Anytime Goalscorers 31st August - English Lower Leagues and Scotland

I've been studying the English lower Leagues and Scotland for value goalscorer bets.  I thought i'd give it a go and share my bets on here along with reasoning.  There's nothing better than watching Soccer Saturday's vidi-printer on Sky and seeing your player's name appear....as long as it's not for a sending off!  Good luck if you follow and i'll be trying to do this weekly.




Anton Forrester (85/40, BetVictor) - BURY v Cheltenham

This lad is a 19 year old former Everton trainee on loan at Bury from Blackburn Rovers.  He was signed on loan after banging in 7 goals during a pre-season win and has started the season in fantastic style.  Forrester has notched in each of Bury's last 3 games, including getting on the scoresheet against Premier League outfit Norwich in the League Cup on Tuesday.  To be able to get over 2/1 for this bet is great value.


Jordan Chappell  (15/4, Bet365) - TORQUAY v Hartlepool

21 year old Jordan is a recent free aquisition from Sheffield United.  The winger has started well with 3 goals in the last two outings and will be a threat again on home soil for sure this weekend.

Aaron Downes (11/1, Bet365) - TORQUAY v Hartlepool

This Centre-back is a constant threat from set pieces and he's already scored 6 goals in 39 appearances for Torquay, notching once already this season.  Continually backing him will yield a nice profit at these odds come the end of the season.




Jake Hyde (10/11, Bet365) - BARNET v Hyde

Jake Hyde has scored 5 in 5 so far this season and his team Barnet are playing the league's worst defence in Hyde who have conceded 15 in 5 games.  There are sure to be goals for Barnet in this game and therefore, surely goals for Jake Hyde.




Lee Gregory (29/20, BetVictor) - Salisbury v HALIFAX

Lee has scored 4 in 5 this season for high-flying Halifax, as they travel to struggling Salisbury.  29/20 is great value for him to notch his fifth of the season here.

Billy McKay (6/5, Betfred/Ladbrokes) - INVERNESS v Hearts

Inverness have started the season well with prolific striker Billy McKay notching in 3 of their 4 matches so far.  McKay also scored the last time these sides met in February.

Reece Hands (9/2, BetVictor) - MORTON v Raith Rovers

This lad is one hell of a talent.  A midfielder player with an eye for goal, he can strike them from range or arrive in the box at the right time.  A recent free transfer from Blackburn, this 19 year old has already scored 3 in the last 4 games.  9/2 is superb value.

David Crawford (9/4, BetVictor) - ALBION ROVERS v Montrose

This 21 year old winger has a great goalscoring record of 12 in 35 games since joining Albion.  He also takes penalties and has scored 2 in the last 3 Albion games.

Weekend Previews: 16th March

I have 4 bets this weekend from England and Scotland, all excellent value.  Midweek I went 0-2 which was poor so lets get back to winning ways and follow on from last weekend's results.

Leeds v Huddersfield – English Championship – Saturday 16^th March

As you all know, I backed Leeds earlier in the week against Peterborough and they could only manage a 1-1 draw at Elland Road.  Leeds remain in 10^th place and 5 points adrift of a play-off spot with 9 games remaining.  The midweek draw will have hurt them and I am expecting a response against a Huddersfield side who have very poor away form of 5 defeats from their last 6 road games, only taking 3 points at out-of-form Burnley in that spell.  Add to that the fact Huddersfield have conceded a whopping 23 goals in their last 6 away games and a total of 42 on the road, by far the worst in the division.  Neil Warnock will have the hosts fired up for this looking to close the gap on Nottingham Forest who travel to in-form Hull and are likely to drop points.  This is too good an opportunity for Leeds to make up some ground and it’s pretty much ‘last chance saloon’ in terms of their play-off hopes and I expect them to get the win here in front of a very loud ‘up for it’ Elland Road faithful.  Home win.

Leeds win (1.91 at Various)

Walsall v Crawley – English League One – Saturday 16^th March

Walsall are in form right now and sit just 4 points off the play-offs and face a Crawley side languishing in mid-table obscurity.  Walsall have won 5 of their last 6 home games scoring 14 goals in that spell.  Striker Will Grigg is also in great form notching 7 goals in the last 6 at home and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from backing him to score anytime. Crawley have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their last 6 on the road.  They had very slim play-off hopes before their last match which they drew 2-2 with Yeovil, but I think now those hopes have been dashed and they know they will be settling for a mid-table finish.  I can’t see them coping with this Walsall side who have so much momentum at the moment and are on a great run at home.  The Walsall price to win is of big value in my opinion, I will however urge on the side of slight caution by suggesting to bet on the Walsall -0.25 Asian line (half of stake returned if match finishes in a draw).

Walsall -0.25 Asian Handicap (2.05 at 188bet/Pinnacle)

Bristol Rovers v Rochdale – English League 2 – Saturday 16^th March

Rovers are in fine home form at the moment winning 5 of the last 6, only losing to 5^th place Rotherham during that run.  They’ve now won their last 3 on the bounce at home scoring 7 and conceding none in the process and there is a certain feel-good factor for sure when they play at home.  Rochdale have the worst defence on the Road conceding 37 goals and they are without an away win this year.  It must be said, both sides are in mid-table and have no chance of the play-offs or relegation, but I just think Rovers will win this in the form they are in and Rochdale won’t have enough motivation to stop them doing so.  The price on offer seems too big to me and I’m confidently backing Rovers to win at these tasty odds.

Bristol Rovers -0.25 (2.06 at Pinnacle)

Elgin v Rangers – Scottish Division 3 – Saturday 16^th March

6^th place Elgin host top of the table Rangers with the hosts in desperate need of something from this game in their push for a play-off spot.  The hosts have won just once in their last 6 home games, but astonishingly have scored 12 goals in that period, which shows they play an open game with plenty of chances either end of the pitch.  Elgin also have the 2^nd best goals to games ratio at home in the league, only bettered by Rangers.  Rangers know the league title is theirs and they have been complacent throughout the season and seem to switch off, often coming from behind to get their victories.  Both teams have found the net in 9 of Rangers’ 14 away games, and when they are facing the 2^nd most prolific home side apart from themselves, I have to fancy Elgin to score in this game.  When I looked up the odds on Both teams to score in this game I was amazed to see odds of 1.9 were available, and this is where my money is heading.

Both Teams To Score: Yes (1.9 at Ladbrokes)

Midweek Betting Previews: 12th March

A decent start to the blog at the weekend with 3 winners and 1 stake returned.  The Brechin match was postponed so we may return to that match when it is re-arranged.  I have 3 selections this midweek and hopefully can continue from the great start. 

Leeds v Peterborough - English Championship - Tuesday 12th March

Leeds currently sit in 10th place 6 points adrift of a play-off spot but have a game in hand on 6th place Nottingham Forest, so they'll be wanting to win this match to get closer to that top 6 position.  Peterborough are 2nd from bottom and their inconsistency has been their downfall all season.  They need to start putting a run together to get out of the relegation zone and it's hard to see them getting anything at Elland Road.  Leeds' home form is what's keeping them in with a chance of promotion and Elland Road has become somewhat of a fortress for them with a home record that reads 11-2-4.  They have also won 5 of their last 6 home games only losing to top of the table Cardiff City during that spell, conceding just 2 goals in that same period.  Peterborough have a fairly decent away record of 6-1-10 and they are capable of a surprise every now and again.  They beat Blackburn in their last away game and have now won 3 and lost 3 of their last 6 on the road.  The problem they have is that they have only drawn 1 away game all season on the road and need to score 2 or maybe 3 goals to win a game, something I can't see them doing at Elland Road.  Also, those 3 wins from their last 6 away have come against poor sides in 16th, 17th and 21st place (Blackburn, Millwall and Wolves) which kind of shows that it's not as impressive as it first appears.  The simple fact is that Leeds' general home record, recent home form, and the fact they are tight at Elland Road conceding just 2 goals in the last 6 at home are all enough to prove to me the price on offer for Leeds to win is big value in this game.

Leeds win (1.925 at BetVictor)

Crewe v Sheffield United - English League One - Tuesday 12th March

Promotion chasing Sheffield United who sit in 2nd place travel to mid-table Crewe and i'm backing Sheffield United to come out on top in this match.  Crewe are in a position where there isn't anything for them to aim for.  They are 14 points clear of the relegation zone and 11 points adrift of the play-offs with much better sides between them and that play-off zone and I sense some of their players could already be on their summer holidays.  The only thing really keeping their season alive was their run in the Football League Trophy and they were dumped out of that by Coventry last month.  They have a home record of 8-2-6 which doesn't look too bad, but they have lost their last 2 at home to out-of-form Bournemouth and lowly Portsmouth.  Sheffield United are a solid outfit away from home with an away record of 10-6-2.  They have won all of their last 4 road games conceding just 1 goal in the process and playing away from home just seems to suit their style.  Looking at the head-to-head, Sheffield United have won all of their last 3 visits to Crewe which re-inforces my opinion that Sheffield United will win this match.  The odds are certainly good value and we can even take an Asian line that gives us half of our stake back should the match end in a draw.

Sheffield United -0.25 Asian Handicap (1.95 at 188bet)

Eastleigh v Boreham Wood - English Conference South - Tuesday 12th March

7th place Eastleigh host 5th place Boreham Wood in a fascinating match.  Both sides have promotion hopes and with Eastleigh trying to overtake Boreham Wood to get that 5th place final play-off spot, the stakes are high here and it's most certainly a big 6 pointer.  Eastleigh's home form is 11-2-2, which is only bettered by 1st and 2nd place sides Welling and Salisbury.  The hosts have won 5 and drawn 1 of their last 6 home games beating 2nd place Salisbury and 4th place Chelmsford, both of whom have superior away records to Boreham Wood.  In the last 5 meetings between the sides, the home side has prevailed on each occasion, with two of those 5 being played on Eastleigh's home soil and them running out 2-0 and 3-0 winners in 2011 and 2010 respectively.  Boreham Wood have an away record of 4-6-5 and in their last 6 away games they have drawn 3 and lost 3.  To get over even money on Eastleigh here is great value in my opinion.

Eastleigh win (2.15 at BetVictor)

Weekend 9th March Betting Previews

Brechin v Forfar - Scottish Division 2 - Saturday 9th March

These sides are 3^rd and 4^th in the table respectively and the odds on offer, probably at first glance look roughly in line as to what to expect.  However, this is one where league position doesn’t tell the real story.  Comparing the two sides’ respective home and away form, the odds on offer couldn’t look more out of line.  Brechin have a home record of 8-0-2.  Those 2 home losses have come against the top 2 sides in the Division with unsurprisingly the best away records in the league, so that’s no disgrace.  Brechin have also won all of their last 6 home games and go into this fixture high in confidence.  Now, lets look at the away side, Forfar.  They have an away record of 4-1-9, losing 5 of their last 6 away games.  On top of this, Brechin have ran out winners 4-1 on both occasions when the sides have met this season and surely have the psychological edge aswell.  Brechin City for me are one of the bets of the weekend.

Brechin to win (2.15 at BetVictor)

Cowdenbeath v Hamilton – Scottish Division 1 – Saturday 9^th March

8^th placed Cowdenbeath host 7^th placed Hamilton with both sides being priced around 2.7 for the win in this fixture.  Cowenbeath’s home form reads 3-6-3, which granted isn’t the best record, but they are now unbeaten in their last 6 home games with 3 wins and 3 draws.  Hamilton have a poor away record of 3-3-6 and have won just once in their last 6 games on the road.  Cowdenbeath had a rest in midweek whilst Hamilton played at home against league leaders Morton pulling off a superb 2-1 win.  There’s no question this was a great win, but just how much did this take out of Hamilton is the question?  A refreshed Cowdenbeath in decent home form have a decent chance of winning this match and I can’t see them being beaten on their home soil against a side with such a poor away record.  The odds on offer of 2.05 on Cowdenbeath +0 on the Asian Handicap (Stake returned if the game ends as a draw) is no doubt value to me and a bet I’ve taken with great confidence.

Cowdenbeath +0 Asian Handicap (2.05 at Bet365)

Bristol City v Middlesbrough - English Championship - Saturday 9th March

Here we have Bristol City, bottom of the Championship at home to eighth place Boro.  Since Sean O'Driscoll was appointed in January, Bristol City have won 4 of their last 5 home games which has given them a massive confidence boost and seen them progress to just 3 points from safety.  It's fair to say that's a remarkable turnaround in form considering the state they were in, but O'Driscoll has got them well drilled, organised and playing some nice football.  They have scored 11 goals in their last 5 home games beating highflyers Watford and Nottingham Forest both by a 2-0 scoreline at Ashton Gate.  Middlesbrough come into this match in very poor shape it has to be said.  They have an away record of 5-2-11 overall and have picked up just a single point on the road from their last 6 away games, conceding 14 goals in the process.  Bristol City also beat Boro 3-1 on their own patch in the reverse fixture earlier in the season and there is just no way this match should be priced up as it is with Middlebrough favourites.  It truly amazes me we can get over even money on Bristol City +0 on the Asian Handicap and this bet is huge value.

Bristol City +0 Asian Handicap (2.01 at 188bet)

Northampton v Accrington - English League 2 - Saturday 9th March

Promotion chasing Northampton host struggling Accrington with the home win being my pick at a nice price here.  Northampton have the 2nd best home record in the division of 13-2-3 and despite losing last time out away at promotion rivals Exeter, they boast good home form winning all of their last 7 home games scoring 14 goals in conceding just 3 in the process.  Accrington to be fair have an away record that isn't too bad given their league position, of 5-4-9, but they have really fallen off the wayside the last couple of months losing 7 of their last 9 away games picking up just 4 points from a possible 27.  Although Accrington won 3-0 away at Rochdale in there last away outing, it's not something that suggests to me they are about to turn the corner. Rochdale are pretty much in no man's land without the threat of relegation and no possibility of promotion, so any team beating them at this moment of time cannot be taken seriously.  For me, Northampton should be well below 1.5 for the win, and the fact 1.76 is on offer represents great value given all the factors above and I can't see anything other than a home win.

Northampton win (1.76 at Pinnacle)

Fleetwood Town v Exeter City - English League 2 - Saturday 9th March

This fixture sees two promotion rivals come head-to-head and for me it's an interesting game.  Fleetwood sit 9th in the table and have really fallen apart of late cutting their promotion chances from decent to slim.  The problem with Fleetwood has been their home form (6-7-5) and they are without a win in their last 3 at home and only winning 3 of their last 10 home games, their confidence has been shot to pieces and they are there for the taking for Exeter.  Exeter have won 7 of their last 10 away games on the road, losing just twice.  The most recent defeat away being at in-form Bristol Rovers, and the other being away at Burton who boast the best home record in the league, so that's no great concern.  Their general away record of 11-2-5 is the second best in the division, and against a team who's home form is poor I cannot see anything other than a positive result for Exeter here.  They should be favourites for this game and the fact we can take an Asian line which includes draw cover represents outstanding value.

Exeter +0.25 Asian Handicap (1.87 at Pinnacle)