastle vs Melbourne City (Saturday 7.50pm AEDT)
What would have seemed like a bit of a barn burner matchup at the start of the season has turned into the game of the round with the resurgence and the exciting play of the Newcastle Jets. The Jets decimated Melbourne Victory last weekend to the tune of 4-1 and are the highest scoring team in the league so far with 20 goals through their eight games.
Melbourne City suffered a tough 3-1 loss to Perth last weekend after Osama Malik was sent off in the 43rd minute leaving City with just 10 men for the remainder of the game. They still hold a spot inside the top three due to their hot start but have looked a little stagnant over the last few weeks with back to back losses to Brisbane and Perth.
The home side has one this tie in the last four games and the two sides have had alternate winners in their last six clashes, making it hard to gauge anything from previous history. However, the Jets are a much improved side from those clashes and command a new level of respect this season. It is one of the higher scoring fixtures in the league, with at least three goals being scored in the last eight matchups between the two clubs. With Newcastle in such hot goal-scoring form lately, we like that trend to continue.
TIP: Total goals OVER 2.5 - $1.70 at CrownBet
Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Victory (Sunday 2.30pm AEDT)
What a fall from grace its been for the Victory who were a kick away from winning the title last year and now find themselves in 8th place after eight games in the 2017-18 season. They have scored just nine goals in a season that has so far been marred by injuries, suspensions and players missing for international duty.
Their 4-1 loss to Newcastle last weekend was highly die to a 28th minute straight red card to captain Mark Milligan, allowing the flood gates to open for the Jets. They’ll be without Milligan for the clash against Wellington through suspension and could be without Lawrence Thomas and Rhys Williams due to injury.
The game against Wellington will come at the right time for the Victory, however, with the New Zealand side really struggling so far this season. The Phoenix are currently last on the table with just one win and two draws through their seven games. They did, however, win both fixtures against the Victory last season. Hard to look past Melbourne here though, we are backing them to bounce back at some stage and this is a great opportunity for them, albeit away from home.
TIP: Melbourne Victory to win - $2.20 at Ladbrokes
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