- Preston have won four and drawn one of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Newcastle have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five games in all competitions.
- The main selection in the outright market, Newcastle, is priced at 1.59, with Preston at 4.36 and the draw at 4.15.
This game should be a battle of styles
Preston Lions, who have won seven of their last 10 matches, will fancy themselves to cause an upset against A-League side Newcastle United Jets in the Australia Cup 2026 on Tuesday. Lupce Acevski's men have been a well-organised and patient side in their 4-2-3-1 formation, which has been set up to dominate the ball, but they have also been clinical in the final third.
Their two most recent games, a 2-1 home win over Hume City and a 0-0 draw away at South Melbourne FC, typify that style of play. They don't get flustered, they don't shoot from range and they don't force the pace, and if they can keep their shape on Tuesday, it will be a tough game for Newcastle.
The visitors have won three, drawn four and lost three of their last 10 in all competitions, which is a patchy record that still represents enough steel to be playing cup football. Mark Milligan's team have played a sharper style of football this season, where the ball goes forward very quickly and they don't let the opponents settle into their passing rhythm.
Both teams can score in this cup matchup
They can get the best of both worlds by playing with a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 shape and it can make them look like a possession-based side when, in reality, they are a team built on transition and counter-attacks. In their two most recent matches, they held Sydney FC to a 1-1 draw away and then drew 1-1 at home, only to lose on penalties in the A-League playoff run.
They are solid enough to make it difficult for Preston to break them down, but not ruthless enough to score the three goals needed to prevent this game from being a tight match. Both teams to score looks worth a punt at 1.58.
Newcastle will get on the front foot and look to catch Preston on the counter, while the hosts will try to control the tempo with the ball and a mid-block that doesn't get sucked in. It'll be a cup night clash of styles and the first turnovers will be key in terms of how the game shapes up.
Newcastle have enough to edge it
Newcastle's Eli Adams has been the spark for the Jets recently, having scored five of their nine goals in their past five matches, and they have enough to eventually edge this one. But Preston are playing too well to be written off, so this is an upset threat, with Newcastle available at 1.59 on the straight wager.
At home, Preston have won two and lost one of their past three games in all competitions, although they have scored just three goals in their three home matches this season. Newcastle have one win, three draws and one defeat away from home in five games in all competitions, and have seven away goals in this period. They'll be a threat on the break all night.
