Sportsbet Blog

Little separates the Melbourne clubs ahead of their A-League derby at AAMI Park on Saturday night with online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au opening the Melbourne Heart at $2.50 and the Melbourne Victory at $2.75.

“Punters have been split down the middle to this point,” sportsbet’s Ben Hawes said. “It’s been a while between drinks for both sides so the draw at $3.35 could be an appealing option.”

The Central Coast Mariners will start as the $2.10 favourites in their Grand Final replay clash against Brisbane with the Roar the $3.40 outsiders while Sydney FC are overwhelming favourites to beat Newcastle, priced at $1.91 and the Jets at $4.00.

“With news Vitezslav Lavicka is leaving at seasons end we expect the Sydney players to make a statement and we’re very confident they’ll account for Newcastle at home,” Hawes said.

In Monday night’s match, Perth Glory are $1.80 favourites and Gold Coast United the $4.25 outsiders.

Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au Melbourne Heart v Melbourne Victory – Saturday, 4 February $2.50 Melbourne Heart $3.35 Draw $2.75 Melbourne Victory

Central Coast v Brisbane Roar – Saturday, 4 February $2.10 Central Coast $3.35 Draw $3.40 Brisbane Roar

Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets – Sunday, 5 February $1.91 Sydney FC $3.40 Draw $4.00 Newcastle Jets

Perth Glory v Gold Coast United – Monday, 6 February $1.80 Perth Glory $3.40 Draw $4.25 Gold Coast United

A-League Grand Final Winner (prices from Thursday, 2 February 2012 in brackets) $2.87 Central Coast Mariners (steady) $3.10 Brisbane Roar (out from $2.87) $9.50 Perth Glory (in from $12) $9.50 Wellington Phoenix (in from $10) $12 Sydney FC (steady)

$14 Melbourne Heart (out from $10) $18 Melbourne Victory (out from $15) $19 Adelaide United (out from $14) $23 Newcastle Jets (in from $41) $61 Gold Coast United (steady)

Round 10 of the Hyundai A-League will be stretched over the next month with for games this weekend and the fifth round 10 game will be played at the start of November. Heading into this mid-season break, Sydney FC has taken top spot on the A-League ladder.

After Perth Glory and Gold Coast United both finished level with their opponents last weekend, Sydney FC has once again claimed top place and Melbourne Victory has jumped up in to second.

Adelaide United tied 1-1 with the Newcastle Jets at Hindmarsh stadium on Monday.

Perth Glory V Adelaide United

7:00pm Friday Night at ME Bank Stadium

Perth Glory has showed their strength over the last few rounds and I would expect that they take the win in this round 10 game with ease. Adelaide United just does not have the strength this season to stay in this game.

My Prediction: Perth Glory – Odds of $2.10

Melbourne Victory V Sydney FC

8:00pm Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

With the current form of Melbourne Victory I would expect them to be able to step up and take the win. This will be a close game however as both teams will be competing for top spot on the A-league table. I like the score line of 2-1.

Tip: Melbourne Victory – Odds of $2.00

Central Coast Mariners V North Queensland Fury

3:00pm Sunday at Bluetongue Stadium

The Central Coast Mariners should easily take the win here. North Queensland has only taken 1 win this year and overall they have not played well. The Mariners on the other hand are a quality side and will not lose easily.

Tip: Central Coast Mariners – Odds of $1.70

Brisbane Roar V Gold Coast United

4:00pm Saturday Afternoon at Suncorp Stadium

The recent run of poor form that Gold Coast United has produced leads me to question how competitive they can be for the remainder of the season. Brisbane Roar has maintained steady form this season and they should at least challenge for the victory.

Tip: Draw – Odds of $3.15

Wellington Phoenix V Newcastle Jets

8:00pm Monday 4^th November at Westpac Stadium

With this match not being played until the start of November, I cannot give a fair opinion. Anything could happen over the mid-season break, but for now I would back the Newcastle Jets.

Tip: Newcastle Jets

The Hyundai A-League is becoming incredibly competitive now that we move into round 9. What originally appeared as though it could be a blow-out 2009 A-league season now has three teams tied for first spot on the ladder.

Gold Coast United took their second loss in a row and third for the season last weekend while Perth Glory won and is now level on points with the top ranked side. Sydney FC, now ranked third, also took a loss.

The remaining 2 games saw Adelaide United take a much needed win while Wellington Phoenix and the Central Coast Mariners had a 0-0 stalemate.

Gold Coast United V Wellington Phoenix

8:00pm Friday Night at Skilled Park

Gold Coast United is in need of a win after losing their last two matches and I believe that they will get it this week. Wellington Phoenix is far from being the strongest outfit in the A-league and that will show on Friday night.

Tip: Gold Coast United – Odds of $1.41

Perth Glory V North Queensland Fury

3:30pm Saturday at ME Bank Stadium

This is a similar story to Friday night’s match. The Perth Glory is far too strong for North Queensland and I would expect them to unleash the fury on the Fury. In fact, I would be very surprised if the Perth side slots in less than 3 goals.

Tip: Perth Glory – Odds of $1.03

Melbourne Victory V Brisbane Roar

7:30pm Saturday at Etihad Stadium

This round 9 match-up will surely be quite competitive. The two teams are ranked equally only one point away from the A-league leaders. I wouldn’t expect a result better than a draw for either side here, but it should be a great game to watch.

Tip: Draw – Odds of $3.10

Sydney FC V Central Coast Mariners

3:00pm Sunday Afternoon at Sydney Football Stadium

Sydney FC has been near the top of the ladder all season so far and a loss here could very well see them fall a fair way down. The Central Coast Mariners have the perfect opportunity on Sunday to take at least a top 3 place and I would expect them to do so after Sydney FC’s recent form.

Tip: Central Coast Mariners – Odds of $3.05

Adelaide United V Newcastle Jets

4:30pm Sunday Afternoon at Hindmarsh Stadium

This should be another competitive game with both teams floating around the bottom of the ladder. Newcastle has lost their last 3 games and I would think that this will become number 4. Adelaide had a much needed win last week and they should easily do it again.

Tip: Adelaide United – Odds of $1.85

Round 5 of the Hyundai A-League is set to start and the competition is really coming alive. Gold Coast United has been handed its first defeat of the year by the Newcastle Jets after an impressive season start. Sydney FC has now claimed top spot on the A-League table after a fantastic 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix.

North Queensland Fury has finally taken their first point after a gruelling 3-3 draw with Adelaide United. North Queensland has a desperate need to continue scoring goals and take a win or two in the coming rounds as their season quickly dwindles away.

Shane Smeltz of Gold Coast United has maintained his stunning form that has seen him lead the A-League goal scoring for the first 4 rounds so far. Scoring again last weekend, Smeltz now has a total of six goals from 4 games. The Gold Coast United star is also leading attempts on target with a total of 10.

Danny Vukovic from the Central Coast Mariners is so far the stand out goal keeper of the A-league. Vukovic leads the A-League in saves with a total of seven-teen and in clean sheets with a total of two.

Worst discipline so far his being held by five players. Ljubo Milicevic, Danny Tiatto, John Hutchinson and Steve Pantelidis have all been awarded 3 yellow cards while Tommy Oar has received 2 yellow cards and a red card.

When it comes to soccer betting, CentreBet is the place to go. CentreBet has a great market for soccer betting with a good range of betting options. Check out the site for all the latest odds on the A-League.

My tips for round 5 are as follows.

Thursday 3^rd September @ 7.30pm

Melbourne Victory FC vs. Newcastle Jets FC

Melbourne Victory shouldn’t have too much trouble winning this match. However, the Newcastle Jets will be looking for a win in order to maintain their league position. The match will be played on Thursday night at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, so be sure to get your bets in before the kick-off.

My Tip – Melbourne Victory FC with odds of $1.73 @ Centrebet.com.au

Friday 4^th September @ 7.30pm

Wellington Phoenix FC vs. Adelaide United FC

Both of these teams are not playing the best at the moment and I cannot see any outcome other than a draw. If either team can take the win, they will be looking at a top 5 position in the A-League. The game will be played in Wellington on Friday night at Westpac Stadium.

My Tip – Draw with odds of $3.20 @ CentreBet.com.au

Friday 4^th September @ 8pm

Central Coast Mariners FC vs. Perth Glory FC

Only a single point separates these two teams on the league table. My prediction is a draw with the more likely winner being the Central Coast Mariners. Kick-off has been scheduled for 8pm Friday night at Canberra Stadium.

My Tip – Draw with odds of $3.30 @ CentreBet.com.au

Saturday 5^th September @ 5pm

Gold Coast United vs. Sydney FC

This is the big match for round 5. Again, there is only one point separating the two teams and Sydney FC is undefeated so far this season. Meanwhile, Gold Coast United will be looking to strike back after last week’s upsetting loss. This incredible match will kick-off on Saturday evening at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast.

My Prediction – Gold Coast United with odds of $2.17 @ CentreBet.com.au

Saturday 5^th September @ 7pm

North Queensland Fury vs. Brisbane Roar FC

Although the Brisbane Roar has not had the best start to the season, they should easily take the points over the North Queensland Fury. The Fury has only scored 1 league point in their first 4 games this year and I simply can’t see their form improving any time soon.

My Tip – Brisbane Roar with odds of $2.10 @ CentreBet.com.au

So far this season, CentreBet is tipping Gold Coast United to take the 2009/10 honours with odds of $3.25.