An upset derby win and a goal-fest in Adelaide headlined the action in Round 17, setting the scene for another drama-filled weekend coming up.
Melbourne City will look to respond with a win against old foes Sydney FC, while Melbourne Victory will host Adelaide as they get set for a late-season charge.
Check out our Matchday 18 preview and A-League betting tips below, and if you're looking for a new sportsbook, why not try Betr?
A-League Round 18 Preview & Betting Tips
Central Coast Mariners vs Wellington Phoenix
Friday 24th February, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Both these teams will be raring to go this Friday night after last week’s results.
Central Coast failed to capitalise on Melbourne City’s shock loss, drawing 2-2 with lowly Perth Glory, while Wellington reignited their season with a 3-0 demolition of Western United.
Despite their poor effort last weekend, the Mariners will enter this clash as the favourites for good reason, having shown themselves to be an attacking force throughout the season.
A total of 35 goals scored is the second-highest in the league, and fan favourite Jason Cummings trails only Jamie Maclaren in the golden boot rankings.
Furthermore, Central Coast have produced some stunning victories against the Phoenix recently, winning two of their 2022 head-to-head matches by an aggregate score of 9-0.
As such, it’s tough to see a Wellington side that has won just once in the last four weeks causing the Mariners any trouble here, especially considering that Central Coast will host this encounter.
Central Coast Mariners
$1.89 (2 Units)
Melbourne City FC vs Sydney FC
Saturday 25th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Two heavyweights of the A-League will lock horns on Saturday night, with Melbourne City hosting Sydney FC at AAMI Park.
The hosts have been the best team in the league by some margin this season, and it’s unlikely that last weekend’s loss to the Victory has dented their confidence very much.
City top the league for goals scored and have conceded the least goals, led by star strikers Jamie Maclaren who has 16 goals to his name at nearly one per match.
Sydney have not found the going so easy in 2022-23, but recent results suggest that they are building towards a big finish to the campaign.
The Sky Blues have won three of their last four games, putting them in a great position to scrap for spots within the top six.
I’m predicting plenty of goals in this encounter – the last four games between these sides have seen three or more goals scored.
Given that City are short-priced favourites as always, the ‘overs’ on goals scored is where I’ll be focusing my attention for this one.
Over 2.5 Goals
$1.64 (3 Units)
Newcastle Jets vs Western United
Saturday 25th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
These two teams are displaying distinctly different form lines right now.
The Jets are flying, with 11 points from their last five matches and, conversely, Western United are dead last with no points from their last three games.
It’s essentially season over for United, who have conceded a whopping 33 goals this season, so it’s hard to see them getting up off the canvas for this away fixture.
Meanwhile, the Jets have plenty to play for, locked in a battle for a top-six spot that will likely last until the end of the regular season.
With that in mind, it’s hard to look past Newcastle, who look like great value in the betting markets.
While Western United have proved to be a challenging opponent for the Jets in recent years, it’s impossible to get behind them in the current climate.
Newcastle Jets
$2.24 (2 Units)
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Macarthur FC
Saturday 25th February, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Both desperately needing a win to steady the ship, the Western Sydney and Macarthur will meet on Saturday night.
The Wanderers played their part in a thrilling 4-4 draw away to Adelaide last weekend, and that’s a decent point considering the form of the Reds. However, they’ve now only secured one win from their past six outings.
Likewise, the Bulls have only won one of their last six games in what’s been a worrying stretch. They couldn’t find the back of the net against the Jets last weekend and have now slipped to eighth on the league table.
These teams met on the first day of 2023 and to say it was a one-sided affair is an understatement. The Wanderers thumped the Bulls 4-0 and scored twice on either side of the half time break.
Although they’re not in the best of form at the minute, the Wanderers should still be able to negotiate another win at home against the Bulls.
Western Sydney Wanderers
$1.75 (2 Units)
Melbourne Victory vs Adelaide United
Sunday 26th February, 3.00pm (AEDT)
Two of the better form teams in the competition will lock horns in the first game of Sunday’s double-header, with Melbourne Victory playing hosts to Adelaide United.
Victory will be coming off an emotional high after getting the better of their fierce rivals in City last weekend. They were able to overcome the odds and most key statistics to register a 3-1 win.
Victory have now won two of their last three league matches, both of which have been on their home deck. However, they remain a hefty seven points outside the top six.
The Reds couldn’t hold onto a lead to save their lives against the Wanderers in Round 17 when eventually drawing with them 4-4. Impressively, they’re now six games unbeaten and have secured three wins during that stretch.
The Over 2.5 Goals market has hit in four straight games for the Reds and five straight games for Victory, which means we should be in for a cracking game on Sunday afternoon.
All signs lead towards a high-scoring affair and that’s exactly what we’ll be hoping for.
Over 2.5 Goals
$1.68 (3 Units)
Brisbane Roar vs Perth Glory
Sunday 26th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Two of the league’s bottom four teams will face each other in the last fixture of Round 18, with the Brisbane Roar welcoming the Perth Glory to Dolphin Stadium.
The Roar will be desperate to get back on the winners list after seven straight games without success. They’ve only collected two points in that stretch which obviously makes them the worst form team in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Glory played out yet another draw in their fixture last weekend, making it four draws from their last six matches. Impressively, they’ve still only lost one of their last eight matches, which is a big reason why they’re only four points outside the top six.
The odds suggest that the Roar should be winning this one, which is interesting because the form suggests the complete opposite.
I believe the Glory aren’t getting the credit for their consistently strong performances in recent weeks, and that they’re every chance of securing a win at odds on Sunday.
Perth Glory
$3.75 (1 Unit)
