A-League Soccer Odds: Season Betting Preview and Opening Week Matchup Analysis

With just days to go before the start of the A-League season, the attention of the Australian soccer public is firmly on Melbourne City and their massive marquee singing Tim Cahill.The A-League has had some giant signings before, including Italian superstar Alessandro Del Piero and Harry Kewell, but none have had the national profile of Cahill, who has been the superstar of Australia's national football team for the past 15 years.Cahill has been at the heart of all the great Socceroos moments of the modern era and he shares as high a profile of any sportsman in Australia at the moment. Now he has come home and a generation of sporting fans are eager to get a regular glimpse of Super Tim.But fans will have to wait until Week 2 to see Cahill in action, as he finds himself on Socceroos duty this week for matches against Saudi Arabia and Japan.According to website Australian Gambling, Cahill is at $15.00 to be the leading goalscorer for the A-League season, a price which appears generous based on the regularity which he has been able to score at the international level.The favorite tag sits with teammate Bruno Fornaroli, who broke all sorts of records when he scored 25 league goals in 29 league appearances for City last season. Fornaroli is a $5.00 favorite for the Golden Boot, which looks like value, but it will be a harder for him this year without Aaron Mooy laying on the chances.Melbourne Victory striker Besart Berisha, the A-League's most consistent scorer of the past five years, is at $6.50. The Albanian scored 17 league goals last season to finish third behind Fornaroli and Brisbane's Jamie Maclaren 18, who is the $8.50 third favorite.Perth Glory's Andy Keogh is at $12.00, the same price as Sydney's Brazilian striker Bobo, who looks set to make a major impression.That Cahill is at $15.00 is a testament to the quality of marksmen in the A-League at the moment.Club glory is not something Cahill has tasted a lot of over the years and given the amount of money they have spentwith help from the FFA to bring Cahill backCity will want to win the title.However, they are currently equal second favorites for the championship at $6.00, behind cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory, who are $5.00. Perth Glory are also $6.00, while Sydney FC are $6.50.The A-League gets underway on Friday night when the Brisbane Roar host the Melbourne Victory. The Roar are $2.40 favorites for that match, with the Victory at $2.75. The draw is at $3.40.Cahill-less City head to New Zealand to play Wellington Phoenix, with the visitors at $2.20 and the home side at $3.00. The draw is $3.50.The Sydney Derby between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC is the highlight of the opening round, with the Wanderers at $2.30, Sydney FC at $2.90 and the draw at $3.40.Perth starts as the shortest-priced favorite of the weekend at $1.50 to beat the Central Coast Mariners, who are $6.00 with the draw priced at $4.20. Adelaide begins its championship defense at Newcastle where they are rated $2.00 favorites. The Jets are $3.40 to win and the draw is $3.50.
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