Wellington Phoenix are the runaway leaders at this point of the 2023-24 A-League season, but the real news of last weekend came from cellar dwellers Western United who snapped a seven-game winless streak to register a third victory for the campaign.
This weekend, United will travel to Brisbane with the hopes of building some momentum, while Central Coast will take on Melbourne Victory in a high-stakes clash.
Check out our full Matchday 18 preview and A-League betting tips below.
A-League Round 18 Betting Tips
Brisbane Roar vs Western United
Friday 23rd February, 7.45pm (AEDT)
Brisbane and Western United both sit towards the foot of the table this season, but there is still plenty to play for on Friday night.
The Roar are only four points out of the top six, and will be confident heading into this clash considering they have not lost at home since mid-January.
Western United will also have renewed belief after returning to the winners list last weekend, downing Newcastle 2-0 at home.
The win was an important drought breaker, however an away fixture in Queensland will be a much tougher test.
While United took the points the last times these teams met, it’s hard to see them repeating the dose in unfamiliar conditions.
As such, I’m backing the Roar.
Brisbane Roar to Win
$1.91 (2 Units)
Sydney FC vs Melbourne City FC
Saturday 24th February, 5.30pm (AEDT)
Sydney FC and Melbourne City are both fighting for top six spots, setting up a spicy encounter in the harbour city on Saturday.
The Sky Blues are in better form, with three wins from their last five games compared to just one for City.
Furthermore, Sydney will enjoy playing in front of home fans on Saturday, having won their previous four home matches.
With these factors in mind, and the fact that City have not travelled well in recent weeks, I’m expecting Sydney to continue their ascent with a victory.
Sydney FC to Win
$1.85 (2 Units)
Adelaide United vs Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday 24th February, 7.45pm (AEDT)
An out of touch Adelaide side will welcome the Western Sydney Wanderers to SA on Saturday night, hoping to resurrect their campaign.
The Reds have lost 3/4 matches in the lead up to this contest, while the Wanderers have also only managed one win from their last five.
It’s been a steady decline for Western Sydney, who were among the frontrunners early in the campaign.
Their once stingy defence is now leaking goals left, right and centre, and Adelaide have enough attacking weapons to test the keeper here.
Having said that, United have also struggled to protect their net, so there should be goals on both sides.
Therefore, I think the sides will share the points.
Perth Glory vs Wellington Phoenix
Saturday 24th February, 9.45pm (AEDT)
Perth Glory are currently enjoying their best patch of the season and enter Round 18 on a five-match unbeaten streak. Their attacking football has paid off in recent weeks with a 3-2-0 record of that span.
Still, the defensive vulnerabilities are there which puts immense pressure on the Glory forwards to perform. They’ve conceded 2+ goals in four straight and 13 of their last 14 fixtures.
Elsewhere, Wellington are absolutely flying and enter Saturday night’s fixture on top of the ladder and five points clear of second.
The Phoenix took down a quality Macarthur outfit on the road last weekend two make it back-to-back wins and eight games without a loss.
The Glory have been performing well of late but don’t deserve to be favourites against the Phoenix who are defending at a much higher level comparatively. With that said, the Phoenix look to be a great bet in this one.
Wellington Phoenix to Win
$2.60 (1.5 Units)
Newcastle Jets vs Macarthur FC
Sunday 25th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
The Newcastle Jets found themselves in a winnable game last start against very poor Western United outfit, yet they managed to get thoroughly outplayed in a 2-0 defat.
The Jets are now four fixtures without a win and have only picked up six points from their last eight fixtures, which is why they’re now second last on the ladder.
Meanwhile, Macarthur were defeated by the top-of-the-table Phoenix last weekend in an entertaining matchup. That loss put an end to an impressive seven-game unbeaten run.
The Bulls remain in the top four despite the loss and will be confident they can bounce back on the road where they’ve won their last two games.
The Jets have been in horrible touch of late yet are currently priced as the heavy favourites against the Bulls. And while they have home ground on their side, I still fancy the visitors, who have been far better this season, at the big price.
Macarthur FC to Win
$3.30 (1.5 Units)
Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners
Sunday 25th February, 5.00pm (AEDT)
Melbourne Victory got back onto the winners list in their catchup game against Western United last start, snapping a six-game winless run.
Importantly, Victory were able to flow a lot better in attack and were able to score multiple goals in a game for the first time since early January.
Likewise, Central Coast Mariners were victorious in their most recent outing against the Wanderers in a one-goal game. It was a great way to bounce back from a loss against Sydney FC in Round 16.
The Mariners have only suffered one defeat since beginning the season 0-0-4, yet are priced as massive underdogs against Victory who have been going through a tough time of late.
With that in mind, having a nibble at the Mariners moneyline is very tempting.
Central Coast Mariners to Win
$3.50 (1 Unit)
