Newcastle Jets vs Sydney Prediction: Another goal glut between ALM’s two highest-scoring teams

Sydney FC made it six wins from eight at Perth Glory (0-1) last Saturday to keep their spot at the top of the Australian A-League Men's heading into gameweek nine. Up next for the Sky Blues is a Saturday (06:00 GMT, TNT Sports 2) trip to McDonald Jones Stadium, where they take on hosts Newcastle Jets, who picked up just their third victory of the campaign last Sunday at Wellington Phoenix (1-3) to move off the bottom of the table and into seventh.

Below are my Newcastle Jets vs Sydney predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

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Team News

Max Burgess, who left Sydney for the Jets earlier this year, will miss a second reunion of the season with his former club after suffering an injury five minutes into last week's win in Wellington. Eli Adams, who replaced the 30-year-old at Sky Stadium, is in line for his first start of the campaign.

Oscar Fryer, Noah James (both knee), Ben van Dorssen, Alex Nassiep, Christian Bracco, Lucas Scicluna and Richard Nkomo (all unspecified) are still sidelined for Mark Milligan's side, who could welcome Aleksandar Susnjar, Thomas Aquilina and Xavier Bertoncello back to the matchday squad, with all three absent last weekend.

Football Odds

Joe Lolley is back in Sydney's extended squad after missing out last week due to a hamstring injury, and the four-goal forward has been joined by Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Corey Hollman and Akol Akon.

However, Mathias Macallister, Nicko Alfaro, Joe Lacey, Marin France and Tyler Williams are all unavailable as they are on international duty with the Young Socceroos at the SBS Cup in Japan.

Paul Okon-Engstler (quad) misses a third consecutive game due to injury.

Newcastle Jets vs Sydney Odds

The Jets, without a head-to-head win since April 2024, are 15/8, or a 34.8% chance, to triumph at home for the first time since October 24, when they thrashed Melbourne Victory 5-2. Sydney, who have prevailed in the last two meetings between the two teams, are 21/20 to claim all three points, implying a 48.8% probability of success, with the draw offered at 11/4.

Both Teams to Score 2 or More Goals Yes/No - Yes @ 9/4

I know Sydney have been defensively solid this season, conceding just five times in eight games and keeping four clean sheets, but I think we could be in for a high-scoring contest at McDonald Jones Stadium this weekend.

Goals have been a feature of all five meetings since the start of last year, with at least four scored in each, and the last three have seen both sides score at least twice.

The first meeting of 2025, at McDonald Jones Stadium on January 4, saw the two teams share four goals in a 2-2 draw. More than three months later, at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on April 20, the Sky Blues came from two goals down to win 3-2, and in the first head-to-head of the current campaign, in Newcastle on November 2, Talay's side again came from behind, triumphing 4-1 thanks in no small part to an Al-Hassan Toure hat-trick.

Today's Football Fixtures

Sydney have scored 2+ goals in five of their eight games, while the Jets have struck at least twice in half (four) of their matches.

The visitors are boosted by the return of star man Lolley, and last time out against the Jets, Toure hit a hat-trick. Meanwhile, Abel Walatee got off the mark for the season with the winner in Perth last weekend, and the game before, Toure and Victor Campuzano scored the goals to help down the Mariners 2-1 in Gosford.

The Jets saw their three attacking stars of last season, Adams, Lachlan Rose and Clayton Taylor, all get on the scoresheet at Sky Stadium last Sunday, so there should be no shortage of confidence among their forward line on Saturday.

Anytime Goalscorer - Eli Adams (NEW) @ 11/5

Adams was a 56th-minute substitute in the Jets' first league game of the season, a 3-2 defeat at the Mariners on October 19, before missing his side's next four due to injury.

The 23-year-old returned to action as a late substitute in a 2-1 win at Auckland on November 30 before coming on at the start of the second half in a 1-0 home loss to Melbourne City six days later.

Adams received more game time last Sunday as he benefited from Burgess' fifth-minute withdrawal, and he looks set to start for the first time this season on Saturday.

The Australian attacker, who notched nine goals in 24 ALM appearances last season, struck his first of the current campaign in Wellington, opening the scoring in the 55th minute.

At 11/5, I'm seeing serious value in backing the Jets' leading marksman in 2024/25 to record his first-ever goal against the Sky Blues at the 10th attempt.

Nick Ware P/L 25/26 ALM Season (After GW8)

 P/L: +10.8%