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Burton travel to Grays Athletic

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Saturday January 17, 2009

Cambridge United v Woking

Prices correct at time of writing (2pm, Wednesday January 14, 2009).

Home 4/7 Draw 5/2 Away 5/1

I think the prices reflect the chances here. I like Cambridge and I think they'll win this clash, possibly 1-0. Fourth-from-bottom Woking won't relish this trip to Cambridge with the U's determined to at least get into the play-offs again and hopefully go one better than they did last season.

Verdict: Home win

Ebbsfleet United v Rushden & Diamonds

Home 13/10 Draw 23/10 Away 9/5

Rushden have been very inconsistent away from home, winning four, drawing four and losing four on the road. Fifteenth-placed Ebbsfleet are flattering to deceive at the moment. I like the draw here at 23/10. Rushden can one week win away from home and put in a great performance like at Wrexham earlier in the season and then the next week put in a very poor display. I'm going for the draw and I think 23/10 is a fair price.

Verdict: Draw

Forest Green Rovers v Eastbourne Borough

Home evens Draw 23/10 Away 5/2

I'm looking at this as an opportunity for third-from-bottom Forest Green to climb the table and I think I'm going to stick with them. Rovers at evens has tempted me in and I think they are going to have to try and show the spirit they showed in the first half against Derby in Rovers' recent FA Cup third-round clash when they went 2-0 up. Eastbourne are struggling away from home with four wins, one draw and nine defeats on the road and it's Forest Green to get three points here.

Verdict: Home win

Grays Athletic v Burton Albion

Home 5/2 Draw 23/10 Away evens

Burton are 13 points clear at the top of the Blue Square Premier. You look at this and ask are Burton really even money in the form that they are in? It's a price that will tempt the punters and it's tempted me. Burton have been very shrewd in appointing new boss Roy McFarland after the departure of Nigel Clough and they have a huge chance of winning the title this season. There's no reason for their good run to stop and I feel they should be odds-on to win so lets get stuck in, evens is a wonderful price.

Verdict: Away win

Kettering Town v Salisbury City

Home 8/13 Draw 5/2 Away 9/2

Kettering have decent home form while Salisbury have lost seven away games this season. Town have an FA Cup tie with Fulham around the corner. Without the FA Cup tie I would say 8/13 is a banker. I still think they'll win but won't put them in the best bets of the weekend because of that forthcoming Cup clash. The players naturally will be thinking about the Fulham game next weekend. There should be a good crowd as Kettering are encouraging fans to come to this match before they can snap up their tickets for the Fulham match. I expect the Poppies to beat Salisbury.

Verdict: Home win

Kidderminster Harriers v Weymouth

Home 4/7 Draw 5/2 Away 5/1

Kidderminster are in fourth place at the moment and have won 10, drawn two and lost one at home this season. The bookies will expect the punters to launch into Kidderminster here and I would agree. I don't know what it is about the Shropshire area but League Two outfit Shrewsbury are also going very well with their home form and the Shrews and Harriers arguably have the best home form in the top five divisions along with Manchester United. So it's a home win for me.

Verdict: Home win

Mansfield Town v Crawley Town

Home 6/4 Draw 9/4 Away 13/8

Mansfield are just one point above the drop zone and were deducted four points for fielding ineligible players earlier this season. Crawley Town were docked four points on Monday for fielding an unregistered player so this really is a battle in which both clubs will be looking for something. I think the draw is the value here, I can easily see Crawley getting a point. There's not much confidence at Mansfield at the moment and they haven't bounced back in their first season in the Blue Square Premier after relegation last season. I expect this to be a tight game and it's a draw for me.

Verdict: Draw

Northwich Victoria v Histon

Home 11/4 Draw 23/10 Away 10/11

Histon will look to bounce back from their FA Cup defeat to Swansea in midweek. Bottom-of-the-table Northwich look doomed at the moment and are a massive 12 points from safety. The Vics at 11/4 isn't the worst price this weekend. Histon's players will have to respond after their Cup exit and the next game is always a difficult one. If Northwich have got any chance of staging a Houdini-like recovery then it could start this weekend and I think they're over-priced so I'm going for a win for the Vics.

Verdict: Home win

Oxford United v Altrincham

Home 8/11 Draw 12/5 Away 7/2

Everything seems to be going against Oxford at the moment after they were deducted five points on Monday for fielding an unregistered player.

I think Altrincham have got a chance of getting a point and 12/5 looks a fair price. At the moment the Robins are not doing too badly but they just have not had any football. They've been the victim of the weather and postponements and so it's a hard one to call. The logical result is an Oxford home win but Altrincham boss Graham Heathcote has done very well this season and they recently had back-to-back away wins at Northwich and York. If they got three here that would be a huge step to safety this season. I think this will be a stalemate.

Verdict: Draw

Stevenage Borough v Barrow

Home 8/15 Draw 11/4 Away 5/1

I think Stevenage are a good thing at 8/15. Barrow have had a bad week after losing to Workington in the FA Trophy and the last thing they'll want is a trip down to Stevenage. Barrow have got to be careful in the next few weeks and they could be a team to oppose. I feel sorry for them because they have so much traveling to do. I'm going for a Stevenage win here.

Verdict: Home win

York City v Lewes

Home 4/7 Draw 5/2 Away 5/1

York had a good 2-1 win at Oxford in the FA Trophy in midweek but are just three points clear of the bottom four, while Lewes are second from bottom, 10 points from safety and set for relegation. I'm going to go with the Minstermen here. Their problem this season is that they have drawn too many games. I think 4/7 is a very fair price. I will be very surprised if Lewes get anything here and think York can cap a very good week with three points.

Verdict: Home win

Angus Loughran Best Bets

Treble

Burton evens

Stevenage 8/15

York 4/7

Banker Bet

Kidderminster Harriers 4/7