Australia Cup 2026 Betting Tips, Predictions & Previews
The Australia Cup is back for its 13th edition in 2026, with the best football clubs from across the country battling it out for the prestigious silverware.
The Australia Cup is a national knockout football competition comprising of A-League sides and teams from the lower tiers of the Australian footballing pyramid. The top eight A-League clubs enter at the R32 stage, with playoffs taking place for the bottom four, while other teams enter at progressive stages throughout the tournament. A total of 777 teams entered the 2026 Australia Cup, with the R32 kicking off in mid-July and the final slated at a yet-to-be-determined date in the final quarter of the year.
Newcastle Jets are defending champions having defeated NPL Victoria side Heidelburg United in the 2025 showpiece. Adelaide United are record three-time champions.
Stay tuned to this page for our best Australia Cup betting tips and predictions, along with expert match previews for key games throughout the competition.
Australia Cup Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Established | February 2014 |
| Region | Australia; New Zealand (2014–2025) |
| Teams | 777 (2026) |
| Qualifier for | AFC Champions League Two |
| Reigning Champions | Newcastle Jets |
| Most Titles | Adelaide United (3) |
Australia Cup Outright Winner Tips
Check back here for updated outright winner tips when odds are available.
Australia Cup 2026 Betting Odds
There's always an element of uncertainty surrounding the Australia Cup pre-tournament, with so much player turnover amongst clubs and A-League sides smack bang in the middle of pre-season, while NPL clubs are right in the thick of their respective campaigns.
This can lead to upsets, while A-League teams have been known to field weaker sides for the R32 and only really taking the competition seriously if they advance through to the R16 or quarter-finals
Odds from Picklebet. Correct from 20/7/26.
You can view the table below to see the latest odds.
| Team | Australia Cup Winner Odds |
|---|---|
| Sydney FC | $5.50 |
| Newcastle United Jets | $6.00 |
| Adelaide United FC | $9.00 |
| Melbourne City FC | $9.00 |
| Melbourne Victory FC | $9.00 |
| Macarthur FC | $11.00 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers FC | $11.00 |
| Perth Glory FC | $11.00 |
| South Melbourne | $11.00 |
| Preston Lions FC | $13.00 |
| Heidelberg United | $13.00 |
| APIA Leichhardt Tigers | $15.00 |
| Brisbane Roar FC | $17.00 |
| Sydney United 58 | $21.00 |
| Queensland Lions FC | $26.00 |
| Peninsula Power FC | $26.00 |
| Central Coast Mariners FC | $26.00 |
| Sydney Olympic FC | $51.00 |
| Moreland Zebras | $51.00 |
| North Sunshine Eagles FC | $67.00 |
| Rochedale Rovers | $67.00 |
| SD Raiders FC | $67.00 |
| White City Woodville | $67.00 |
| Bayswater City | $81.00 |
| Cooma Tigers | $101.00 |
| Fremantle City | $101.00 |
| Maitland FC | $151.00 |
| Weston Workers FC | $151.00 |
| Kingborough Lions United FC | $251.00 |
| Cumberland United | $251.00 |
| University Azzurri FC | $501.00 |
| Marlin Coast Rangers FC | $501.00 |
Australia Cup Best Bookmakers
All leading bookmakers will offer odds for the Australia Cup - including markets for individual games, along with Futures for outright winner and more.
You can check out the best bookmakers for Australia Cup soccer betting below.
Australia Cup 2026 Teams, Draw & Fixtures Schedule
A total of 766 sides entered the Australia Cup and after a series of qualifying rounds, we are down to the R32 stage, where 10 A-League sides enter the competition.
| Round | Draw Date | Match Dates | Fixtures | Teams | New Entries This Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Rounds | Various | 31 January – 17 June | - | 777 → 32 | 766 |
| Round of 32 | 22 June | 14–30 July | 16 | 32 → 16 | 11 |
| Round of 16 | 30 July | 8–12 August | 8 | 16 → 8 | None |
| Quarter-finals | 30 July | 18–23 August | 4 | 8 → 4 | None |
| Semi-finals | 30 July | 8–20 September | 2 | 4 → 2 | None |
| Final | TBC | TBC | 1 | 2 → 1 | None |
Newcastle Jets are the defending champions and coming off a brilliant A-League season, where they finished with the minor premiership before going out on penalties in the semi-finals to Sydney FC, who are amongst the leading favourites for the trophy ahead of the tournament.
Rochedale Rovers, Marlin Coast Rangers, FK Beograd, North Sunshine Eagles, Azzurri United, Kingborough, Lions United, Preston Lions, Cumberland United and Fremantle City are all featuring in the Australia Cup R32 for the first time.
Heidelberg United are also back after a memorable campaign last season, where they advanced all the way to the final.
The 32 teams can be viewed below.
| Category | State/Territory | Club |
|---|---|---|
| A-League Men | South Australia | Adelaide United |
| A-League Men | Queensland | Brisbane Roar |
| A-League Men | New South Wales | Central Coast Mariners |
| A-League Men | New South Wales | Macarthur FC |
| A-League Men | Victoria | Melbourne City |
| A-League Men | Victoria | Melbourne Victory |
| A-League Men | New South Wales | Newcastle Jets |
| A-League Men | Western Australia | Perth Glory |
| A-League Men | New South Wales | Sydney FC |
| A-League Men | New South Wales | Western Sydney Wanderers |
| Member Federation | Australian Capital Territory | Tigers FC |
| Member Federation | New South Wales | APIA Leichhardt |
| Member Federation | New South Wales | SD Raiders |
| Member Federation | New South Wales | Sydney Olympic |
| Member Federation | New South Wales | Sydney United 58 |
| Member Federation | New South Wales | Maitland FC |
| Member Federation | New South Wales | Weston Bears |
| Member Federation | Northern Territory | Azzurri United |
| Member Federation | Queensland | Peninsula Power |
| Member Federation | Queensland | Marlin Coast Rangers |
| Member Federation | Queensland | Lions FC |
| Member Federation | Queensland | Rochedale Rovers |
| Member Federation | South Australia | Cumberland United |
| Member Federation | South Australia | FK Beograd |
| Member Federation | Tasmania | Kingborough Lions United |
| Member Federation | Victoria | Brunswick Juventus |
| Member Federation | Victoria | Heidelberg United |
| Member Federation | Victoria | North Sunshine Eagles |
| Member Federation | Victoria | Preston Lions |
| Member Federation | Victoria | South Melbourne |
| Member Federation | Western Australia | Bayswater City |
| Member Federation | Western Australia | Fremantle City |
You can also check out the draw for the Round of 16, which begins on August 8.
| Date | Game | Venue | Time (AEST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, August 8 | Western Sydney Wanderers vs Melbourne Victory | Marconi Stadium | 7:30 pm |
| Sunday, August 9 | Brisbane Roar vs Sydney FC | Spencer Park | 5:00 pm |
| Sunday, August 9 | South Melbourne FC vs Fremantle City FC | Lakeside Stadium | 7:40 pm |
| Tuesday, August 11 | SD Raiders FC vs Macarthur FC | Fairfield Showground | 7:30 pm |
| Tuesday, August 11 | Lions FC vs Melbourne City FC | Spencer Park | 7:30 pm |
| Wednesday, August 12 | APIA Leichhardt FC vs Sydney United 58 FC | TBC | 7:30 pm |
| Wednesday, August 12 | Brunswick Juventus FC vs Preston Lions FC | CB Smith Reserve | 7:30 pm |
| Wednesday, August 12 | North Sunshine Eagles FC vs Heidelberg United FC | Ironbark Fields | 7:45 pm |
Australia Cup Live Streaming
The 2026 Australia Cup will be broadcast nationally on 10 Play and Paramount+, while select matches will also be live streamed on YouTube.
Live Soccer StreamsWatch & bet on Soccer at bet365Watch here
Online bookmaker bet365 also provide a comprehensive live streaming service for soccer matches all over the world all year long.
Live Soccer StreamsWatch & bet on Soccer at bet365Watch here
18+ only. T&Cs apply. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Call Gambler's Help; National Gambling Helpline: 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au 18+
*To use the Live Streaming service you will need to be logged in and have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours. Note, under Australian law, Live Streaming on bet365 is exempt from Parts 3 and 4 of the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider Rules) 2018. Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.
Australia Cup Betting Markets
Punters can bet on a wide range of Australia Cup markets with leading Australian bookmakers. Market availability may vary depending on the match, with A-League clubs and later-round fixtures generally attracting the most options.
1. Match Result Markets
- Head-to-Head (Win/Draw/Win)
- Draw No Bet
- Double Chance
- To Qualify
- Match Winner in Extra Time
- Penalty Shootout Winner
2. Goals Markets
- Total Goals (Over/Under)
- Both Teams to Score
- Correct Score
- First Team to Score
- Last Team to Score
- Team Total Goals
- Race to X Goals
- Exact Total Goals
- Winning Team to Keep a Clean Sheet
3. Player Markets
- First Goalscorer
- Anytime Goalscorer
- Last Goalscorer
- Player Shots
- Player Shots on Target
- Player Assists
- Player Cards
- Player to Score or Assist
- Player to Score Two or More Goals
- Player to Score a Hat-Trick
4. Half and Period Markets
- Half-Time Result
- Half-Time/Full-Time Double
- Half with Most Goals
- Exact Half-Time Score
- First-Half Goals Over/Under
- Second-Half Goals Over/Under
- Both Teams to Score in Each Half
- Team to Win Either Half
5. Corner Markets
- Total Match Corners
- Team Total Corners
- Corner Handicap
- Race to X Corners
- First-Half Corner Totals
- Second-Half Corner Totals
- Most Corners
- First Corner
6. Cards and Discipline Markets
- Total Cards Over/Under
- Booking Points
- Team Total Cards
- First Player Booked
- Player to Be Carded
- Red Card in Match — Yes/No
- Team to Receive the First Card
7. Handicaps and Lines
- Asian Handicap
- European Handicap
- Alternative Goal Lines
- Alternative Handicap Lines
- Team Goal Handicap
- First-Half Handicap
8. Specials and Exotic Markets
- Same Game Multi
- Winning Margin
- Team to Win and Over/Under Goals
- Team to Win and Both Teams to Score
- Clean Sheet Markets
- To Win From Behind
- Extra Time — Yes/No
- Penalty Shootout — Yes/No
- Method of Qualification
- A-League Club to Beat a Member Federation Club
9. Futures and Outrights
- Australia Cup Winner
- Australia Cup Runner-Up
- Team to Reach the Final
- Team to Reach the Semi-Finals
- Team to Reach the Quarter-Finals
- Top A-League Club
- Top Member Federation Club
- State or Federation of the Winning Club
- Tournament Top Goalscorer
- A-League Club to Win the Competition
- Member Federation Club to Win the Competition
- Winning Club’s Division or Competition
- Winning State or Territory
Australia Cup Previous Champions
| Year | Champions | Score | Runner-Up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Newcastle Jets | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Heidelberg United | Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne |
| 2024 | Macarthur FC | 1–0 | Melbourne Victory | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne |
| 2023 | Sydney FC | 3–1 | Brisbane Roar | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| 2022 | Macarthur FC | 2–0 | Sydney United 58 | Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney |
| 2021 | Melbourne Victory | 2–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne |
| 2020 | Tournament Cancelled | - | - | - |
| 2019 | Adelaide United | 4–0 | Melbourne City | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 2018 | Adelaide United | 2–1 | Sydney FC | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 2017 | Sydney FC | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Adelaide United | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| 2016 | Melbourne City | 1–0 | Sydney FC | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne |
| 2015 | Melbourne Victory | 2–0 | Perth Glory | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne |
| 2014 | Adelaide United | 1–0 | Perth Glory | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
Australia Cup Social Media
Australia Cup News
The official Australia Cup website is the best place to keep informed of all the latest breaking news, results, player interviews, schedule information and more.
Australia Cup FAQs
- When is the 2026 Australia Cup?
The 2026 Australia Cup R32 begins on July 14.
- When is the 2026 Australia Cup final?
The 2026 Australia Cup final has yet to determine an official date, but it will likely be scheduled sometime in October.
- Who are the current Australia Cup champions?
Newcastle Jets are the current Australia Cup champions after beating Heidelberg United 3-1 after extra-time in the 2025 final.
- How can I watch the Australia Cup Soccer?
Channel 10 and Paramount+ broadcast the tournament in Australia, while bookmakers like bet365 and Unibet live stream soccer from around the world.
