Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory Predictions

• Central Coast Mariners have lost six of their last eight games, conceding fifteen goals along the way.
• Melbourne Victory have won their last two games, ending a run which saw just one win in their preceding seven matches.
• Central Coast are the lowest scorers in the league this season scoring just 10 goals in 11 games. They also have the third worst defensive record with 19 goals conceded.
• Melbourne Victory have the same record in both attack and defensive, averaging 1.25 goals per game at both ends of the pitch.
• Central Coast have only won 6 six of the 39 matches between these two sides. Their last win in this fixture came in 2013, a run stretching 19 games.

Can Central Coast overturn history and come up with a win?

Central Coast Mariners haven’t enjoyed their season so far, winning just three times and struggling to compete with the sides around them. They have scored just 10 times this season, less than a goal a game, and have only scored twice in a game on two occasions so far. Defensively they haven’t fared much better, averaging 1.72 goals conceded per match and the team have found themselves fighting to stay off the bottom of the league.

Historically, Central Coast don’t have a good record in this fixture. They’ve won just six times in the 39 contests between the two and haven’t tasted victory in this fixture since 2013. Their last point against Melbourne Victory came six matches ago and all the signs point towards The Mariners struggling to come away from this contest without anything once more. Their chances aren’t made any better with the news that Ola Toivonen returns from suspension for this game.

Victory have finally turned the corner; Can they pick up another win?

This season has taken a long time to get going for Melbourne Victory, with the side picking up just one win in their opening seven games but they recently turned this around, winning three of their last five and moving up to seventh with just goal difference keeping them from a spot in the top six. Whilst the league title looks a little out of sight, the side currently sit 16 points behind leaders Sydney, they will be keen to move into the playoff places and play finals series football once more.

The Victory season has been fairly average across the board but last weekend’s 4-0 win over Newcastle Jets makes easier reading of their stats for Melbourne fans. They have now scored and conceded 15 goals and will be looking to move into positive numbers for the first time this season with another win here. The fixture list has been quite kind to Victory over the past couple of weeks but these games could well be confidence boosters ahead of their impending matches against the current top three at the end of the month.

Can The Mariners pull off a shock or will Melbourne taste victory?

There isn’t much argument for Central Coast Mariners performing this weekend and claiming the win and we’re of the same opinion with Melbourne Victory looking like the relatively easy victors in this one. There have been plenty of goals in matches featuring these two recently though, with both sides beating the 2.5 goal line 60% of the time in recent weeks and we’re backing the goal line to be beaten once more in this one.

As we mentioned, we think Melbourne Victory should win this one fairly comfortably and we think a 3-0 scoreline looks to represent good value with the visitors growing in confidence each week and welcoming back their talisman, Toivonen, this weekend. Central Coast are at full strength this weekend but we don’t think that will be enough for them to trouble Victory and we’re backing the easy win for the away side.