The top-level of Australian soccer is the A-League or the Hyundai A-League with sponsorship. It's a competition founded in 2004 and administered by the FFA (Football Federation Australia). Learn about Australian A-League betting now.
Taking over from the old National Soccer League in the country, the A-League is gaining in popularity quickly around the world. It is slowly shedding the image is shared with the USA’s MLS as a place where older players from Europe go for one last payday before retirement.
Since the current format was initiated, the title of most championships has been shared by Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC. These teams have each won four, though it’s all about winning the play-offs here.
Australian A-League Betting Format
A slightly shorter season than in most of the European territories. It begins in Australia in October and runs through to May. The regular season brings 27 games for each side, then follows a Finals Series which is a playoff format.
Only the bottom four in the league are not included at the end of season play-offs, though there is no relegation.
- Teams 3-6 go into the Final Series Play-Offs.
- The top two head straight there.
- Teams 3-6 play each other in two games to decide who faces the top two in the semi-final.
After that, a normal one-game semi-final and the final format are followed until there is a champion. The original winners of the regular season format being known as ‘premiers’.
How many games are played overall depends on the number of teams. Ten previously competed, eleven in 2019-20 and a twelfth to be added from 2020-21.
Qualification to the AFC Champions League
The AFC Asian Champions League is the annual club competition for the region, akin to the UEFA Champions League in Europe. 32 clubs compete in total, all representing the top leagues in and around Asia in a familiar multi-stage format.
Most of the competing sides qualify by virtue of finishing top of their respective national leagues, though much like the UEFA Champions League those finishing further back can still qualify from certain countries.
Clubs from the Australian A-League have been allowed to enter the AFC Champions League since 2007, the country has officially moved from Oceania to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) which has helped Australian clubs grow.
Two clubs from Australia enter the group stages of the competition automatically, whoever reaches the aforementioned end-of-season Grand Final, while one more can win a place via a qualification phase before the main tournament kicks off.
Australia’s Biggest Teams
Things are changing in Australia. Previously, the likes of Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC were the big dogs but in terms of squad values. Melbourne City FC is also among the larger clubs out there now.
Under the same ownership as Manchester City, carrying the same colours and also sharing a sponsor, the idea is for Melbourne City to eventually dominate down under. And to win multiple AFC Champions Leagues too.
Other major sides in Australia include:
- Perth Glory
- Western Sydney Wanderers
- Newcastle United Jets
- Adelaide United
- Wellington Phoenix also competes in this league despite being based over in New Zealand
Key Betting Markets in the A-League
The A-League provides some great betting opportunities, but not in the most traditional sense. The league is entertaining to watch and high-scoring. However, it isn’t necessarily conducive to backing easy home wins in accumulators.
Here are some of the best markets to concentrate on:
- Match Betting – home wins in the A-League run at around 40-45%, which is fairly average. Although, it's not high enough for us to recommend throwing in too many home favourites at short prices. The away win percentage though is high at around 34%. Given the odds available on travelling sides, this is where the match betting value is.
- Both Teams to Score – using the 2018-19 regular season as an example, A-League matches produced over 3 goals per game which is a very good ratio. This brings in accumulator options on ‘yes’ in the popular Both Teams to Score market and this can be profitable.
- Total Goals – the above stat also means that total goals are a viable option here, backing over 2.5 or even 3.5 in certain matches so often paying off.
Place Your Bets in the Australian A-League with Roger.com
Providing excitement and lots of goals, the A-League offers some great wagering opportunities every week and usually live on TV too. Get on now via any of Roger.com’s highly recommended online bookmakers to make sure you get the best possible prices on every match.