Australia vs India Prediction: Tips and Best Bets Preview

It’s been almost 13 years since their last encounter and Nathan Joyes is on hand to provide his Australia vs India prediction and tips preview. Bettingexpert will be covering the Asia Cup and AFCON in January, so make sure you come back and sample our other content.

After a routine win against Bahrain in preparation for their Asian Cup journey, Graham Arnold will be hoping his Socceroos can secure all three points against a weak-looking India side.

Australia vs India Prediction and Tips Preview

1. Australia vs India Tip 1: Australia HT/FT & Under 4.5 Goals
2. Australia vs India Tip 2: Mitchell Duke Anytime Goalscorer
3. Australia vs India Tip 3: Harry Souttar Anytime Goalscorer

Also in this article:

• Australia vs India Team News
• Australia vs India Stats Preview
• How to watch Australia vs India
• Safer Gambling

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Australia vs India Tip 1: “Hosts” to thrive in familiar surroundings

Qatar, Asian Cup, Saturday, January 13th, 11:30 (UK)

The only other head-to-head between these two nations was back in 2011, where a Tim Cahill brace helped the Socceroos come out on top 4-0.

Fast forward to 2024, and the location couldn’t be more perfect for Australia. They played most of their games in Qatar during the COVID pandemic, and are therefore used to the surroundings. Ahmad bin Ali Stadium has a wide pitch, and the Socceroos will be hoping to stretch India where possible.

However, Australia have encountered issues against deep lying defences of late – relying on an own goal in their recent 2-0 victory over Bahrain, before a narrow 1-0 win over Palestine left a lot to be desired.

A lack of shots on target across both fixtures will concern Arnold, although India’s inability to remain focused should see them cut through sooner rather than later.

India’s last game was back in November 2023 when they fell to a 3-0 defeat against Qatar – and in all honesty, it should have been more. Poor marking from a corner saw Mostafa Meshaal score inside four minutes and India rarely troubled the 2022 World Cup hosts for the rest of the match.

Australia, with a lot of new faces, may not get off to a flyer, but their victory over India should be rather routine and this small bet builder looks to be the way to go.

• Australia vs India Tip 1: Australia HT/FT & Under 4.5 Goals
• Best Odds: 2.00
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Australia vs India Tip 2: Duke to fire his way onto the Socceroos scoresheet

Australia’s 32-year-old striker comes into the Asian Cup full of confidence, having scored five goals in as many matches.

Plying his trade in Japan, the Duke fired Machida Zelvia back into the J League with ten goals and six assists, and they won the league by 12 points. More importantly, though, he’s delivered for his country in recent fixtures.

A brace against Bangladesh as the Socceroos hammered them 7-0 was rather expected. Yet he managed to get on the scoresheet once again in their warm-up match against Bahrain, proving why he should be leading the line on Saturday.

Australia prefers to play with a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 formation, with Duke trusted to lead the line and produce the goods.

The fox in the box isn’t the most mobile player in the world, but he knows when and where to be at the right time – his headed goal against Bahrain is proof of just that. India will look to drop deep in order to defend their goal with plenty of bodies, and Duke may be the one to find space in traffic and steer home for his country once more.

• Australia vs India Tip 2: Mitchell Duke Anytime Goalscorer
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

Australia vs India Tip 3:  Wild centre-back swing

My final selection may raise a few eyebrows, and I’d be surprised if people didn’t. However, you need not worry as there’s method in the madness in what looks like a wild swing at a big price. In fact, I’d class it as a rather generous one and here’s why.

Standing at six foot six inches, it’s quite clear that Harry Souttar is rather tall. Despite being an unused substitute for most of the season for Leicester City, Arnold has trusted his man mountain, who’s likely to start in the heart of Australia’s defence on Saturday.

Yet it is his presence in the opponent’s box which has caught my eye. He didn’t just find the net in their 7-0 win over Bangladesh, but he scored the sole goal in Australia’s 1-0 win over Palestine.

Needless to say, these headers were from set pieces. I’ve already pointed out how India was defensively naive against Qatar, and not even Sandesh Jhingan, standing at six foot two inches, will enjoy marking him. Posing such an aerial threat against a team full of physiques similar to the Bangladeshi players, Souttar can dominate aerially and get on the scoresheet.

As mentioned, Australia may be frustrated on occasion, and set pieces may just be the answer. If Duke can’t pinch a goal, there’s no reason why Souttar can’t score three in his last four in an Australian shirt.

• Australia vs India Tip 3: Harry Souttar Anytime Goalscorer
• Best Odds: 6.00
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 5/10

Australia vs India Prediction odds via bet365 as at 18:00, January 13th, 2024. Odds may now differ.

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Australia vs India Team News Preview: Arnold makes bold striker calls

James Maclaren and Mathew Leckie, two forwards who have been heavily involved over the years, were both left out of Arnold’s 23-man squad. Trusting Duke in the lone striker role, the Socceroos manager did choose to recall Melbourne Victory forward Bruno Fornaroli where the 36-year-old has scored 12 goals in his first eight A-League appearances this season.

There were no other major absences, and Arnold has no fresh injuries to worry about heading into their fixtures. News out of India’s camp remains positive, too, and they have no fresh injury concerns ahead of their opening match.

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Australia vs India Stats Preview: FIFA Rankings give India no hope

• 2-0, 7-0, 0-1, and 0-2 reads as the scorelines for Australia’s last four matches, coming into this contest having not conceded in four fixtures.
• These two sides last met each other in 2011 where the visitors, Australia, cruised to a 0-4 win.
• The Aussies won the 2015 instalment of the Asian Cup after qualifying as hosts.
• India are ranked 102nd in the FIFA rankings. Australia? 25th.
• Australia vs India is the second fixture to be played at the Asian Cup after hosts Qatar take on Lebanon the day before.

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How To Watch

• Australia vs India, Asian Cup.
• Date and Time: Saturday, January 13th, 11:30 (UK)
• How to Watch or Stream on TV (UK): bet365

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Safer Gambling

At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.