It was goals galore in the A-League last weekend, with Wellington Phoenix taking ownership of top spot on the table after six rounds.
On the other hand, Western United slumped to a fifth consecutive loss, and I expect the pecking order to keep taking shape in Round 7.
Check out our ‘Matchday 7’ preview and A-League betting tips below.
A-League Round 7 Betting Tips
Central Coast Mariners vs Western United
Friday 8th December, 7.45pm (AEDT)
It’s been a brutal start to the 2023/24 season for Central Coast and Western United, with both teams occupying the bottom two spots on the table.
The Mariners have started to turn things around after a torrid first few rounds, earning four points over the last fortnight to kickstart their title defence.
On the other hand, United have failed to record a point since the opening round, scoring just one goal in that time.
I doubt that trajectory will change much on Friday night, as Central Coast have a few things going in their favour.
The Mariners have won four of the last five encounters between these teams and will relish playing this one on home soil.
Furthermore, Central Coast are in slightly better form. As such, I’m backing the hosts.
Central Coast Mariners to Win
$1.86 (2 Units)
Perth Glory vs Melbourne City FC
Friday 8th December, 9.45pm (AEDT)
As expected, Perth are sitting down near the bottom of the table in 10th, while Melbourne City have underperformed by their lofty standards.
The Glory have lost their last three matches, but it’s important to note that each game has been played on enemy territory.
It’s fair to expect that Perth will perform better in home conditions, so I’m forecasting an uptick in form in the coming weeks.
However, Melbourne City are always a formidable opponent, even when they aren’t firing on all cylinders.
That makes this a tricky result to pick, but I’m confident in Perth’s ability to get some kind of result in front of the local fans.
Double Chance: Perth Glory or Draw
$1.94 (2 Units)
Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets
Saturday 9th December, 5.30pm (AEDT)
Wellington are flying high at the top of the table, undefeated after six rounds of football.
While their attacking returns have been in line with the league average, the Phoenix have out defended all comers, conceding just four goals.
The opposition has been true of Newcastle – the Jets have let in a league high 14 goals, leaving them ninth on the table.
Like Perth, Wellington boast a considerable home advantage playing in New Zealand, so that can only assist them in this clash.
With this in mind, it’s hard to look past the Phoenix in this one.
Wellington Phoenix to Win
$1.76 (2.5 Units)
Sydney FC vs Macarthur FC
Saturday 9th December, 7.45pm (AEDT)
It’s been a strange old season for Sydney to date, but some of their performances over the past couple of rounds are a cause for optimism.
Sydney defeated Perth Glory 3-2 in an entertaining back-and-forth battle last weekend to make it three wins from their past two games. Most importantly, they’re starting to find the back of the net with regularity after failing to score in each of their first three games.
Elsewhere, Macarthur FC have had a fantastic start to their campaign and will now have to deal with heightened expectations from their loyal fans.
They’ve gone through the first six games undefeated, collecting three wins along the way.
Although Sydney have shown glimpses of improved form in recent games, Macarthur are still the form team in this matchup. At better than 4-1 odds, I think they’re worth a nibble.
Macarthur FC to Win
$4.25 (1 Unit)
Adelaide FC vs Brisbane Roar
Sunday 10th December, 3.00pm (AEDT)
Adelaide suffered their second loss of the season when going down to Macarthur in Round 6. They conceded four goals in the process, which is the second such time that’s happened this campaign.
Still, the Reds have shown that their best is certainly good enough to match it with the best, as you only have to go back a handful of weeks to when they smashed City 6-0.
Speaking of matching it with the best, Brisbane Roar have been able to do exactly that this season.
The Roar have only lost one game and have managed to score 2+ goals in each of their last five contests.
However, the Roar have only picked up one win on the road so far and take on Adelaide who have banged in 10 goals from three games in front of their fans. I expect the home side to put on a show once more with a win.
Adelaide United to Win
$2.25 (1.5 Units)
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Melbourne Victory
Sunday 10th December, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Two undefeated teams will lock horns in the final fixture of Round 7, with the Western Sydney Wanderers playing hosts to Melbourne Victory on Sunday night.
The Wanderers will return home after back-to-back road games where they managed to pick up four handy points. They return to CommBank Stadium where they’ve scored seven goals and conceded zero to date.
Meanwhile, Victory have been involved in four straight draws in what’s been a frustrating month of football since starting the season a perfect 2/2.
Victory have failed to get the job done in each of their last two road games and that doesn’t bode well for them as they’re set to come up against a Wanderers side who is yet to concede at home. With this in mind, the Wanderers represent great value here.
Western Sydney Wanderers to Win
$2.30 (2 Units)
