The action kicks off in Melbourne with Melbourne City in position to deal a massive blow to Macarthur’s finals hopes.
Aurelio Vidmar’s men couldn’t buy a win at home to start the season but they have been unstoppable at AAMI Park of late.
Not only have they won four straight home games but they have kept four consecutive clean sheets, although three of those did come against the bottom three teams on the ladder.
Meanwhile the Bulls are in all sorts, with one point from their last four matches and it seems like they will be unable to replicate their 1-0 victory from January.
BEST: Melbourne City to Win $1.65 | VALUE: Melbourne City to Win and Under 2.5 Goals $4.80
It looked like Adelaide’s bubble was about to burst in Auckland last weekend but a spectacular late rally earned them a point against the league leaders in a wild 4-4 game.
That kept them from losing three straight matches and preserved their faint premiership hopes.
Despite Brisbane’s uptick in results over the last few weeks, the Reds should be able to take care of business against a side they have a vast talent advantage over.
The Roar should have defeated the Victory last weekend but an inability to convert in front of goal really cost them as they conceded a late equaliser.
Once Adelaide gets going they will be hard to slow down and this should be an easy win for the Reds.
BEST: Adelaide to Win $1.67 | VALUE: Adelaide to Win and Over 4.5 Goals $3.90
Now up in second place, Western United are flying as they try to chase down Auckland.
They have recorded back to back convincing wins over Adelaide and Central Coast in the last fortnight and have another favourable matchup this weekend.
Wellington have lost three straight games, although last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat to City was a fair bit closer than the 6-1 hammering in the derby the week before.
This one probably won’t be that close with the Nix on the wrong end of some big scorelines away from home lately.
BEST: Western United to Win $1.60 | VALUE: Western United to Win -2 Goals $4.40
While they did find a way to salvage a point on the road last weekend, there were more than a few worrying signs from the Victory’s performance in Brisbane.
However a good showing against the Mariners will wipe that from most people’s memories, especially given their questionable form in Queensland.
They are catching the Mariners in a bad way, with the reigning champions losing their last two A-League matches 4-0 against the Wanderers and 3-1 against Western United.
It is shaping up to be a one-sided set of fixtures on Saturday and this match might be the biggest blowout of the bunch.
BEST: Victory to Win $1.57 | VALUE: Victory to Win -2 Goals $4.20
Unsurprisingly, league leaders Auckland have the best form over their last five matches, tallying 13 points, a number matched only by Western Sydney.
However Newcastle are right behind them in terms of recent results, taking 11 points over the same span.
This one might be the closest matchup of the weekend and a chance for the Jets to close the gap on the top six and put the rest of the league on notice.
Scoring has not been an issue for either of these teams in recent weeks, with Auckland scoring 15 goals over their last five fixtures, while Newcastle has 12 in that same span.
Last team to score wins?
BEST: Both Teams to Score $1.57 | VALUE: Over 4.5 Goals $4.20
Given the lack of relegation in the A-League, the Newcastle Jets highlights over the last few months might not be accompanied by the theme from The Great Escape, but it has been a great turnaround.
Their remarkable run was extended with a 1-1 draw against the premiers-elect on Sunday and they are now just eight points out of the finals picture with eight games remaining.
They have to win this midweek fixture over Melbourne City and with the way they are playing, it is a shock to see them as such heavy outsiders.
Better take the value on offer then.
BEST: Newcastle Win/Draw Double $2.20 | VALUE: Newcastle to Win $4.75