A League Australian Football

Sydney FC should get back to their winning ways this week when the unbeaten A-League leaders host struggling Adelaide United in the highlight of the eighth round.

The Sky Blues may have missed their shot at A-League history by failing to register their seventh successive win to start the season, but their draw against Brisbane was impressive enough not to dent the oddsmakers' confidence in their championship credentials.

They shortened even further from $3.60 into $3.40 for the championship off that performance, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, and they now find themselves six points clear around a quarter of the way through the season.

While Sydney FC manager Graham Arnold and his men are full of confidence, Adelaide United manager Guillermo Amor's season has gone from bad to worse, with the Reds picking up two points from their first seven games and the coach himself banned from the touchline after he grabbed the fourth official last week.

Amor may have overseen a remarkable premiership and championship double last year, but the odds that he will produce another one are lengthening by the week.

However, Reds fans will know that 12 months ago, their team was rock bottom of the league with just three points from their first eight matches. They then lost just one more match for the season.

They are $5.50 to get their opening win of the 2016-17 campaign this week, with the draw at $4.10 and Sydney FC $1.55 to claim the three points.

The round kicks off when Central Coast Mariners, coming off a 1-1 draw against Newcastle, host Perth Glory at Gosford on Thursday night.

The Mariners have just one win for the year but will be glad to be back at Gosford, where they have played just one game this year, a 1-0 loss to Brisbane a month ago.

They are $3.60 to win this, with the Glory, who are coming off a 3-1 win over the Reds last week, $1.95 favorites despite having won only once in Gosford in the history of the A-League. The draw, which was the result when these two met in Perth earlier in the season, is at $3.60.

Friday night's match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar is the tightest in terms of the market, with the Wanderers at $2.35, the Roar at $2.85 and the draw at $3.50.

The Wanderers haven't won in over a month, while the Roar haven't lost in that same period.

On Saturday evening, Melbourne Victory should reap the benefits of an unexpected week off when they host the Newcastle Jets at AAMI Park. Victory didn't travel to Wellington last week because of the New Zealand earthquake and should be fresh against the Jets. They are rightfully $1.50 favorites over the Jets at $6, with the draw at $4.25.

The final match of the weekend is also at AAMI Park, when Melbourne City host Wellington Phoenix on Sunday. City are $1.53 favorites, with Wellington at $5.50 and the draw set at $4.25.

While much of the focus has been on Sydney FC's sensational start to the season, the pressure is mounting across the harbour city at the Wanderers, who are in danger of losing touch with the top teams having gone a month without a win.

Western Sydney face second-placed Melbourne City at their temporary home ground of Spotless Stadium on Friday night, desperately needing to get a win, having fallen 12 points adrift of their high-flying local rivals, the Sky Blues.

Indeed, while the Sky Blues are now $3.60 for the championship, according to website AustralianGambling, the Wanderers, runners-up last year, are now $11 to win the Grand Final for the first time.

The Wanderers are coming off an unlucky 3-0 away loss to Melbourne Victory—if there is such a thing—while prior to that they went on a run of three draws.

They have never lost a home game to Melbourne City but are $2.70 outsiders to win this one. City, powered by a Bruno Fornaroli brace defeated Newcastle 2-1 last week, at $2.40. The draw is at $3.40.

Later that night, Perth Glory are looking to get things back on track when they host winless Adelaide United at nib Stadium.

At their best, the Glory look like title contenders, but they were ordinary in losing 4-1 to Sydney last week and need to bounce back here. They are $2.05 to get the win, but it is worth noting they did lose to Adelaide here in January, their only home loss in their past 15 at this venue.

The Reds are again winless through the first six rounds, having started last year's memorable campaign with eight winless matches before miraculously claiming the title. They are $3.35 to break the drought here while the draw is at $3.50.

Sydney FC travel to Brisbane on Saturday looking to match the greatest-ever start to an A-League season with a seventh successive win.

The Roar's home form has been very solid this campaign, having won two and drawn one, while they have lost just one of their past 19 at the ground. Still, they are $2.75 to win this, with the in-form Sky Blues at $2.30 and the draw at $3.60.

Saturday's other game between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory has been postponed due to the recent New Zealand earthquake.

That leaves us with the F3 derby on Sunday where Newcastle, who have lost three games on the bounce, go in as the weekend's shortest-priced favorites at $2 against Central Coast Mariners, who are $3.50 along with the draw.

Sydney FC are closing in on their own piece of history, and they could take a dominant hold on the A-League premiership race with a sixth successive win when they take on Perth Glory this Sunday.

The Sky Blues are closing in on Melbourne Victory's 10-year-old record of seven straight wins to open the season, having secured a memorable 2-1 win against that opposition last week.

That opened a five-point lead for them on top of the table, with Brisbane Roar the chasers after they upset now third-placed Melbourne City 1-0 to notch their third successive win.

According to website AustralianGambling, Sydney FC go into the match against Perth as $1.70 favorites, with the Glory at $4.75 and the draw at $3.70.

Roar travel to Adelaide United on Friday night as surprise outsiders considering the Reds are still winless after five matches.

The Adelaide title defense has been somewhat of a disaster—although they didn't win in their first eight games last year—and they were humbled by Central Coast Mariners last week to remain the only winless side in the League.

Yet somehow they go into this match as $2.35 favorites, with the Roar at $2.80 and the draw seemingly attractive value at $3.45. Expect goals, as these two have scored 19 of them in their previous five clashes.

Kicking off the round in an unusual Thursday night timeslot is Melbourne City, who are $1.44 favorites to get things back on track against the Newcastle Jets.

City's star-studded attack failed to fire against the Roar, but back at AAMI Park against a Jets side coming off consecutive losses against Sydney and Wellington, they deserve to be such a short price.

The Jets are $6.50 outsiders, while the draw is $4.50.

Across town at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, Victory need to get back on the winners' list when they host the Wanderers. Victory are $2 favorites to win this one, with the Wanderers, who have drawn their last three matches, at $3.50, the same price as the draw.

The other match is in Gosford on Saturday and sees Wellington looking for back-to-back wins against the Mariners, who did well to get three points against Adelaide last week.

The Mariners are $2.40 favorites, with Wellington Phoenix at $2.60 and the draw $3.50.

Sydney FC have had a perfect first month of the A-League season, but they will put that record on the line against long-time rivals Melbourne Victory in the highlight game of Week 5 of the season.

The Sky Blues have yet to concede a goal and have looked damaging in attack, scoring 11 goals in four games. They are now clear favorites for the A-League title, according to website Australian Gambling, which would be their first in seven seasons.

The Sydney-Melbourne Victory rivalry was heightened by their two clashes in Grand Finals (2015 and 2010) but has its foundation in the early stages of the A-League, when both had claims on being the league's biggest club. The rivalry between the players is strong, but it is even greater in the stands.

It has not diminished over the years, and the respective coaches of the teams, Graham Arnold and Kevin Muscat, have relished putting their players under the pressure of a match that has become known as the Big Blue.

With odds from Australian Gambling, Sydney go into this match as $1.85 favorites and would desperately love to defeat Victory for the first time since January 2014.

Victory pride themselves on their good record against the Sky Blues and are coming off consecutive wins against Adelaide and Wellington, which have propelled them to third on the ladder, five points adrift of Sydney. They go into this match as $4 outsiders, while the draw is $3.60.

On Friday night, Melbourne City, currently second, head to Brisbane to take on a Roar side coming off a strong win against Perth.

City are in good form, winning three of their four matches to open the season, with Bruno Fornaroli looking in the same devastating form up front as last year when he set all sorts of goalscoring records.

City are $2.35 favorites, but the Roar have not lost at home in their past nine matches and are $2.75 to win this one. The draw is a $3.55 shot.

Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick is under considerable pressure after a poor start to the season, highlighted by the 6-1 loss to Melbourne Victory on Monday.

Yet to secure a point, they go into Saturday's home match against Newcastle Jets as $2.05 favorites, with the Jets at $3.30 and the draw at $3.60.

A Wellington defeat here would heap more pressure on Merrick, with things looking pretty glum in the windy city right now.

The first of Sunday's matches sees the competition's other winless teams, Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners, clash at Cooper Stadium.

The Reds are desperate to kick-start their championship defense and go into this match as $1.45 favorites for the three points. The draw is $4.50, while the Mariners are $6.50.

Perth Glory's title aspirations took a bit of a dip with their loss in Brisbane last week, but they return home to host the Wanderers with plenty of confidence knowing their last eight games at Nib Stadium have resulted in six wins and two draws.

Accordingly, they go in as $2 favorites, with the Wanderers at $3.40 and the draw at $3.60.

Sydney FC are enjoying their best-ever start to an A-League season and put their perfect record on the line on the road against the league's surprise packet this season, the Newcastle Jets.

Sydney have won all three games to date and, in the best possible start to the season, have yet to concede a goal, putting them two points clear on top of the table.

Milos Ninkovic scored a last-minute winner in Wellington to put the Sky Blues at the top of the market for their first championship in seven seasons.

But a trip to Newcastle won't be a walk in the park for Sydney, with the Jets having gone through their first three unbeaten as well.

They staged a stirring comeback to claim a point against the Wanderers last week and are now into $17 for the championship having been as long as $26 in the preseason.

However, the Sky Blues have won their past five against the Jets, and according to the website AustralianGambling, the Sky Blues go into this match as $1.75 favorites, with the Jets at $4.40. The draw is $3.70.

Kicking off the round on Friday night are Melbourne City and Adelaide United at AAMI Park. City suffered a shock loss to Perth Glory last week but have since accounted for Melbourne Victory in an FFA Cup semifinal, so do have some momentum back.

They go into this match as $1.75 favorites, while the Reds, beaten in heartbreaking circumstances by Victory in Adelaide last week, are $4.40 to notch their first win of the season. The draw is $3.70.

The Wanderers, who have been a difficult team to predict this season, are heavily favored to get back on the winners' list against Central Coast, who have just one point from their first three games. The Wanderers are $1.40 to win this game at their temporary home of Spotless Stadium, while the Mariners are at $7.50 and the draw is at $4.50.

Brisbane and Perth face off in Sunday's only match with the Glory looking for back-to-back wins having defeated City in Melbourne.

The Glory will have to win without the sideline assistance of coach Kenny Lowe, who is serving a two-match ban. They go in as $3 outsiders, with the Roar at $2.20 and the draw at $3.50.

The round of action wraps up with a rare Monday night match in Melbourne as Victory host Phoenix at the Etihad Stadium.

This eve-of-Melbourne Cup fixture has become a bit of a tradition over the past few years, and Victory will be looking to continue Wellington's winless start to the season. Victory, who may feature new recruit Max Beister, are $1.62, with Wellington at $5.25 and the draw at $3.80.

Sydney FC and Melbourne City put their perfect records on the line on either side of the Tasman in the third week of the A-League as City host Perth Glory on Friday night and Sydney FC head to Wellington to take on the Phoenix.

According to website AustralianGambling, City and Sydney FC are now joint championship favorites at $4.50 after taking the maximum six points from their two matches to date.

City against Glory looks to be the match of the round, with the in-form Melbourne side going into the clash at $1.70 favorites to win. Glory are $4.50, while the draw is at $3.75.

City are coming off a morale-boosting 4-1 derby win over Melbourne Victory last week, while Glory ground out a 2-0 victory over Wellington at home.

They last met at this venue in an Elimination Final in April, where City won 2-0 thanks to a Bruno Fornaroli brace, while the other matchup at AAMI Park last season resulted in City trouncing the visitors 5-1. In fact, Glory haven't beaten City at this ground since January 2012 when they were known as Melbourne Heart.

Sydney, who have been the form team of the campaign so far with a pair of 4-0 wins, travel across to Wellington looking to continue their sensational start late Sunday afternoon.

The Sky Blues are $1.85 to win that match, with the draw priced at $3.60 and a Phoenix victory at $3.90.

Sydney's recent record across the ditch is pretty strong having won two of their past three—the other was a draw—but the Phoenix did beat the Sky Blues 3-1 in Sydney when they last met in March.

Melbourne Victory travel to Adelaide, with both teams looking for their first wins for the season. The Reds were hit by a late Brendon Santalab double against the Wanderers last week that saw a probable win turn into a defeat, while the Victory were humbled by City.

These two have a terrific rivalry across the first decade of the A-League having played in two Grand Finals, while their last four matches in Adelaide have all resulted in draws.

The draw is $3.40 in that match with Adelaide going in as $2.30 favorites and Melbourne Victory at $2.80.

Brisbane Roar, coming off a shock 4-0 loss to the Newcastle Jets, travel to Gosford to take on the Central Coast Mariners. Despite being the traveling team, the Roar are short-priced favorites at $1.75. The draw is $3.75 and the Mariners are $4.25.

Western Sydney Wanderers host the Jets in the final match of the round with both teams coming off big wins. The Wanderers, playing their first-ever home match at Spotless Stadium, are $1.67 favorites, with the Jets at $4.75 and the draw $3.80.

After the two Sydney teams broke records by attracting 62,000 fans to last week's derby, it is Melbourne, Australia's, turn to turn on the football rivalry when Melbourne Victory host Melbourne City at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

The Melbourne Derby, born when then Melbourne Heart entered the competition in 2010, has been the preeminent domestic fixture of the A-League in recent seasons, but the challenge is firmly out there after the stunning success of the Sydney FC vs. Western Sydney Wanderers match last week.

They won't get 62,000 at Etihad—the capacity is around 55,000—but there will be a terrific atmosphere for this fixture that represents Tim Cahill's A-League debut. The Cahill factor certainly gives this match an edge. Such is the nature of the round-ball game, 40,000 Victory fans were cheering him in the Socceroos' 1-1 draw with Japan on Tuesday, but he will be enemy No. 1 on Saturday.

These two teams are co-favorites to win the championship, according to AustralianGambling, after City's 1-0 win away to Wellington saw them get a two-point advantage over Victory, who threw away a winning start to the season when Brisbane equalized with the last kick of the game.

According to website AustralianGambling, Victory are marginal favorites at $2.45, with City at $2.60, while the draw is at $3.60. On the selection side, Victory get back Marco Rojas but lose James Troisi to a shoulder injury. Similarly, while Cahill comes in for City, they will be without first-choice goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who is suspended.

For those who think Cahill can open his A-League account with the first goal, you can get $7 on that. History tells us there will be plenty of goals in the game. Both teams have scored in the past three derbies, while there have been a minimum of three goals in the past five derbies and eight of the past nine.

That match is far from the only highlight of the weekend, which kicks off with a Grand Final rematch between Adelaide and Western Sydney Wanderers. United would have been disappointed by only getting a draw away to the Jets and will relish being back at their home ground. They are $2.05 to defeat the Wanderers, who were absolutely outclassed when beaten 4-0 by Sydney FC last week.

Where are the Wanderers at this week? Well they are in the midst of a rebuild and are $3.40 outsiders for this one. The draw is at $3.50.

Sydney looks like a real contender based on their opening-round win, and they look to have found a good one with Bobo. They are a short-priced favorite at $1.36 to beat the Central Coast Mariners, who overturned a 3-0 deficit to get a point away at Perth. If they show that spirit again, the $7.50 on a Mariners win and the $5 on a draw might prove good value.

The two Sunday games see the Jets host the Roar, with the Roar $2.30 top picks, the draw at $3.40 and a home Jets win at $2.90.

The Glory will be hoping to secure the full complement when they host Wellington, with the Glory at $1.67 to bank the three points. The Phoenix are $5 to prevail, while the draw is at $3.75. Interestingly, the past four matches between these two have been won by the away side.

With just days to go before the start of the A-League season, the attention of the Australian soccer public is firmly on Melbourne City and their massive marquee singing Tim Cahill.

The A-League has had some giant signings before, including Italian superstar Alessandro Del Piero and Harry Kewell, but none have had the national profile of Cahill, who has been the superstar of Australia's national football team for the past 15 years.

Cahill has been at the heart of all the great Socceroos moments of the modern era and he shares as high a profile of any sportsman in Australia at the moment. Now he has come home and a generation of sporting fans are eager to get a regular glimpse of Super Tim.

But fans will have to wait until Week 2 to see Cahill in action, as he finds himself on Socceroos duty this week for matches against Saudi Arabia and Japan.

According to website Australian Gambling, Cahill is at $15.00 to be the leading goalscorer for the A-League season, a price which appears generous based on the regularity which he has been able to score at the international level.

The favorite tag sits with teammate Bruno Fornaroli, who broke all sorts of records when he scored 25 league goals in 29 league appearances for City last season. Fornaroli is a $5.00 favorite for the Golden Boot, which looks like value, but it will be a harder for him this year without Aaron Mooy laying on the chances.

Melbourne Victory striker Besart Berisha, the A-League's most consistent scorer of the past five years, is at $6.50. The Albanian scored 17 league goals last season to finish third behind Fornaroli and Brisbane's Jamie Maclaren 18, who is the $8.50 third favorite.

Perth Glory's Andy Keogh is at $12.00, the same price as Sydney's Brazilian striker Bobo, who looks set to make a major impression.

That Cahill is at $15.00 is a testament to the quality of marksmen in the A-League at the moment.

Club glory is not something Cahill has tasted a lot of over the years and given the amount of money they have spent—with help from the FFA to bring Cahill back—City will want to win the title.

However, they are currently equal second favorites for the championship at $6.00, behind cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory, who are $5.00. Perth Glory are also $6.00, while Sydney FC are $6.50.

The A-League gets underway on Friday night when the Brisbane Roar host the Melbourne Victory. The Roar are $2.40 favorites for that match, with the Victory at $2.75. The draw is at $3.40.

Cahill-less City head to New Zealand to play Wellington Phoenix, with the visitors at $2.20 and the home side at $3.00. The draw is $3.50.

The Sydney Derby between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC is the highlight of the opening round, with the Wanderers at $2.30, Sydney FC at $2.90 and the draw at $3.40.

Perth starts as the shortest-priced favorite of the weekend at $1.50 to beat the Central Coast Mariners, who are $6.00 with the draw priced at $4.20. Adelaide begins its championship defense at Newcastle where they are rated $2.00 favorites. The Jets are $3.40 to win and the draw is $3.50.

There aren't many names in Australian soccer that transcend the sporting landscape around the world. Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and John Aloisi could be counted amongst them.

But there is one name that instantly springs to mind when we talk about the world game down under: Tim Cahill. The Socceroos' greatest ever goal scorer is a legend in the UK because of his exploits with English Premier League club Everton. He has recently overtaken Crocodile Dundee as the most popular Aussie in America after starring for the New York Red Bulls.

It's not hard to see why fans love him. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and his all-action displays often result in goals. It's this attitude, along with more bums on seats, that Melbourne City is hoping he will bring to the club after they decided to pay the midfielder $3 million a year. It's a hefty price to pay and a big gamble for a club that has spent its entire existence in the shadows of its more illustrious neighbors Melbourne Victory.

However, it's a gamble that many experts are unsure about after sportsbooks only secured them as $6.00 second favorites behind Perth Glory to take out their very first A-League crown, according to website AustralianGambling.

Cahill's signing, along with the contract extension given to last season's top goal scorer Bruno Fornaroli, has the City fans more than a little excited. But the lack of any real quality at the back could prove to be their undoing.

City's back line looked creaky under pressure from the Brisbane Strikers in their recent FFA Cup clash. With star midfielder Aaron Mooy now in England, they lack creativity going forward. Coach John van't Schip is expected to seek a move back to Europe, and it may just be that the hype surrounding Cahill's arrival is papering over a few cracks at the club.

The first round of A-League fixtures get underway on October 7. Until then, bettors can get their fix with English Premier League matchups, which continue this weekend with Manchester City one of the betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Luis Garcia scored his first A-League goal in just his second appearance for the Central Coast Mariners as his new side recorded a 3-1 win over Wellington Phoenix on Saturday.

The former Liverpool midfielder didn't start the game but came off the bench at half-time to make an immediate impact, scoring one and setting up the other two goals in the Mariners' win.

Garcia's 50th-minute strike was the highlight, as he broke the deadlock with a delightful backheeled finish past the stranded goalkeeper.

[Twitter: @LuchoGarcia14]