Auckland vs Central Coast Mariners Prediction: Cosgrove to come up clutch again

Australian A-League Men's leaders Newcastle Jets drew their penultimate game of the season 2-2 at Melbourne Victory on Friday, meaning Auckland FC can move a point behind Mark Milligan's men with victory over Central Coast Mariners this Sunday (04:00 BST, TNT Sports 3), as they look to retain the Premier's Plate.

Below are my Auckland vs Central Coast Mariners predictions, alongside all the latest team news and match odds ahead of this Go Media Stadium meeting.

Team News

Oil Sail (knee), Francis de Vries and Jake Brimmer (both calf), are still out injured for Steve Corica's Auckland side.

Football Odds

Central Coast Mariners boss Warren Moon has named an unchanged squad for this trip to New Zealand, meaning Miguel Di Pizio, Alfie McCalmont, Seth Clark, Trent Sainsbury, Kaito Taniguchi and Will Kennedy (all unspecified) will miss out again.

Auckland vs Central Coast Mariners Odds

Auckland, who won the first meeting of the season 2-1 in Gosford last December but were held to a 2-2 draw on home turf the following month, are 4/11 favourites to triumph this Sunday, implying a 73.3% probability of success, with the draw priced at 7/2, and a Central Coast Mariners victory offered at 6/1 (14.3% chance).

Anytime Goalscorer - Sam Cosgrove (AKL) @ 19/20

The odds aren't amazing here, but Auckland striker Sam Cosgrove is the league's leading marksman with 11 goals, putting him two ahead of teammate Jesse Randall, Wellington Phoenix striker Ifeanyi Eze and Adelaide United forward Luka Jovanovic.

The 29-year-old struck his side's first equaliser in last week's 2-2 draw with Melbourne Victory, making it four goals in his last five appearances.

Today's Football Fixtures

Cosgrove has fond memories of playing the Mariners as he has scored in both previous games against the Gosford club, netting the winner in December's 2-1 win at Polytec Stadium and the third goal of January's 2-2 draw at Go Media Stadium.

With the Black Knights looking for a win that would close the gap to league leaders Newcastle to one point, Cosgrove will be gunning for goals on Sunday, particularly as he aims to clinch the Golden Boot, spelling trouble for the Mariners.

Team With Most Booking Points - Auckland @ 2/1

Auckland have received the most booking points in two of their last four games, notably picking up 80 for eight yellow cards in their 1-1 draw at Adelaide United on April 3.

The Black Knights shared 60 booking points with Victory last weekend, but also saw boss Corica sent off on the sidelines, suggesting that the pressure may be getting to the New Zealand side.

Auckland have much more on the line than the Mariners, so their players may be more fierce in the tackle, while I expect the hosts to win, which could mean a spot of timewasting in the second half, potentially bringing about a card or two from the referee.

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