NEWPORT COUNTY AFC

AFC Wimbledon are 6/5 favourites to get the better of Morecambe this weekend while the high-flying visitors can be backed at 9/4, with the draw priced at 23/10. The hosts head into the fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over leaders Burton on Tuesday night and another victory to nil is priced at 3/1. Morecambe are fourth in the table following a midweek defeat at Mansfield but those who expect them to bounce back might be tempted to take the 100/30 about them winning 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1. Adebayo Azeez is 9/2 favourite to open the scoring and 5/4 to net anytime, while Morecambe duo Kevin Ellison and Paul Mullin can be backed at 13/2 and 2/1 in the same respective markets. Both teams to score is 4/6 and over 2.5 goals is 5/6.

Top tip: Azeez and Ellison to both score at 13/2

Second-in-the-table Bury host the leaders in the big Sky Bet League 2 game of the weekend and you can back Bury at 11/8 to take all three points in front of their own fans at Gigg Lane. Leaders Burton were shocked 3-0 by AFC Wimbledon last time out so they are the marginal outsiders at 19/10 to bounce back with their seventh win of the campaign.  The Shakers have won three out of four at home this season, picking up a 2-1 triumph over Stevenage on Tuesday night, and the same scoreline on Saturday is available at 17/2. Considering both defences have only shipped 11 goals between them,  over 2.5 being scored in this clash is even money (under is 8/11) while both teams to find the net is 4/5 (10/11 they don’t).  Bury’s Danny Rose is favourite at 9/2 to bag the opening goal and 5/4 to strike anytime, while Stuart Beavon is Burton’s best hope at 11/2 and 6/4 respectively in the same markets . 

Top tip: Danny Rose to score a brace at 7/1

Cambridge are marginal 6/4 favourites to get back to winning ways with a victory over Luton while the visitors are 9/5 and the draw is 23/10. United suffered their third defeat of the season on Tuesday night as they lost 2-1 at home to Exeter, although they are two points in the league ahead of their opponents this Saturday who managed a goalless draw at York last time out.  Cambridge games tend to produce goals with 26 netted in eight matches but Luton’s  stout defence means it’s only 10/11 that more than two are scored in this fixture.  Kwesi Appiah of Cambridge is favourite to score first at 5/1 and 11/8 to net anytime while Mark Cullen, who leads the line for Luton, is 6/1 and 7/4 in the respective markets. 

Top Tip: Cambridge to score two or more at 5/4

Cheltenham are 10/11 favourites to beat struggling Dagenham and Redbridge this weekend while the visitors can be backed at 3/1 to pick up the third win of their campaign. Both sides come into the clash on the back of midweek defeats so a draw wouldn’t be considered a bad result at 12/5. It’s even-money that over 2.5 goals are scored in this clash, while both teams to find the net can be backed at 4/5. Byron Harrison is 9/2 to score the first goal of the game at 9/2 and 5/4 to net anytime, with Jamie Cureton rated Dagenham’s biggest threat at 13/2 and 2/1 respectively.

Top tip: Draw and under 2.5 goals in the match at 3/1

Bottom-of-the-table Carlisle are 14/5 outsiders to claim their first victory of the season at Mansfield, who are 19/20 to stay in touch with the play-off places with a home win. The visitors only have three points from their eight games and a fourth draw for them can be backed at 23/10. The inconsistent Stags, who have yet to draw, are 13/2 to chalk up their second straight 1-0 triumph having beaten Morecambe by this scoreline on Tuesday night. Matt Rhead is 9/2 favourite to net the first of the game and 5/4 to score anytime while Billy Paynter of Carlisle is 13/2 and 2/1 in those markets. Over and under 2/5 goals in the match are both priced at 5/6 while both teams to score is 4/6. 

Top tip: Mansfield to keep a clean sheet at 13/8

Northampton are 8/11 favourites to maintain their good start to the season with a victory over struggling Accrington Stanley, who are 4/1 to claim all three points and 13/5 to earn a draw. The Cobblers thrashed Hartlepool 5-1 in midweek to climb to fifth in the table and can be backed at 3/1 to bag at least another three goals in this fixture. The visitors have lost all four away games, scoring three on the road and conceding 11, so a victory to nil isn’t regarded likely at 7/1. Northampton’s Marc Richards, who bagged a brace against Hartlepool, is 4/1 favourite to score the first goal and evens to net anytime while Accrington’s best hope is Marcus Carver at 7/1 and 12/5 respectively in the same markets. It’s 10/11 that over 2.5 goals are scored.

Top tip: Marc Richards to score first at 4/1

It has been a slow start to the season for Oxford but they received a timely boost in midweek with a first success as they took down Accrington 3-1. Sky Bet make them 5/4 favourites to follow-up as they bid to climb clear of the bottom end of the table. Stevenage sit in mid-table and can be backed at 11/5 and will hope to find their form again having lost a winning advantage at Bury in midweek. But it is the draw that looks quite tempting here with Sky Bet at 23/10 in what could be a contest that is evenly contested at the Kassam Stadium.

Best Bet: Back the draw at 23/10

Sky Bet have priced up the visitors at 7/2 for the long trip south and it is understandable after a 5-1 hammering in midweek at  Northampton which left boss Colin Cooper unimpressed. It will be interesting to see the response here having won two of their previous four and shown a bit of a revival following a sluggish start. Argyle are odds-on at 4/5 and fought hard to get something from their latest game at home to in-form Wycombe but it just might be worth a punt on Pools to bounce back here.

Best Bet: Hartlepool (+1) on the handicap at 4/5.

It is a case of feast or famine these days at Fratton Park with Pompey either winning or losing – they have recorded just one draw  which came on the opening day of the campaign. They look pretty solid on their own patch and Sky bet are inclined to agree as they make them 11/10 favourites to beat third-placed Wycombe (13/5). So the stalemate at 9/4 can be ruled out to some extent and an entertaining clash looks on the agenda – although one which is tough to call and could go either way.

Best Bet: Over 2.5 goals at evens

The Shrews ended a three-game losing spell with victory over whipping boys in midweek and Sky Bet make them odds-on at 10/11 to remain in a winning vein. The success hoisted them up to sixth place and five points clear of their rivals, who can be backed at 3/1 after they battled for a point in a goalless draw at Tranmere.  That was their third draw (12/5 here) in the last five outings and the form of goalkeeper Joe Day suggests he could have some success in terms of keeping the hosts at bay.

Best bet: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5

Rovers beat Morecambe 2-1 at the end of t last month but have hit the buffers since with a defeat and two 0-0 draws against Hartlepool and Newport. But Sky bet make them 23/20 chances to get back on course against an Exeter (12/5) side currently languishing towards the bottom of the table. The visitors finally broke their duck with a come-from-behind triumph at Cambridge and it will be interesting to see if that was a sign of things to come or just a flash in the pan. Exeter have a number of draws this season sprinkled into their results and that might be the way to go here.

Best Bet: Draw at 23/10

Sky Bet find this one tricky to weigh up with the home sides only marginal favorites at 8/5 and the draw relatively short at 9/4.. To coin a cliché, the Minstermen are draw specialists with six so far, including midweek at home to Luton. Southend seem to have recovered somewhat from a sticky patch with back-to-back victories with Cheltenham their latest victims on the road by a 1-0 margin. Splitting the pair looks tough but Sky Bet’s 100/30 on a draw with both teams finding the net could well get a run for your money.

Best Bet: Both teams to score and a draw at 100/30

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