- Launceston United are struggling with just 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats in their last 5 games in all competitions.
- Devonport City Strikers have 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their last 5 in all comps, but are in mixed form.
- The last 5 meetings between the sides in NPL Tasmania 2026 have ended with 5-0-0 in Devonport City's favour.
Launceston left licking their wounds
Launceston United have been dreadful in NPL Tasmania 2026, picking up just 5 points from their first 15 games and sitting 9th in the table as a result. They've got into a habit of beating the bottom teams and losing to everyone else, and they come into this latest home fixture against 3rd-placed Devonport City on the back of a 3-game losing run.
That includes consecutive away defeats against South East United (4-1) and Launceston City (4-2), and they will need to dig in on Saturday to keep the Strikers from running riot.
United's gameplan in NPL Tasmania 2026 has been a compact, combative style. They lack the ball retention of their opponents, instead focusing on physicality, winning duels, keeping structure and making a meal of set pieces. It has worked well against weaker sides, but they've paid the price against the better sides.
Strikers set to make a statement
Devonport City Strikers are one of those teams. With 34 points from 15 games, they are already looking set for another big push for the sharp end of the table. They've won 5 and lost 2 of their 7 trips in NPL Tasmania 2026, scoring 27 goals in the process, and have the quality to seriously trouble United.
Tom Ballantyne has built an attack-first team that can play with 2 strikers or 3 at the front, and they switch between these systems to overload the defence with numbers, pressing teams into mistakes and flooding the box on the counter. Their recent results have been mixed, but a 4-1 win against Riverside Olympic and a 2-0 victory over South East United were followed by a 3-1 defeat to South Hobart.
Visitors the only bet
The Strikers have a great chance to reverse their recent form on Saturday, however. Launceston United have won 1 and lost 7 of their 8 home games in NPL Tasmania 2026, conceding 33 goals at an average of 4.12 per game. On the other hand, Devonport are the NPL Tasmania 2026's fastest side, and they've scored 27 goals in 7 away games.
This should be a match of high-tempo pressing against a narrow, physical block, and Devonport's pace and width should be able to pry that open. The recent head-to-head record also heavily favours Devonport, who will be confident of a win after a 2-0 victory in the last clash between the teams at home.
Devonport City look a good bet to win, while the market makes a mockery of the odds with Devonport City at 1.14 and a 8.7 draw. Over 2.5 goals at 1.13 and Both Teams to Score: Yes at 1.61 will be the multi selection for this one, while I'll take a 2+ Devonport performance and a clean sheet win for the away side.
