Newcastle Jets vs Western Sydney Wanderers Prediction: Milanovic and Adams at it again

A 3-2 defeat at Sydney FC last Sunday put paid to Newcastle Jets' top-six hopes, and they host Western Sydney Wanderers at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday (08:00, TNT Sports 3) knowing that the highest position they can reach is eighth. The Wanderers, on the other hand, are still pursuing second place, and a victory in Newcastle would pile the pressure on Melbourne City (second) and Western United (third) ahead of their respective games this weekend.

Below are my Newcastle Jets vs Western Sydney Wanderers predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this Australian A-League Men's contest.

Team News

Oscar Fryer (knee) and Jacob Dowse (unspecified) are still on the injury list for Newcastle Jets, who have left Alex Nunes, Will Dobson, Ben van Dorssen, Jordan Baylis and Garang Arou out of their extended squad for the weekend.

Leading goalscorer Eli Adams was withdrawn in the 61st minute at Allianz Stadium last Sunday, but the 23-year-old is expected to start against the Wanderers.

Football Odds

Dane Ingham and Lachlan Bayliss were both introduced for the final half hour against Sydney FC, and the duo could start in Rob Stanton's final home game in charge of the Jets.

Dylan Scicluna (knee) and Jeong Tae-wook (ankle) are still sidelined for the Wanderers, who can welcome Joshua Brillante back into the fold after the 32-year-old midfielder missed last Saturday's 2-2 draw with Melbourne City.

Alen Stajcic's side blew a two-goal lead in that CommBank Stadium stalemate, first conceding in the 36th minute, so WSW's head coach may ponder a change or two to his starting XI on Saturday.

Brillante could come in for Dean Pelekanos in the middle of midfield, and Aydan Hammond or Marcus Antonsson may replace Zac Sapsford up top.

Juan Mata, who hasn't made it onto the pitch in his side's last two games, is likely to begin the game on the bench again.

Newcastle Jets vs Western Sydney Wanderers Odds

The Jets have lost three of their last five matches, including two of their previous three at home, and Stanton's side are 2/1, or a 33.3% chance, to claim all three points on Saturday. The Wanderers, who beat Newcastle 4-1 in November's reverse fixture at CommBank Stadium, are 1/1 to do the double over their opponents, implying a 50% probability.

The sides played out a 3-3 thriller in their last meeting at McDonald Jones Stadium, and a stalemate can be backed at 11/4 this weekend.

WSW's 12-goal marksman Nicolas Milanovic heads the anytime goalscorer market at 6/5, with eight-goal Jets forward Lachlan Rose (7/5) first up for the hosts.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Western Sydney Wanderers & Yes @ 15/8

The Wanderers are unbeaten in their last 10 matches, last losing on January 26 to Auckland (0-1). They've won six times in that run, although three of their last four games have ended in a draw.

Still, sat in fourth place and with a top-two finish possible, the visitors are rightly considered favorites to claim victory on Saturday. They have everything still to play for, while the Jets saw their finals dream end last weekend in Sydney.

Of course, the hosts will be playing with the pressure off, and they're a difficult team to stop once they get going, but this Wanderers side has shown it's made of tough stuff, highlighted by a 1-1 comeback stalemate away at ALM leaders Auckland earlier this month.

WSW haven't lost to the Jets since February 2022, and I don't see Newcastle stopping that rot this weekend.

I'm backing an away win, but I fancy the hosts to get on the scoresheet, as they have done in their last 18 games.

The Wanderers, meanwhile, have kept just one clean sheet in their last six, and they are second only to Adelaide United (84%) in the BTTS table, as 79% of their league games this season have seen at least one goal on either side (the Jets - 67%).

Bet Builder - Nicolas Milanovic (WSW) and Eli Adams (NEW) Anytime Goalscorers @ 9/2

Milanovic to score anytime was a 2/1 winner in my last Wanderers preview, but with the 23-year-old taking his season tally up to 12 against City, and the Jets likely to offer much less protection to their goalkeeper, it's little surprise to see his anytime odds drop to 6/5 here.

Still, doubling up a Milanovic goal with one from Jets star Adams in a Bet Builder could land you a 9/2 winner here.

Adama didn't have his best game last Sunday and was taken off just after the hour mark, but he remains his side's leading goalscorer this season, and he's bagged two braces in his last four games, including one in Newcastle's last appearance at McDonald Jones Stadium against the Mariners on April 12.

The 23-year-old has a touch of the Cole Palmer's about him, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him land a move to Europe in the off-season. This is another game in which he can make his mark and showcase his talents to overseas clubs, so I'm backing him to get on the scoresheet this Saturday and land this 9/2 anytime goalscorer Bet Builder.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.