A-League Round 19 - Wellington vs. Melbourne Victory (Friday 5:35pm AEDT)
Everything points to an absolute thriller in the opening match of Round 19.
The Phoenix are the fairytale story of the season and appear set to play finals football for the first time in a long while. Mark Rudan has turned them around and that is highlighted by the fact they've played the Victory twice already this season and shared the points on both occasions.
Wellington have traditionally struggled against the Victory but 3-3 and 1-1 results this season against Kevin Muscat's champs indicates they are no walkovers.
With the Victory losing to Perth last week, they will be keen to right the ship. They have one of the best away records in the league, second only to Perth, so this fixture will be tight despite the prediction of goals from both sides.
After two draws this season, I'm inclined to make it three straight.
Tip Wellington and Melbourne Victory to finish in a draw at $3.85
FA Cup Fifth Round - Queens Park Rangers vs. Watford (Saturday 6:45am AEDT)
The attrition rate heading into the fifth round of the FA Cup has already claimed several big teams, so Watford -- that has only contested the FA Cup final once in their 121-year history -- will be aiming to continue their progression with victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday morning.
Watford had a relatively easy assignment in the third round when they defeated sixth-tier Woking 2-0 away from home before travelling to St James's Park in the fourth round to account for fellow Premier League side Newcastle United 2-0. This form has been shown in the EPL this season with the Hornets sitting in eighth position.
Due to sides such as Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal already being eliminated, Watford are currently the fifth-highest ranked team remaining in the FA Cup according to the EPL ladder, and if they defeat QPR, they know Chelsea or Manchester United will be out as they clash on Tuesday morning.
QPR are currently enduring a difficult season in the Championship. They should be safe from relegation to League 1, but their ladder position of 18th indicates how tough their plight has been and they have lost five straight Championship matches which followed consecutive draws.
Watford are eyeing a potential sixth round tie in the FA Cup and considering how they have performed in the Premier League compared to QPR in the Championship, Watford should be too strong even though they are away from Vicarage Road.