- Launceston United have won 1 of their last 5 games (D1, L3).
- Riverside Olympic have won 1 of their last 5 matches (D2, L2), but are the better side.
- Riverside Olympic won 2-0 at Launceston United in NPL Tasmania 2026 two months ago.
Lions have more bite than Blues
Launceston United are in inconsistent form ahead of this Friday's home clash with Riverside Olympic, but they did show some life with a 3-2 home win over Ulverstone last time out.
That was followed up by a 1-1 away draw at Clarence Zebras, so the momentum is partial for a Blues side that are 9th in the NPL Tasmania 2026 table after 12 games with five points on the board.
Riverside Olympic are 6th with 20 points from 13 matches, and they are the clear favourite to win this game at 1.35. Launceston United are a massive odds of 5.79, so the bookmakers are not expecting an upset on Friday night.
Olympic also have a mixed record from their last five games, but their ceiling appears to be much higher after they hammered Ulverstone 6-0 at home prior to a 4-1 defeat to Devonport City on the road.
The difference between these two clubs is that Riverside have structure that can cause real problems for a Launceston side that plays an ultra-direct, forward-first game.
Olympic have the structure to contain Launceston
Blues set up with a narrow midfield and press reactively, which leaves them open to being hurt on the break. Riverside are more compact, have better possession and a midfield that can press with a little more precision.
The Olympic set up should stop Launceston from dictating in the middle of the park and if they can keep their composure there is a good chance that the visitors will nick the match.
Riverside Olympic have won two of their last three meetings with Launceston United, who haven't won any of their previous three home games against them. Olympic have two wins, one draw and three defeats from six away in NPL Tasmania 2026, which isn't a great road return, but still looks superior to Launceston's home stats (W1, L6) going into this contest.
Our preference is to take Riverside to win at a short odds here, but we do have to keep an eye on the fact that this fixture could open up in places, particularly if Launceston are chasing the match.
Olympic score an average of 1.33 goals per game away from home and concede 2.33 goals per away game, so we can back Over 2.5 goals at 1.18 with both teams to score at 1.38 in this contest.
