Round 17 of the A-League will be all about the Melbourne Derby, with another instalment set to take place on Saturday night.
Despite this being a first vs last matchup, expect plenty of fireworks as both sides of Melbourne fight for bragging rights.
Check out our Matchday 17 preview and A-League betting tips below, and if you're looking for a new sportsbook, why not try Betr?
2022-23 A-League: Round 17 Preview & Betting Tips
Western United vs Wellington Phoenix
Friday 17th February, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Both these teams are without a win in the last three weeks, having managed just one point apiece in that time.
For United, this poor run of form has left them languishing near the foot of the table, while the Phoenix are now in danger of slipping out of the top six. As such, there is plenty on the line.
Remarkably, these sides faced off four times in 2022, splitting the wins 2-2.
While the home side would typically receive a boost, United have only won one of their past four home fixtures, so the venue is unlikely to play a huge role in the outcome here.
The bookies are struggling to separate the sides here and I tend to agree that it shapes up as an even contest. For that reason, I’m predicting the scores to be level after 90 minutes.
Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar
Saturday 18th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
This is a clash between a team on the rise and a team on the slide.
Sydney have begun to play to their potential in recent weeks, chalking up three consecutive wins to sit fifth on the table. On the other hand, Brisbane have lost four of their last five matches and appear destined to finish near the bottom of the table again in 2023.
The Roar simply aren’t scoring enough goals – they have only hit the back of the net 12 times, four less times than any other team. At least Brisbane are likely to roll out Robbie Kruse for his second coming this weekend, who will add some attacking flair to the line-up.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to see a team that has scored three goals in six goals getting the better of the Sky Blues, who will be eager to give Patrick Yazbek a fitting farewell with a big win.
Sydney have not lost to the Roar in five home matches, and I think they will extend that streak with a victory here.
Sydney FC
$1.93 (3 Units)
Macarthur FC vs Newcastle Jets
Saturday 18th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Macarthur and Newcastle both sit on 21 league points, ranking them just outside the top six on goal difference. That makes this match a huge one in the context of the finals places.
Both these teams have been inconsistent of late, but the Bulls particularly have really dropped away since their strong start to the campaign.
With just one win in their last five matches, Macarthur will need to change things up to overcome the Jets.
Both teams have struggled defensively this season, and each of the last six games between these two sides have produced two or more goals, so I expect this clash to be high scoring.
It’s tough to pick a winner, but I’m backing Macarthur to arrest their slide in front of home fans.
Macarthur FC
$2.32 (2 Units)
Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City
Saturday 18th February, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Two months after the last Melbourne Derby was abandoned due to riots, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City will do battle again on Saturday night.
Fans will be allowed to be in attendance for what should be another fiery contest at AAMI Park.
Melbourne City will start as the favourites and it’s not hard to see why. They were up 1-0 when their last clash was abandoned, and won the meeting before that 2-0 as well.
On top of that, City are in far superior form and are comfortably first on the table. They’ve lost just once this season and are in supreme goal scoring form having banged in 13 from their last three outings.
Victory have lost six of their last eight league matches and in that sort of form, it’s tough to see them being competitive here. City should be winning this without too much trouble.
Melbourne City
$2 (3 Units)
Perth Glory vs Central Coast Mariners
Saturday 18th February, 10.00pm (AEDT)
Perth Glory had their six-game unbeaten run snapped by City last weekend in a 2-4 defeat. Although they lost, Glory have now banged in 2+ goals in six straight outings.
Defence continues to be the Achilles heel for Perth however, having conceded eight times in their past three games.
Meanwhile, the Mariners got themselves back on the winners list with a 2-1 victory against Brisbane in Matchday 16. It was the first in in four league matches for the now second-placed Mariners.
They too have been struggling to keep the ball out of their own net, conceding a combined eight goals in their last four games.
Neither side has been defending well of late and that should set up for a high-scoring affair. Taking over 2.5 goals looks to be the play.
Over 2.5 Goals
$1.73 (2.5 Units)
Adelaide United vs Western Sydney Wanderers
Sunday 19th February, 3.00pm (AEDT)
Adelaide United’s hot run of form continued last weekend when they secured another three valuable points. The Reds were too good for the defending champs, edging them 3-2 on the road.
Adelaide have now won three of their last four and are unbeaten in five, which has seen them rise to third on the table and only goal difference behind the Mariners in second.
In contrast, the Wanderers are having a tough time winning games at the moment and have only tasted victory once in their last five matches. They were unable to find the back of the net last start against Sydney in a disappointing home defeat.
The Reds are clearly the form team in this matchup and their chances of winning only increase on their home deck. They should be getting better of this current version of the Wanderers.
Adelaide United
$2.20 (1.5 Units)
