After two rounds of A-League action, Melbourne City and the Western Sydney Wanderers are the only remaining undefeated teams. The former will play in this week’s match of the round, facing Melbourne Victory in another edition of the iconic Melbourne derby. On the other hand, Western Sydney have an easier assignment against the struggling Brisbane Roar.
Check out our Matchday 3 preview and A-League betting tips below!
A-League Round 3 Preview & Betting Tips
Western United vs Macarthur
Friday 21st October, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Western United are sitting stone dead last after two disappointing results against Melbourne City and Sydney FC. It’s not an ideal start for the reigning champions, however the quality of their opposition has been high in the opening fortnight. United will also be heartened by the fact that they have scored in both games.
Conversely, Macarthur have made a strong start, beating Adelaide after a scoreless draw with Brisbane. Macarthur also have the edge here in the head-to-head history – the Bulls have lost just once to Western United in their last five encounters. Regardless, it’s hard to see United going three games without a win, so I’m backing them to open their account on Friday night.
Western United H2H
$2 (2 Units)
Newcastle Jets vs Wellington Phoenix
Saturday 22nd October, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Newcastle finally got their campaign underway with a 2-1 win over lowly Perth. It was a brave victory, as the Jets were able to score the decisive goal with only 10 players on the pitch.
Wellington played out an entertaining draw last week, tying 2-2 with Central Coast. As such, I expect there to be plenty of goals in this game. Indeed, 13 goals have been scored in the last three encounters between these teams.
Newcastle won two of the three matches between them last season, and I think the home advantage will be enough to help them secure three points here.
Newcastle Jets H2H
$2 (2 Units)
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Brisbane Roar
Saturday 22nd October, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Western Sydney have been the surprise of the season so far, opening with two wins including a huge upset over Melbourne Victory away from home. Defence has been the foundation of those wins – the Wanderers have not conceded a goal yet.
Brisbane have started the 2022/23 competition as they ended the last… poorly. Sitting 10th with confidence low and frustration growing, a trip to Sydney will be an intimidating task for Brisbane and one that I don’t think they will rise for.
Western Sydney Wanderers H2H
$2.05 (2 Units)
Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City
Saturday 22nd October, 7:45pm (AEDT)
Melbourne Victory couldn’t get the job done in front of their home fans last weekend when they were upset by the Wanderers. They could muster only one shot on target despite having the lion’s share of possession. Across town, City supporters were celebrating as they saw their team win their second match from as many games. They had the easy kill in Brisbane Roar and made no mistake.
Form can generally be thrown out the window in rivalry games such as this. Victory haven’t lost in four matches against City and will be desperate to avoid suffering two league losses on the spin. They look to be the value in the market in this one.
Melbourne Victory Draw No Bet
$2.10 (2 Units)
Sydney FC vs Adelaide United
Sunday 23rd October, 3pm (AEDT)
Sydney bounced back from a tough opening round loss with a strong 3-1 away win against last season’s champions in Western United. It was a true statement win from the Sky Blues and one they’ll look to use as a launching pad for the rest of the season.
Adelaide have had a tough start to the season with two road games where they’ve picked up just one point. It certainly doesn’t get any easier for them in Round 3 when they travel to Sydney to take on one of the best teams in the league. I expect Sydney to be taking home the chocolates.
Sydney FC H2H
$1.95 (2.5 Units)
Central Coast Mariners vs Perth Glory
Sunday 23rd October, 5pm (AEDT)
The Mariners made their season debut last weekend in an exciting 2-2 draw away at Wellington. They should’ve come away with all three points, but an 88th minute own goal sealed their fate. Meanwhile, Perth Glory have picked up where they left off last season, losing their opening two matches while scoring just one goal.
Glory managed just 20 goals from 26 league matches last season and look as though they’re continuing on that trend. On top of that, only two goals were scored across the last two meetings between these sides. All signs lead to a low-scoring contest.
Under 2.5 Goals
$2.20 (2.5 Units)
