A-LEAGUE TIPS & BETTING ADVICE

The 2019/20 A-League season looks set to be another competitive year with all sides holding aspirations of winning the premiership.

We picked out our best bets and value selections for all games throughout the season and keep you on top of all the A-League betting tips.

A-LEAGUE LIVE STREAMS

Bookmaker bet365 stream all A-League games live online throughout the season* including during the finals series.

The season will be played again over 27 rounds in the regular season before four weeks of finals, culminating with the 2019 A-League Grand Final in May.

To find out how to watch live streams, read our guide on how to watch A-League soccer live online.

*Coverage of A-League games is restricted in certain countries due to broadcasting rights.

Under Australian law, we are required to inform you that Live Streaming on bet365 is exempt from Parts 3 and 4 of the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider Rules) 2018.

BETTING ON A-LEAGUE SOCCER

Betting on A-League has grown in popularity with a number of ways to place bets on soccer increasing dramatically in recent years. From simply backing the winner or result of a single match to predicting premiership winners, top goalscorers, wooden spoonists and whether or not a player will be yellow or red-carded, the opportunity to bet on A-League soccer has never been greater.

A rundown of some of the types of bets you can place on A-League games is below:

Match Betting: Simply back the result, whether you think it will be a home win, an away win or a draw.

Correct Score: Predict the correct score in the game.

Over/Under Total Goals: Bet on whether you think there will be more or less than 2.5 goals in the game. If it ends 1-1, then it is under 2.5 goals. If it ends 3-2, then it is over 2.5 goals. Other totals are available – usually 0.5, 1.5, 3.5 and 4.5.

First Goalscorer: Predict who will get the first goal of the game.

Both Teams To Score: If you think both teams will find the back of the net in the game, then this is the bet for you.

Handicap Betting: Bookmakers offer you the chance to bet on the result of the game but where one team starts with a handicap (usually one or two goals).

Premiership Betting: Back the team you think will be crowned premiers by winning the A-League Grand Final.

Wooden Spoon: Back the team you think will finish bottom of the ladder at the end of the regular season.

Top Goalscorer: Predict who will finish the season as the A-League’s leading goalscorer.

A-LEAGUE HISTORY

The A-League was officially announced as a successor to the old National Soccer League (NSL) back in 2004, with the inaugural competition beginning in August, 2005. The NSL was immensely popular since it’s inception following Australia’s qualification into the 1974 World Cup, however during the turn of the century several factors – including a lack of sponsorship deals, poor ratings and players heading overseas – led to its demise and the formation of a new national competition – the A-League.

Eight founding teams were a part of the first A-League season, including Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, New Zealand Knights, Perth Glory, Queensland Roar and Sydney FC. Only three NSL sides made the transition to the A-League – Adelaide United, Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory, while the Queensland Roar and New Zealand Knights were formed from previous NSL clubs Brisbane Lions and New Zealand Football Kingz.

Since it’s inaugural season in 2005/06, the A-League has continued to soar in popularity, with the Hyundai Motor Company sponsoring the competition throughout it’s current 11-year history. During the 2007/08 season Wellington Phoenix replaced the New Zealand Knights, while Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury were introduced in an expanded 2009/10 competition, however due to financial instability, they were both removed in the 2011 and 2012 seasons respectively. Melbourne Heart were awarded an A-League license and joined the competition in the 2010-11 season, They’ve since been taken over by the City Football Group and were rebranded as Melbourne City ahead of the 2014-15 season. Western Sydney Wanderers also joined the A-League in the 2012/13 season and they enjoyed incredible immediate success, becoming the first Australian side to win the Asian Champions League in 2014/15. Queensland Roar were also renamed to Brisbane Roar in 2009 ahead of the two other Queensland sides entering the competition.

Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC hold the current record for most minor premierships won with three, while Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar have captured two each. The Newcastle Jets are the only team who haven’t finished first at the end of the regular season. However the Jets did emerge as surprise premiers during the 2008/09 season. Victory have secured the most grand final wins with four ahead of Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar with three. The Wanderers, Wellington Phoenix, Melbourne City and Perth Glory are the only sides without a grand final triumph.

The A-League also isn’t just of national interest, with the competition being broadcast in more than 170 countries worldwide over the last few years.

A-LEAGUE TEAMS

The A-League is made up of 10 teams from across Australia and New Zealand. Three other teams have played during the 12 seasons of the A-League before leaving.

Current A-League teams:

Adelaide United: One of the founding teams when the A-League launched in 2005, the Reds finished top of the ladder in the inaugural season. They also won the minor premiership again in 2015/16, the year in which they would finally win their first Grand Final.

Brisbane Roar: The Roar are one of the A-League’s most successful clubs having won three premierships. Originally known as Queensland Roar, Brisbane won back-to-back Grand Finals in 2011 and 2012 before claiming their third premiership in 2014.

Central Coast Mariners: Another of the founding members, Central Coast Mariners were crowned A-League Premiers in 2014 – the only time they have been champions. The Gosford-based side had lost on three previous Grand Final appearances in 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Melbourne City: Joined the A-League in 2010 as Melbourne Heart before being renamed Melbourne City in 2015. Part of the City Football Group which owns Manchester City and New York City, the Melbourne team have yet to feature in an A-League Grand Final.

Melbourne Victory: Victory are the most successful team in A-League history with four premierships. They won the title in 2007, 2009, 2015 and 2018, and have been ever presents in the A-League.

Newcastle Jets: The Jets are another of the teams to have been in the A-League from the outset. Newcastle have appeared in just two Grand Finals, but made it count when beating rivals Central Coast Mariners in 2008. 

Sydney FC: Sydney FC created history as the inaugural A-League champions in 2006 and the Sky Blues also won the flag for a second time in 2010. They made it three titles in 2017 when completing the premiership double.

Perth Glory: An ever-present throughout the A-League history, Perth are still in search of their first-ever premiership success. They have appeared in just one Grand Final when losing to Brisbane Roar in 2012.

Wellington Phoenix: The only New Zealand team in the A-League, Phoenix joined the league in 2007 when they replaced New Zealand Knights. The team from Wellington have yet to feature in an A-League Grand Final.

Western Sydney Wanderers: The Wanderers made their debut in 2012, Wanderers have played in three Grand Finals – but have lost on each occasions. Western Sydney did, however, become the first Australian team to win the AFC Champions League in 2014.

Western United: The A-League’s newest teams having joined for the 2019/20 season.

Former A-League teams:

Gold Coast United, New Zealand Knights, North Queensland Fury.