Football Bet of the Day: Few goals to Newcastle

Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City
Friday 08:50

St Etienne and Strasbourg were most accommodating in France last night. The hosts won 2-1 to deliver our BTTS bet and send us off to Australia with some money in our pocket.

One of Friday morning’s two A-League matches brings Melbourne City to Newcastle Jets. Like a lot of A-League fixtures, this one has traditionally been heavy on goals, but this season’s form guide suggests the pair might not hit their usual heights this week.

Six of Newcastle’s first eight home matches of the current campaign have stayed Under 2.5 Goals. Now seventh in the 10-team league, Ernie Merrick’s hosts have score eight times themselves across the eight games, while conceding nine goals. No team – host or visitor – has scored more than twice in a single match at Newcastle International Sports Centre this season.

Melbourne City are running fifth in the table, despite losing their last three on the road. Warren Joyce’s visitors scored just once across those three games and have now managed eight goals in nine away matches since the start of term. Most recently, they’ve failed to score at all in 4/7. At the other end, they’ve conceded 10 in nine. Seven of the nine finished with Under 2.5 Goals. With both sides appearing to lack a cutting edge in attack, but showing a semblance of solidity in defence, we’re taking Under 2.5 Goals at anywhere close to even money.