Round 18 of the A-League kicks off on Thursday afternoon with the Nix hosting a Waitangi Day special from Sky Stadium.
The draw makers have done them a huge favour handing them a favourable matchup against the Roar.
Brisbane returned to normal programming last week with a limp performance at home against Western Sydney and unless they are planning on signing Kevin de Bruyne in the next 24 hours, that attack is not getting any better.
Wellington should win this one and win it comfortably, with former Roar striker Kosta Barbarouses primed for a big day against one of his former clubs.
BEST: Wellington to Win $2.30 | VALUE: Kosta Barbarouses First Goalscorer $4.33
On the road for a third straight match, City will be hoping a weekend off will help get their season back on track.
They lost their two previous matches away to Auckland and Macarthur, failing to score a goal in both fixtures.
However these trips to Coopers Stadium have not gone well over the last couple of years, with their last win coming in December 2018.
Since then the Reds have won six and drawn three of these fixtures with the last two ending 4-2 and 6-0 in their favour.
Perhaps the only cause for concern is Adelaide getting trounced 4-1 by Sydney in their last outing.
However that was very much the anomaly compared to the way this team is playing above their capacity all season and they should bounce back.
BEST: Adelaide to Win $2.05 | VALUE: Adelaide to Win and Under 2.5 Goals $5.75
Could things be turning around in Perth?
Perhaps the January signings will make this team a far more competitive unit and they will like their chances of getting something from this clash with the struggling Mariners.
Central Coast have been nothing if not consistent over the last few weeks, recording three consecutive draws to leave them six points outside of the finals picture with a couple of months to go in the regular season.
It’s tough to have a whole lot of confidence in either side, given their respective struggles obtaining maximum points from a fixture, but both have been relatively reliable overs teams.
Four of Central Coast’s last five have seen four or more goals scored while the Glory are always liable for a high scoring affair so rather than taking a side let’s just look at the overs markets.
BEST: Over 2.5 Goals $1.68 | VALUE: Over 4.5 Goals $4.50
It sure looks like these teams are heading in opposite directions at the moment which does not suggest this will be an overly competitive match.
Over the last two weeks the Victory managed to overcome their holiday season slump with a convincing win in Sydney before heading to Perth and breaking down a stubborn Glory side.
Meanwhile, Newcastle is already 12 points adrift of the top six and winless in their last four.
While they have taken a point off both Perth and Central Coast in the last two weeks, their overall performance does not suggest that a turnaround is coming anytime soon.
Victory might have this one in the bag by halftime.
BEST: Melbourne Victory to Win $1.82 | VALUE: Victory to Win -2 Goals $5.50
The third and (maybe) final Sydney Derby of the season sees the sides separated by just three points on the ladder with both teams eager to take maximum points here for their finals hopes.
In terms of recent form there is not a lot between these teams with two wins, two losses and a draw from their last five outings, although it is hard not to be impressed by Sydney’s 4-1 belting of Adelaide last weekend.
Recent derby history also favours the Sky Blues with the last four derbies all going their way.
While the temptation is to look for the over here, this one might just be a bit of an arm wrestle with both sides looking towards self preservation and perhaps wanting to avoid the big mistake.
If one team is going to find an edge in a game like that, it will be Sydney FC.
BEST: Sydney FC to Win $1.70 | VALUE: Sydney to Win and Under 2.5 Goals $6.50
It’s been feast or famine when these two clubs have faced off over the last few years.
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, three of the six matches have gone under the total goals number with a 1-1 draw, 1-0 Bulls win and a 0-0 draw that came earlier this season.
The other three matches have ended 2-2, 3-3 and 4-2 in favour of Western United in April 2024.
What stands out from those fixtures though, is the fact four of the last six have ended with the points being shared and that’s the play for the final match of the round.
BEST: Draw $3.80 | VALUE: Draw HT/FT Double $6.00