The 2015-16 A-league season is incredibly close as we head into Round 8 of the competition with just four points separating the top 6 teams. Continue reading for our A-league Round 8 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Sydney FC vs Wellington Phoenix (Thursday 8pm AEDT)
The Sky Blues were able to extend their regular season away record to 18 games without a loss but they were forced to play in scorching heat that saw the match played at an understandably low level. They return home and will want to return to winning ways before their grip near the top of the ladder slips. Whilst they currently have the best defence in the league conceding only 6 goals and 4 of those were in the one game, the biggest area for concern is their offence as they have a lot of strong players up front that aren’t converting on their opportunities. They have scored only eight goals but as they are coming up against the Phoenix who have let in 13 goals this season, the Sky Blues will find a way to convert and pick up the three points.
TIP: Sydney FC @ $1.80 with Palmerbet
Melbourne City vs Perth Glory (Friday 7.40pm AEDT)
City were able to bounce back from their disappointing performance as the majority of their stars returned for their encounter against the Roar. They were able to take the lead but disappointingly conceded in the final few minutes but would be happy with their overall performance and picking up a point away from home against the competition leaders. They will return home and despite it only being a third of the way through the season, they will need to pick up a victory against the lowly placed Glory.
The Glory have struggled in front of goal this season and they haven’t found the back of the net in their past three matches. They haven’t been able to create quality chances and despite City having conceded a lot of goals this season, when their best players have been on the pitch they have been able to control the ball and that will contribute to their win this Friday night.
TIP: City -1 @ $2.88 with Sportsbet
Newcastle Jets vs Brisbane Roar (Saturday 5.15pm AEDT)
The last two matches have ended in a draw for the Jets which they would be relatively disappointed with as they would have been wanting more against the Mariners and Adelaide. However, these matches have highlighted their offensive troubles as they have lacked the ability to create clear cut opportunities and when they have they were unable to show the poise to find the back of the net.
The Roar’s goal scoring has also slowed down in recent weeks but they are still controlling the majority of the possession and dictating matches which is a good sign for the club. They also have a strong record on the road this season and they will pick up the victory to remain on the top of the table.
TIP: Roar @ $1.90 with Crownbet
Melbourne Victory vs Adelaide United (Saturday 7.30pm AEDT)
The Victory raced to an early lead against the Mariners in their last match and put it into cruise control and it almost cost them as the away side was able to narrow the margin. However, they showed enough class to pick up the victory and continue to climb the ladder after a slow start to the season.
Meanwhile Adelaide are still stranded on the bottom of the table and are searching for their first victory of the season. They were able to hold the Victory to a draw earlier this year when they met for the first time but they were helped by wayward shooting from Berisha and a late red card to Broxham. Since then Berisha has been finding the target with ease and he will continue to help his side earn a victory this weekend.
TIP: HT/FT Victory/Victory @ $2.30 with WilliamHill
Central Coast Mariners vs Western Sydney Wanderers (Sunday 5pm AEDT)
Coach Tony Popovic needs to be commended as he has been able to bring an entirely new roster and get them to play together so fluently and after a tough few weeks of learning their strategy the Wanderers are showing signs they are a championship contender after posting four straight victories. They have been able to find a way to win despite different circumstances along that stretch and they will want to continue their strong away record against a Mariners side that has struggled this season.
The Mariners haven’t won since round 1 and have suffered four losses this season. Their defence has improved but they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their opening seven matches and they have conceded the most goals in the league along with Melbourne City.
Matt Nichols from the Wanderers has been tearing defences apart with his creativity and it was his pass that led to their opening goal against the Phoenix last weekend. He will be able to again pick apart the defence of the Mariners as the Wanderers increase their winning stretch to five games.
TIP: Wanderers @ $2.00 with MadBookie
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!
