Adelaide United v North QueenslandMelbourne Victory v Melbourne Heart
Gold Coast United v Newcastle Jets
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory
Central Coast v Sydney FC
Brisbane Roar v Wellington Phoenix
North Queensland v Melbourne Victory
Friday, January 21
Adelaide United v North Queensland Fury
Third-placed, Adelaide United, will look to follow up on their biggest win for the season last weekend when they face rock bottom North Queensland. The Reds, defeated bitter rivals Melbourne Victory 1-4 and in turn brought an end to a run of ten consecutive defeats against the two-time A-League champions. In contrast, North Queensland stretched their winless streak to seven games following their biggest loss for the season, a 4-0 defeat at Gold Coast United.
The uprise in form of Central Coast has seen Adelaide United demoted to third place, 3pts adrift. With a meeting between the two next week, it is important that Adelaide United stay within touching distance if they are to claim the much coveted second spot. It is also worth mentioning that Adelaide United has an inferior goal difference of 6 to that of Central Coast so I expect the home side to go for goals against a poor North Queensland Fury side. In team news, long-term absentee, Matthew Leckie returns to the squad as does centre-back Nigel Boogard, so Adelaide United are near full-strength. The visitors retain the services of several key players in Williams and Talay. If the home side can replicate anything like their performance from last weekend, this could get ugly for the visitors.
Pick: Adelaide United -1.25ah @2.03 (ibcbet, 10 units)
Adelaide United 8 - 1 North Queensland
Saturday, January 22
Gold Coast United v Newcastle Jets
Verdict: Injury-plagued, Newcastle Jets, will hope to make the most of their games in hand (on closest rivals) as they tackle fourth placed Gold Coast United. The Jets sit one point and one position outside the sixth and final play-off spot, following Sunday's 0-2 defeat to Central Coast. Gold Coast United are in good shape despite the absence of star man, Jason Culina, who is on duty with the Australian team at the Asian Cup. In midweek, striker Bruce Djite, scored his 3rd goal in two games as United gained a creditable 1-1 draw at Melbourne Heart.
Newcastle has been the most unfortunate team in the A-League this season with off-field dramas, injuries, and player departures unsettling the club. In Newcastle's most recent twist of fate, club captain and creative midfielder, Kasey Wehrman, is out for atleast a month with a foot injury - joining fellow midfielder, Ruben Zadkovich who injured a knee in training. There are no less than 10 Jets players unavailable (for one reason or another) since the start of the season! In even more bad news for the visitors, Gold Coast United still has a realistic chance of capturing second spot, so they have plenty to play for. A big crowd is expected at Skilled Stadium as club owner, Clive Palmer, foots the bill to allow for free admission to the game. I expect the home side to put on a real show for their supporters against an understrength opposition.
Pick: Gold Coast United -0.75ah @1.87 (12bet, 10 units)
Gold Coast United 5 - 1 Newcastle Jets
Sunday, January 23
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory
Pick: Wellington -0.75ah @1.94 (ibcbet, 10 units)
Wellington 4 - 0 Perth Glory
Wednesday, January 26
Brisbane Roar v Wellington Phoenix
Verdict: League leaders, Brisbane Roar, play their first game in a fortnight as they aim to keep their 21 game unbeaten record intact. The break could probably not have come at a better time for the Roar after recent lethargic performances resulted in three draws from their last four games. On the weekend, Wellington's dominant form at home continued with a 4-0 win over struggling Perth Glory. With Newcastle Jets on a downward spiral, and games in hand on close rivals Melbourne Heart and Melbourne Victory, Wellington are favorites to clinch the sixth and final play-off spot.
Despite having one of the best home records in the league, Wellington's away form is simply abysmal. Their away record of 1-2-9 (6-19) is by far the worst in the league. Add to the fact that they are missing key players in Paul Ifill (inj.) and Jade North (Asian Cup duty), and you get the feeling that the visitors are in for a tough time. Taking into account that the Phoenix played just 3 days ago, and that they play a '6-pointer' against Newcastle on Sunday, I expect manager Ricki Herbert to take a cautious approach here. It's not the end of the world if they lose to Brisbane. On the other hand, I expect a hungry and refreshed Roar after their mid-season break. Right wing-back, Ivan Franjic, has recovered from hamstring soreness while centre-back, Luke DeVere, plays his final game before departing to the K-League. With Central Coast just 6pts behind, I am looking for the Roar to really put the foot down from now until the end of the regular season.
Pick: Brisbane Roar -1ah @1.87 (ibcbet, 10 units)
Brisbane Roar 2 - 0 Wellington Phoenix
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