With Sydney FC claiming a hard fought 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory last weekend, they have all but put the final nail in the coffin for the 2016-17 A-League regular season title. Most of the other teams, however, are still in a tight race for the remaining seeds heading into finals time, which makes every week from here out super important. A-League Round 23 will be split over the next fortnight with two matches kicking off 'Female Football Week' this weekend. We’ll do our best to predict next week’s games here but any updates in the teams will be reflected in the notes!
A-League Round 23 Betting Tips
Sydney FC vs Central Coast Mariners (Friday 10th at 7.50pm AEDT)
First plays second to last here as Sydney FC host Central Coast on Friday night. It’s hard to look past Sydney after the season they’ve had so far. With a 16-5-1 record on the season while allowing a staggering 11 goals is arguably the best A-League season by any team in history, and a Championship would be the icing on the cake for the Sky Blues.
The same can’t be said about the Mariners. At 5-5-12, they’ve had somewhat of a season to forget. Although they’ve had some wins over Perth and Western Sydney, inconsistency has been the common theme for the Mariners throughout the season, and they’ll struggle to find form here against a rampant Sydney FC team. Since Graham Arnold took over the Sky Blues, they have only lost one match against the Mariners and I don’t expect that to change this week.
TIP: Sydney FC -1 – $1.62 at Ladbrokes
Melbourne Victory vs Perth Glory (Saturday 11th at 7.50pm)
With their title hopes pretty much gone after a loss to Sydney last week, Melbourne Victory could be the only team in the league who aren’t playing for much right now. Currently 8 points clear of third placed Melbourne City, and 11 points behind Sydney, the Victory have the luxury of relaxing for a few weeks here knowing that their 2nd seed is safe. They come up against the Perth Glory on Saturday night who are in a tight tussle for third spot. Just one point separates Melbourne City, Brisbane and Perth from 3rd-5th so every game will be crucial for the Glory here.
Both factors are promising signs for the Glory, so is the fact that they haven’t been beaten by the Victory in the last 8 games (4W 4D). Don’t be surprised if Kevin Muscat takes the chance to rest some of his stars here and even if he doesn’t, I’d feel confident in Perth coming away with at least a point.
TIP: Double Chance (Perth + Draw) – $2.20 at bet365
Melbourne City vs Newcastle Jets (Saturday 18th at 7.50pm)
After a very inconsistent season that saw them claim the FFA Cup and compete with Sydney FC for top spot early in the season, Melbourne City now find themselves in a decent position heading into the last few rounds of the season. They’ll need to keep their foot on the pedal, however, with Brisbane and Perth well and truly in striking distance. Much like their Melbourne counterparts in the Victory, Newcastle have been their kryptonite over the last few years as they have lost to them 3 out of their last 5 matches.
Both teams have been fairly proficient in the goal scoring department this year and all of their last 3 games have seen the home team come away as a 2-1 victor. While we think Melbourne City will claim victory here, their defence hasn’t been extraordinary and Newcastle should be able to find the back of the net.
TIP: Both teams to score and Melbourne to win – $2.63 at Sportsbet
Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar (Sunday 19th at 5pm)
Adelaide and Brisbane kick off a Sunday double header next weekend when they meet at Hindmarsh Arena. While Adelaide were impressive in their 2-1 loss to Chinese side Jiangsu Suning a few weeks ago, and again in their 0-0 draw with Western Sydney, for all their efforts, they haven’t been able to get results which has been the general theme of their 2016-17 season.
Brisbane Roar weren’t nearly as impressive in their AFC Champions League matchup, getting absolutely decimated by Ulsan to the tune of 6-0, however, they followed it up with an impressive 3-1 win on the road to Newcastle on the weekend, proving their ability to travel well ahead of the game in Adelaide. The teams last encounter marked a 4-0 win for the Roar, prior that they hadn’t beaten Adelaide in 3 attempts. Adelaide United looked really good in their 3-3 draw with Jeju United through the week, and they also have the benefit of playing that game at home, while Brisbane had to travel to Japan and took a 3-0 beating at the hands of the Kashima Antlers. I like Adelaide to carry some form into this game.
TIP: Double Chance (Adelaide United + Draw) - $1.75 at bet365
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Wellington Phoenix (Sunday 19th at 7pm)
It’s a battle for the last remaining finals spot here as Western Syndey and Wellington go at it next Sunday. With just 2 points separating the 6th placed Warriors from the 7th placed Phoenix, this will be a great chance for both teams to make their case to play finals football. Western Sydney will have to travel again through the week to play an Asian Champions League game, but after a 5-1 beat down at the hands of Shanghai a few weeks ago, it’s uncertain whether WSW Coach Tony Popovic will be fully invested in the tournament now having such a slim chance to progress.
We think he’ll probably continue to field a strong side until they lose one more match, ruling them completely out of the tournament, which means they could be quite jetlagged on the return to Sydney next weekend. With the Phoenix in some decent form of late having beaten Brisbane and drawn Perth in the last 2 weeks, we think they should be able to come away with at least a point here.
TIP: Double Chance (Wellington Phoenix + Draw) - $2 at bet365
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!
