NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 23: Kevin Muscat of the Victory during the round eight A-League match between the Newcastle Jets and the Melbourne Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)Tony Feder/Getty Images

A-League Round 12 Betting Preview: Odds, Trends and Analysis for Week's Matches

OddsShark.comDec 20, 2017

Christmas has come early for Melbourne football fans, with the season's second Melbourne Derby set to take place between the older brother Melbourne Victory and the younger brother Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

This time around it is the younger brother who will go in as favorites, having won six of their 11 games so far this campaign, including a 2-1 second-round win over this weekend's opponents.

The scoreline was also 2-1 last weekend when Victory won just their third match of the campaign against Brisbane Roar. Kevin Muscat's men moved up to fifth on the ladder with that result but will have to be at their best to challenge their cross-town rivals on Saturday.

City striker Ross McCormack went down with a knee injury in last week's loss to the ladder-leading Sydney FC, which does tighten the betting market for this one, but it is the Citizens who hold favorite status at a betting line of $2.40 according to Australian Gambling.

Victory are $2.60 for a win that would see them move inside the top four for the first time this season, while a draw, which has only happened once in the last six derbies, is at $3.60.

The team that the entire league is trying to keep pace with, Sydney FC, continued their incredible start to the season with a 3-1 win over City last Friday. This week, they take their star-studded lineup to New Zealand for the most lopsided betting match of the round against Wellington Phoenix.

The Sky Blues are at $1.62 to win their 10th game from 12 starts, while the Phoenix, who are currently anchored to the bottom of the table with just six points on the board, are way out at $5.50.

A tighter match is expected on Thursday in Brisbane when the Roar host the Perth Glory. The Western Australian club haven't enjoyed much recent success in the sunshine state, coming up short in three of the last four fixtures.

Kenny Lowe's charges are at $3.10 to snap that poor run, while the hosts are at $2.10.

Newcastle Jets continued to surprise last week when they beat Adelaide United in the city of churches. The Novocastrians are now four points clear in second place on the ladder, and can further push their claims for a top-two finish with a win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night. They are favored to get that win at $2, while the Wanderers are at $3.50.