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Aldershot Town face Stafford Rangers at the Recreation Ground on Saturday

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Shots set to march on

Saturday December 8, 2007

Aldershot Town v Stafford Rangers

Prices correct at time of writing (2.30pm, Wednesday December 5, 2007).

Home 2/7 Draw 7/2 Away 8/1

If there is such a thing as a football banker then this is surely it. Current league leaders Aldershot have the best six-match form in the Blue Square Premier and face a Stafford team with the second worst record over the last six games. Only Farsley Celtic are poorer at the moment and of course the Staffordshire men are away from home here. Rangers have picked up three draws and one win on the road this season which is surprising because that's actually much better than their home form. It's hard to see how they can get a result here though and I expect Aldershot to win and maintain their position at the head of the Blue Square Premier. In the goals market the free-scoring Shots are a decent bet at 13/5 to score 4 or more goals. They're banging them in, particularly at home, where they have netted 24 so far. Aldershot to coast this one.

Verdict: Home win

Burton Albion v Forest Green Rovers

Home 11/10 Draw 9/4 Away 2/1

Burton have been good at home and they are playing well and this is a match that will determine whether one of both of these two sides can get into the end-of-season play-offs. I have been a big fan of Forest Green this season and I think that they've done really well to get so high up the table. They have won five away games this season and I think they are a good price at 2/1 to win at Burton but logic says that this will end in a draw and 9/4 seems a very fair price. Both teams are fairly equally matched, I think Forest Green are in for a good season and both teams will be in the shake-up come the end of the season for the play-offs. One of them may miss out so it is games like this that are so important. In the first goalscorer market you would be mad not to consider Stuart Fleetwood of Forest Green who has now got 24 goals for the season. Fleetwood is 5-1 to net first.

Verdict: Draw

Crawley Town v Grays Athletic

Home 6/5 Draw 9/4 Away 15/8

I will look no further than a home win at odds against - a terrific price for the side who have scored more goals than anyone at home in the Blue Square Premier this season. Grays, managed by Justin Edinburgh, give away very few goals though. Therefore, the shrewd move here is to take the price on there being two goals or less in the game, something that's happened far more often than not with Grays this season. 0 or 1 goals is 9/4, 2 or 3 goals is 10/11. Crawley know the way to goal and so I'm going to do a coupled bet here, Crawley to win 1-0 (6/1) or 2-0 (9/1). I think Grays will suffer again and I think Crawley will get the points. But we can add to our profits with the supplementary bets.

Verdict: Home win

Droylsden v Rushden & Diamonds

Home 7/4 Draw 9/4 Away 5/4

Rushden played quite well and lost 3-2 at home to Histon on Tuesday night. Droylsden will perhaps be thinking this is their chance to pick up some much-needed points in their battle to avoid the drop. Their two wins at the Butchers' Arms this season have come against decent opposition. There was a fine win against Forest Green and a 3-1 win against Oxford. Do I think they have a chance at 7/4 ? Perhaps but my gut instinct is that the Diamonds will avoid defeat. I favour the draw at 9/4.

Verdict: Draw

Ebbsfleet United v York City

Home 10/11 Draw 9/4 Away 5/2

York are a strange side. You have to look at City's price of 5/2 and think it might just be a bit of value. Surely the Minstermen, who are in 17th place at the moment, can climb up the table and erase any relegation fears. York's caretaker duo Colin Walker and Eric Winstanley are in charge in the wake of Billy McEwan's sacking and they will be hoping to stake their claim for the job on a permanent basis. It could be viewed as a bad time to back York given all the uncertainty at the club but this is the same group of players that made it to the play-offs last season and I just fancy them to fire into life soon. Ebbsfleet, as we know, are now owned by thousands of fans but they could all be left disappointed this weekend. York are the value, and a big price for an away win at 5/2.

Verdict: Away win

Halifax Town v Exeter City

Home 11/8 Draw 11/5 Away 13/8

Halifax have been something of a revelation this season. The Shaymen are unbeaten at home, but have drawn too many in front of their own supporters. They have four wins and six draws from their ten home games and it could well be draw number seven against an under-performing Exeter side. The Grecians have been a little inconsistent this season, but they have drawn four times away from home and have been hard to beat, so again this is a match where I see no winner. 11/5 on the draw looks the play.

Verdict: Draw

Histon v Woking

Home 4/6 Draw 12/5 Away 7/2

Histon's 3-2 victory at Rushden and Diamonds on Tuesday night completely changed the complexion of their season. I have to admit I did not see their rise up the table coming but on current form you have to say they have a chance of making the play-offs. They are polishing off sides in the lower half of the table and recent wins at Altrincham and Rushden mean they have now won half of their 22 games. That is excellent form from a side which was only promoted to the Blue Square Premier at the start of the season. It proves that if you do have a bit of form then things can change very quickly and I think their run can continue against Woking.

Verdict: Home win

Northwich Victoria v Oxford United

Home 5/2 Draw 9/4 Away 10/11

I am very tempted by the 10/11 on Oxford. Admittedly the U's have been disappointing this season and are not often the most reliable of favourites but then again they are facing a team who have garnered just seven points all season. To back Victoria I'd want bigger than 5/2. Oxford should improve in the second half of the season and I expect them to land the spoils here.

Verdict: Away win

Stevenage Borough v Salisbury City

Home 4/7 Draw 12/5 Away 9/2

Which Salisbury are we going to get this weekend ? I have seen Stevenage quite a bit recently and I think they are better than some of their recent performances. I think the 4/7 for Stevenage is about right. Peter Taylor will get his side playing some nice football and I think they'll be in the shake-up at the end of the season. I don't think Stevenage will win the league but they'll be in the top five. Salisbury have had their moments this season but I don't see them picking up anything from their trip to Broadhall Way.

Verdict: Home win

Weymouth v Farsley Celtic

Home 8/11 Draw 9/4 Away 10/3

Weymouth cannot buy a win at home and Farsley cannot buy any sort of result so logic says this will be a draw. However, I don't fancy Farsley at all. I think they are a team heading south at the moment (as their record in the last six games shows) and they are perilously close to being reeled in by fourth-bottom Altrincham. Farsley have a little points cushion at the moment but it does look like those two are going to be in for a battle over who finishes in the drop-zone. Weymouth are only just above Farsley and were Celtic to win then the gap between them will be just two points. My betting strategy here is to go for a Weymouth win but have a saver on the 0-0 draw (15/2). It's a big possibility. Remember the game last week between Stafford and Northwich. We all thought a 0-0 draw couldn't happen and sure enough it was goalless. I don't think this is going to be a thriller, maybe one goal in it, maybe no goals at all. A Weymouth win, and saver on the 0-0 it is.

Verdict: Home win

Angus Loughran Best Bets

Burton Albion v Forest Green Draw 9/4

Crawley 6/5

Histon 4/6

Banker Bet Aldershot 2/7