Brisbane Roar vs Newcastle Jets Prediction: Hosts to keep faint play-off hopes alive

Two defeats in the second half of March raised big question marks over Brisbane Roar's play-off chances, but the Lions came, well, roaring back to life in a 2-1 win at Western Sydney Wanderers last week and are now five points behind the top-six with three games left to play. There's a small chance, but there's still a chance.

The same can't be said for Saturday's opponents at Suncorp Stadium, Newcastle Jets, who are five points below them in the table and in danger of receiving the dreaded wooden spoon. Below is our Brisbane Roar vs Newcastle Jets prediction, alongside all the latest team news and match odds for this TNT Sports 1 televised fixture, which kicks off at 08:30.

Brisbane Roar need only two points from their last three games to better last season's tally of 30, while the Jets require six to better the 29 they amassed in 2022/23.

It's been a mixed bag of results for both sides recently, though - the Roar beat WSW last week but had lost their two previous matches, while the Jets beat Sydney FC after failing to win in February or March.

Team News

The hosts will be without Keegan Jelacic after the midfielder was called up for the Olyroos squad for the AFC U23 Asian Cup in Qatar next week. The 21-year-old has been replaced in the extended 20-man squad by Ryan Lethlean.

Scott Neville, Kato Jo and Joe Caletti remain unavailable for selection.

The Jets are even harder done by on the Olyroos count, with both Lucas Mauragis and Mark Natta off on international duty and out of Saturday's match. Nathan Grimaldi and Justin Vidic have been drafted into their extended squad, while Jacob Dowse, Jason Berthomier and Zac Bowling are all sidelined through injury.

Match Odds

The Roar are 4/6 - or a 60% chance - to win on Saturday, while the visitors can be backed at 3/1, giving them an implied win probability of 25%.

The draw is also available at 3/1 and both teams to score is 4/9. There have been at least four goals scored in four of the last five meetings between the pair - it's 11/10 for over 3.5 goals this weekend.

Brisbane Roar to win & over 2.5 goals @ 6/5

A top-six finish feels unlikely for the Roar who have probably left it too little, too late to make the finals. However, while there's still a possibility, they will still be going all out to achieve that objective, and that should see them past a Jets side that went nine games without a win before a 3-1 victory over Sydney FC last weekend.

Those three points were collected in Newcastle, and the Jets have failed to win any of their seven away games in 2024, last winning at Wellington Phoenix on December 9.

The Roar's home form has been decent this calendar year; they've won three out of seven at Suncorp Stadium, losing only to Macarthur FC (twice) and Sydney FC.

The sides have met twice already in 2024, the Roar winning 3-2 on neutral ground in Sydney on January 14 and the Jets emerging 3-1 winners in Newcastle nine days later.

I expect Saturday's contest to follow a similar theme with plenty of goals but one side - Brisbane Roar - to come out on top.

Brisbane Roar half-time/full-time @ 8/5

The Jets have lost six away games in the A-League Men's this season - discounting the defeat to the Roar in Sydney earlier this year - and they've been down at half-time in all six of them.

I sense another sluggish start in Brisbane this weekend, with the Roar scoring in the first half in three of their last four games at Suncorp Stadium, including five within the first 40 minutes against Melbourne City on February 10.

Ruben Zadkovich's side took the lead on 14 minutes in their last home match - a 2-1 defeat to Macarthur FC - but conceded twice before the interval and were unable to find the net in the second half.

I think they can see it out until the interval and beyond if they go in front on Saturday.

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