It was a busy weekend in the A-League as COVID forced a few games to be postponed over the Christmas period. Hopefully it will be all systems go again for Round 7, which kicks off on Friday night. Check out our preview and betting tips for the key games of the weekend below.
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A-League Round 7 Betting Tips
Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne City
Saturday 1st July, 5.05pm (AEDT)
Melbourne City are 2-2-1 on the season so far and sit in 6th place on the A-League table. They are coming off a draw in their last game, and after being one of the top scoring teams in the league last season, they have posted just seven goals through five games this year. They get a winnable matchup on Saturday evening as they take on the Newcastle Jets from McDonald Jones Stadium.
Newcastle sit just one spot back from City, having started the season with a 1-2-2 record. They have won just one of their last six games in all competitions, with their only win in that time coming against the Wellington Phoenix. They did, however, defeat Melbourne City in their final game of last season, winning 2-1 on the road.
Despite that win to Newcastle in their last clash, history is in Melbourne City’s favour in this matchup. They have won 9 of the last 15 games against he Newcastle Gets, including a 3-1 win at home back in April of this year. City start as slight favourites on the road at $1.95 but I’m happy to take them at that price.
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Western United
Saturday 1st July, 7.45pm (AEDT)
The Wanderers will host Western United up in Sydney on Saturday night in one of the games of the round. Western Sydney are 1-2-2 on the season and have scored just four goals through five games. They desperately need to find a reliable avenue to goal if they want to compete with the top teams in the league. They have lost their last three games in all competitions, including an embarrassing 2-1 loss to the APIA Tigers, a New South Wales NPL team, in the FFA Cup a few weeks ago.
After a loss in their first game of the season, Western United looked like the hottest team in the league as they went on to win their next four games on the trot. That streak ended in Round 6 though, as they went down 3-1 to Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park. They still sit in 3rd place on the table with a 4-0-2 record and will be keen to bounce back on the road.
These two teams have played five times in Western United’s short history, with each team claiming two wins. The Wanderers have won their last two matchups though, including a dominant 5-0 performance in their last game in June of this season. Hard to believe that Western United start as such heavy underdogs here despite the two teams form of late. I think this game is a bit of a coin flip, which is why I’m more than happy to take the $1.80 on offer for two of the three results.
West. United Double Chance
$1.80
Melbourne Victory vs Brisbane Roar
Sunday 2nd January, 6.45pm (AEDT)
The Melbourne Victory secured a fantastic win over Western United in Round 6 to move back to the top of the table with a 4-1-1 record. They are undefeated in their last three games and have put a league high 11 goals in the back of the net this season. They have another fantastic opportunity at a win on Sunday as they come up against the bottom of the table Brisbane Roar, who are still yet to record a win this season.
The Roar have a 0-1-3 record through their opening four games, but will be coming off an extended break when they face the Victory, after both of their Round 5 and 6 games were postponed. They haven’t played a game since all the way back on the 11th of December, which will be over three weeks when they face the Victory.
I can’t imagine that will have a positive effect on the Brisbane team. Their morale alone will be pretty low after stewing on their winless record for three weeks, and the majority of them were probably unable to spend Christmas with their families due to COVID concerns. I can see them rolling into this game with pretty low motivation. Back the Victory to win this at home.
Other Tips
Central Coast Mariners v Macarthur FC - Macarthur FC ($3.30 at Sportsbet)
Adelaide United v Wellington Phoenix - Adelaide United ($2.10 at Sportsbet)
