Round 4 of the A-League season kicks off in Parramatta on Friday night with the Wanderers hosting the Jets.
Alen Stajcic was put through the ringer by his team last Saturday with some calamitous defensive errors dooming his side to a 4-3 defeat against Adelaide.
Newcastle on the other hand stunned Macarthur in their last outing and will be fresh coming off the bye, with the side buoyed by their attacking efforts late in Round 2.
Last season there was no shortage of goals between these sides with a 2-2 draw in Newcastle before a 3-3 match at CommBank Stadium.
Let’s back another match with plenty of goals to be scored.
BEST: Both Teams to Score $1.50 | VALUE: Over 4.5 Goals
It’s the team that is yet to lose hosting the team that is yet to pick up a point on Saturday afternoon so this should be a pretty easy choice.
Not necessarily with Brisbane holding the edge over the Victory in their recent meetings winning three and drawing two of the last five.
Two of those wins came at AAMI Park and Brisbane did acquit themselves quite well in defeat to Sydney FC last week.
Melbourne did show some vulnerability last week against Macarthur and if they are off their game the Roar might be in a position to pounce.
BEST: Brisbane Win/Draw Double Chance $2.10 | VALUE: Brisbane to Win and Under 3.5 Goals $5.50
Adelaide has been one of the big surprise packets of the A-League season to date, with a draw at home to Central Coast followed up by a wild win in Western Sydney.
Perhaps the market is overreacting to that performance just a little bit having them as clear favourites but they can create chances and are more than capable of outscoring their opponents, even if defensively they are a bit vulnerable.
However Western United just cannot seem to find a way to close out a game at the moment, with two draws and a loss to their name.
It just seems like they have not been able to get on the same page as yet which makes them a worthwhile prospect to take on.
BEST: Adelaide to Win $1.70 | VALUE: Adelaide to Win Both Halves $4.00
The desperation will be off the charts in this match as Central Coast chases their first win of the season after a trio of draws.
One of the main reasons for their struggling league form has been an attack that has not been that productive with just the one goal in 270 minutes of A-League action.
Wellington has been hot and cold as well, with a win, a draw and most recently, a defeat in the inaugural Kiwi Clasico but they have the form over Central Coast to knock them off in Gosford.
Let’s run with the value on offer for the visitors.
BEST: Wellington to Win $3.60 | VALUE: Wellington 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 $5.75
Sydney got back on track last weekend, but they left it late against Brisbane and there are still some concerns about their defensive solidity.
Macarthur meanwhile have not been able to back up their strong Round 1 showing, losing their next two against the Jets and Victory, losing a 1-0 lead in the second half on both occasions.
If there is one thing the A-League has shown over the last 20 years though, it’s that form is fleeting for most of these sides and there is every chance that this is the week Macarthur finds a way to bounce back.
However Sydney looked like they are starting to turn the corner themselves and they do have the better team, so let’s back a high scoring Sky Blues win.
BEST: Sydney to Win and Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.95 | VALUE: Sydney to Win and Over 5.5 Goals $7.00
The alarm bells are starting to ring at Melbourne City with Monday’s win over Western United coming at a big cost.
It sounds like Andrew Nabbout and Marco Tilio will be out for a while through injury, further blunting an already struggling attack.
Meanwhile Perth showed a fair bit of resolve to hold on for a draw against Central Coast last weekend in Gosford.
The Glory also have the confidence of a wild 5-4 extra time win over City in the Australia Cup, as well as a 4-2 win in the equivalent fixture last season.
Let’s round out the weekend backing the Glory to cause an upset out west.
BEST: Perth to Win $3.05 | VALUE: Perth to Win and Over 3.5 Goals $6.00