A-League Betting Preview: Semifinals Odds, Trends, Analysis

The A-League season reaches its penultimate stage this weekend with the two grand finalists to be determined by the winner of the semifinals to be played in Sydney on Saturday and in Melbourne on Sunday.The two hosts of these matches, Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory, are both short-priced favourites to progress, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, having dominated for much of the season.Sydney FC have lost just one game in the league this season, against Western Sydney Wanderers in February, and are $1.17 AUD betting favourites to progress through to the Grand Final by overcoming Perth Glory at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.Glory got through to this stage with a shock win over Melbourne City, who they beat 2-0. That was just their third away win of the season, and the chances of them going back-to-back on the road are considered slight. They are $4.60 to get past Sydney and into the decider.The Perth side have been poor against Sydney in their three encounters this year, losing by a three-goal margin each time. That's why the Sky Blues are $1.45 to put this away in regulation, with a Glory win inside 90 minutes rated a $6.50 chance.Glory just don't match up well on Sydney, who boast a formidable defence that tends to strangle space, something that Perth's talisman Diego Castro needs to find a way through.At AAMI Park on Sunday night, Melbourne Victory are looking to turn a promising season into a Grand Final appearance.Victory's final month of the season was less than impressive, but they already had second spot sewn up and had the weekend off last week to prepare for this match.When you consider that since Victory last took to the field, opponents Brisbane Roar have endured 120 minutes plus penalties in an elimination final win over the Wanderers before a trip to Thailand as part of their Asian Champions League campaign, you can see why the home side are overwhelming favourites.In terms of progressing through to the final, Victory are $1.35 to book their spot, with the Roar $3.01 outsiders.The 90-minute market sees Victory at $1.80 to wrap it up in regulation time, with Roar at $4.33. Extra time is priced as a $3.50 chance.The team's three matches this season resulted in a win each, plus a draw, with their most recent meeting a 1-0 home win to Brisbane in late March.What is worth noting is that Brisbane haven't beaten Victory in Melbourne since January 2014, a spell of four matches.
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