A-League outright odds: Auckland still the leading contenders

Auckland FC have enjoyed a superb first season in the A-League so far and remain the market leaders among the candidates to go all the way and win the Grand Final.

The Black Knights top the ladder by four points as the campaign pauses for an international break, while they also have a game in hand over their nearest challengers, Western United.

Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City have also hit good runs of form in recent weeks to lie third and fourth, but they are still not yet totally secure for a top-six finish and a place in Finals.

A-League outright odds

Auckland FC - 3.50
Melbourne City - 5.00
Western United - 5.00
Melbourne Victory - 7.50
Adelaide United - 8.00
Sydney FC - 9.00
Western Sydney Wanderers - 12.00

Auckland FC - 3.50

Steve Corica has done an exceptional job as Auckland head coach so far this season, with his side having lost just two of the 20 games they have played in their debut A-League campaign.

They started off with five consecutive wins and five clean sheets, but more recently their defence has not been so reliable.

The Black Knights may still be four points clear on the ladder, but they have drawn their last three games and conceded late equalisers in two of them, while they have only kept one clean sheet in their last six outings.

Pressure could be starting to tell, but Auckland may well be crowned minor premiers and are certain to be in the Finals - from there anything is possible.

Melbourne City - 5.00

Melbourne City are fourth in the standings as the international break takes place, but they remain inconsistent as they attempt to chase down a top-two finish.

Not too long ago they drew three in a row, then won three in a row and then lost three consecutive matches, before three wins out of four saw them keep three clean sheets in the process.

Last time out they slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle Jets, which highlighted a lack of firepower in attack, with Yonatan Cohen the leading scorer with four league goals for Aurelio Vidmar's side.

Western United - 5.00

Western United - Grand Final winners in 2022 - are the team closest to Auckland on the ladder and hold a four-point advantage over both Wester Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City.

One of only two teams to beat the ladder leaders this season, they did so in style as just before Christmas when they ran out comprehensive 4-0 winners in Auckland.

More recently they have been piling in the goals, scoring 16 goals as they have won their last four A-League matches, with Noah Botic having netted eight times in his last nine appearances.

He has 11 for the season, two more than team-mate Hiroki Ibusuki, meaning that John Aloisi's outfit have the attacking talent to be a major contender in the coming weeks.

Melbourne Victory - 7.50

Melbourne Victory remain right in the mix for a top-six spot, however, their form has been indifferent for some time. Having lost just one of their first eight game, they have since won just four of their next 13.

They have won three of their last four at home, keeping clean sheets in all of those victories, but like Melbourne rivals City they lack a genuine goalscorer when veteran Bruno Fornaroli finds the going tough.

Adelaide United - 8.00

Adelaide United have slipped down to sixth place on the ladder after a run of just one win in eight games and their focus must now be on scraping into Finals, rather than looking ahead to a possible Grand Final tilt.

The Reds have conceded 21 goals across those eight matches, although they did earn a 4-4 draw at Auckland at the start of March.

Their latest outing was a highly concerning 5-4 home reverse at the hands of Macarthur FC and they need to tighten up to be contenders.

Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.