Betting blog: Southern Premier - Saturday 2nd February 2013

DESPITE last week's success, the form in the Southern League Premier Division looks less clearcut this Saturday.



There is one stand-out fixture on the card with AFC Totton at home again. The Stags have racked up eight wins out of nine matches at the Testwood Stadium as Steve Riley's side take on his former club Bashley. 


In the reverse fixture, Bash were eased aside 3-0 in November and Totton look good value to complete a double at 5/6 despite the visitors' decent away form. Frank Gray's charges have not played for four weeks and are winless in six matches.


Beyond that, finding certainties looks a lot tougher this week though, so we're looking to the division's form team, Stourbridge, for inspiration. 


After trouncing Hitchin 4-1 last week, the promotion chasing Glassboys have a tougher test with the unpredictable Bedford Town visiting Amblecote.


Braver punters can add them (3/4) to play-off chasers Arlesey Town (3/5), who host a St Albans side whose form is beginning to drift, and Barwell (6/11) who, despite some patchy home form, should prove too strong for Hitchin Town in the battle of the Canaries. 


TOP TIP: The safe bet is a sizeable single on Totton before the odds are cut, or take all four teams for odds of nearly 7/1.

Betting blog: Southern Premier - Saturday 26th January 2013

IN the first of a new column theonionsack takes a look at betting in the Southern League Premier Division and picks the hot tips for the forthcoming weekend’s action.

Despite the weather forecast being pretty grim for most fixtures, we’ve plucked four matches out for potential profit this week with some of the less obvious selections looking the best bet.

There may not be a lot between AFC Totton and St Neots Town in the league table, but with the Saints’ form plummeting and Steve Riley’s charges winning seven of their last eight outings at the Testwood Stadium the Stags are great value for a home win at 11/10.

We should get two more home wins from promotion chasing clubs in the Midlands with Barwell, on the back of three straight wins, hosting a Bashley side who are winless in six and the Canaries won 5-0 at Bash back in September. Elsewhere, high-flying Stourbridge welcome strugglers Hitchin Town. Both are odds on (Barwell 4/7, Stourbridge 4/9) but added to our final selection, the odds add up to nearly 9/1.

Cambridge City, who are 11/10 to win at Frome Town make up the quartet. The hosts are without a win at The Aldersmith Stadium in six matches while the Lilywhites have won six out of eight away games with the only blots on their copybook being narrow defeats at Hemel and Barwell, bothcurrently in the top five.

We’re avoiding the top two this week as Leamington travel to an in-form Arlesey Town and Hemel host improving Weymouth. Elsewhere, Chesham’s form is too good to discount as they travel to Gosport Borough who top the form table.

TOP TIP: A cheeky tenner on those four returns just shy of £100 with Bet365 at the current odds, but get on it quickly if you’re going to, the odds are getting shorter pretty quickly.

*Prices correct at time of publication.