We are now well and truly into the second half of this year’s A-League season. From now, contests will start to heat up as teams vie for the all important regular season premiership and aim to claim one of the six finals spots on offer to play for the championship. Sydney FC currently sit 5 points clear atop the ladder, with Melbourne Victory closing in. Today we take a look at Round 16 action in the A-League, previewing and giving our best bets for all five games below.
A-League Round 16 Betting Tips
Melbourne City vs Central Coast Mariners (Thursday, January 19th at 7.50pm AEDT)
Central Coast had the daunting prospect of travelling to Wellington over the weekend. While they maintained the majority of possession throughout the game, Wellington were dangerous going forward, with 14 shots and 7 on target. While they only scored one goal, they managed to come away with a clean sheet and the victory, leaving Central Coast reeling on the bottom of the A-League table.
It doesn’t get any easier this week for the Mariners, who have to travel to Melbourne to play albeit struggling City team. After a red hot start that saw them competing for ladder position with leaders Sydney FC, City have fallen away dramatically and now sit a whopping 14 points behind. They have only managed one win in their last 7 games, and had a 2-2 draw with the Mariners last time they met on New Year’s Eve.
City’s run gets significantly easier from here out, however, and I like them to gain some momentum back in this one, capturing the win over a jet-lagged Mariners side. There’s not much value in the H2H market, so hopefully City can jag one in the first half and we can claim HT/FT honours.
TIP: Melbourne City HT/FT - $1.85 at Ladbrokes
Sydney FC vs Adelaide United (Friday, January 20th at 7.50pm AEDT)
Run away ladder leaders Sydney FC host Adelaide in the Friday night fixture of Round 16. Adelaide will be hunting for an away win to stay in finals contention. Adelaide currently sit 9th on the table, 8 points behind Perth Glory at 6th. They will have their work cut out for them, but a finals berth is not out of the question for last years’ premiers. A strong win over Melbourne City on the weekend started them down the right path, however, they have the toughest test in Australian Football this week in Sydney FC.
Sydney have allowed a ridiculous 7 goals through 15 games this season, the next best being Melbourne Victory with 19. They have also scored 34, with only Victory having scored more with 35. Sydney are clearly the dominant force in Australian football at the moment, and it will take a lot for the under performing Adelaide to even hold on for a draw here. I like the Sky Blues to win this one comfortably and feel safe taking the -1 goal line.
TIP: Sydney FC -1 - $2.35 at William Hill
Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar (Saturday, 21st of January at 5.35pm AEDT)
The Phoenix finished this weekend with two great victories to get them back on track in the 2016-17 season. Their scheduled round 15 match against the Mariners finished in a 1-0 win and Tuesday night saw them play a rescheduled match from round 9 against the Melbourne Victory, ending in a classy 3-0 win. Luckily for them, the rescheduled home game was sandwiched in between to other home matches, so they won’t be too jetlagged coming into the game against the Roar. However, playing 3 games in the space of a week will not be something the Phoenix are used to, with limited AFC Champions League experience in their history.
Brisbane have looked dangerous all year and are arguably the best team outside of the big three in Victory, Melbourne City and Sydney FC. Jamie Maclaren has been in some hot form with 7 goals on the season so far. Being the only team in Queensland, the Roar are used to travelling, and I like them to at least hold on for a draw in this one against a very tired Wellington team that may even be resting players.
TIP: Brisbane Roar draw no bet - $1.83 at Sportsbet
Perth Glory vs Melbourne Victory (Saturday, 22nd of January at 8pm AEDT)
If it wasn’t for Sydney FC’s ridiculous run all season, the form of Melbourne Victory would be getting a lot more buzz than it is currently. Despite a tough 3-0 loss to the Phoenix on Tuesday night in which they gave up 2 injury time goals when heavily on the attack, they had not lost in their previous 9 games. Marcos Rojas has showed why he was awarded the league MVP medal in the 2012-13 season with some dominant performances in his first season back at Victory. Himself and Bersat Berisha have combined for 22 goals already this season, which Rojas and other star recruit James Troisi have also piled on 13 assists.
Travelling to Wellington on Tuesday before heading to Perth for a game on Saturday is a demanding task for the Victory. However, Perth is not the fortress it once was in the A-League. They have only managed 3 wins from their 7 games at home so far this season, and I like the form of Berisha, Rojas and co. to travel well and get the win, keeping them just in touch with Sydney FC at the top of the table.
TIP: Melbourne Victory to win and both teams to score - $3.40 at Sportsbet
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Newcastle Jets (Sunday, 23rd of January at 5pm AEDT)
With only two wins on the season so far, you’d think that Western Sydney would be well and truly entrenched on the bottom of the A-League table. However, their ridiculous 9 draws see them in 3rd last place with 15 points. They have looked competitive in nearly every game they have played, but just haven’t been able to pull out that crucial game winning goal. They have looked steady in defence, allowing only 24 goals on the season, however, going forward is where they have some real issues. With 17 goals scored, they sit above only Adelaide and Central Coast in offensive terms.
This match represents a good opportunity for the Wanderers to climb a position on the ladder, with Newcastle sitting just 2 points above them in 7th place. Newcastle just held on for a 2-2 draw at home against Perth while Western Sydney dominated most of the match against their cross town rivals on the weekend, and I like them to carry that momentum into a win here against the Jets.
TIP: Western Sydney Wanderers to win - $1.85 at Sportsbet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
