After a long winter the sun is finally emerging and with it comes the start of another A-League season!
Round 1 gets underway with a huge Grand Final rematch, followed by a raft of massive clashes which will set the tone for the season ahead.
Check out our Round 1 preview and A-League betting tips below.
A-League Round 1 Preview & Betting Tips
Melbourne City vs Western United
AAMI Park, Friday 7th October, 7.45pm (AEDT)
The 2022-23 A-League season will kick off with a Grand Final rematch between two Victorian powerhouses – Melbourne City and Western United.
Entering the upcoming season as defending champions, United will be expected to challenge for the title again and they have done their chances no harm by signing James Troisi and Tongo Doumbia. Star Italian playmaker Alessandro Diamanti will also return to the fold for his last dance after missing most of the last campaign, so in terms of attacking talent the reigning victors are well sorted.
Melbourne City will be reeling from their defeat in last year’s decider and as such I expect them to come out firing. You know what you’re going to get from City – they have finished top of the table in each of the last two seasons – and as such I’m expecting them to claim some revenge in front of a home crowd here.
Melbourne City H2H
$1.80 (2 Units)
Brisbane Roar vs Macarthur
Suncorp Stadium, Saturday 8th October, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Two teams that will be looking to improve their standing this season are Brisbane and Macarthur. The hosts barely got going all summer last time around, finishing in the bottom two. Without wholesale changes to the squad for this campaign, the outlook remains grim.
The Bulls were in the finals hunt but tripped at the final hurdle, so in theory they should be the stronger side of these two. Macarthur won the last encounter between these two teams and beat the Roar on the road in 2021, so I fancy them as an ‘underdog’ pick here.
Macarthur H2H
$3.00 (2 Units)
Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets
Bluetongue Stadium, Saturday 8th October, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Central Coast came home with a wet sail last season and showed plenty of promise, finishing fifth on the regular season table. They had the wood over Newcastle throughout, winning all three matches between the two sides, only one of which was played at home. That bodes well for the hosts who were specialists on home soil.
On the other hand, Newcastle finished ninth in a year to forget. They scored the third most goals in the league (45) but couldn’t translate their attacking prowess into wins. The Jets have lost star creative midfielder Daniel Penha for this season, so I struggle to see them winning this Round 1 clash.
Central Coast H2H
$2.05 (1.5 Units)
Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory
Sydney Football Stadium, Saturday 8th October, 7:45pm (AEDT)
Sydney had a rare poor season in 2021-22 and will be looking to swiftly bounce back the ladder this campaign. The last time they finished outside the finals they made the Grand Final the following season, so they won’t be short of belief. Meanwhile, Victory will be looking to build on a strong showing last season and made the signing of the off-season in Nani. They’ll be hoping that the added firepower up front will see them go a couple of steps further at the business end of the season.
The H2H has been priced as a coin toss and that’s exactly how I see it too. Instead, I’ll be looking to play the overs in the total goals market, which looks to be the value. Nine goals were scored across their two meetings last campaign, and both teams have shown in their pre-season outings that they’ll be playing an attacking brand in this season. Happy to be on the overs first up as a result.
Over 2.5 Goals
$1.75 (1.5 Units)
Wellington Phoenix vs Adelaide United
Westpac Stadium, Sunday 9th October, 1pm (AEDT)
Wellington were fantastic to make the finals despite playing on the road for the entire 2021-22 season. They now return home to play in front of their home fans who will be pumped for the occasion. Their off-season signings didn’t exactly jump off the page, so they’ll be hoping that hard work and a bit of luck will see them make the finals again this campaign.
It’s not an easy first up game for the Phoenix however, with Adelaide United coming to town. They were desperately unlucky not to make the Grand Final last season and arguably enter this season with an improved squad. I expect the visitors to spoil the party for the home side and come away with all three points.
Adelaide United H2H
$2.60 (1 Unit)
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Perth Glory
Bankwest Stadium, Sunday 9th October, 3pm (AEDT)
The final game of the round features two teams who will be looking to improve after disastrous 2021-22 campaigns. The Wanderers finished third last with six wins to their name, while Glory won the Wooden Spoon with only four victories. Both sides have shaken things up with their squads in the off-season in hope of sparking a resurgence.
Only three goals were scored in their two meetings in 2021-22, which resembled both of their seasons as a whole. The Wanderers ranked 10th for goals scored with 30 in 26 games, and the Glory banged in only 20 to rank 12th. I’m expecting another cagey affair in Round 1 and will be taking under 2.5 goals for a two units.
Under 2.5 Goals
$2 (2 Units)
