Over 2.5 Goals Tips: Saturday 12/1 Acca from the FA Trophy

The weather curtailed our Over 2.5 Tips column last week but even with three postponements, we fell one game short thanks to a surprise 0-0 draw at Hornchurch.

This week we go exclusively to the third round of the FA Trophy with seven games and a 12/1 price for the accumulator...

Leg 1 - Aveley vs Hungerford Town @ 1/2

For the second week in a row, I'm visiting the Parkside Stadium in Thurrock where the home side have been scoring (and conceding) goals at a very tasty rate. Last week it was for BTTS and this week we go for the Over 2.5.

There is a bit of money behind Aveley and they were the early pace-setters in the National League South but recent results have been a bit indifferent, although the goal numbers continue to be high. They lost 4-3 last Saturday and then had a 2-2 draw on Monday night.

On Saturday afternoon they welcome in the second highest scorers from the Southern League, Southern Division in Hungerford Town. No-one has conceded more than the Crusaders in the top-half of the table, so every way you slice it, all signs point to goals flowing.

Leg 2 - Chesterfield vs Southport @ 4/9

When looking at the Over 2.5 markets in cup competitions, one avenue I like to look out for is mismatches. Games against two sides where one is a prohibitive favourite and where that team could easily score three themselves.

That leads me to the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield where the runaway leaders at the top of the National League take on middle-of-the-pack Southport from a division below.

Paul Cook’s side have been smashing the goals in at their level at a rate of 2.5 per game. Playing at home against a Southport team, who on paper are not anywhere near the level of their opposition, should lead to a comfortable win for the Spireites and they could easily get to the magic number themselves, with no help from the visitors.

Leg 3 - City of Liverpool vs Hartlepool United @ 4/9

Only AFC Fylde and Gateshead are above Hartlepool United when it comes to Over 2.5 being a winning bet in National League games so far this season and this weekend, Jeff Stelling’s favourite team make the journey from east coast to west to take on a City of Liverpool side, who themselves are entertainers.

The home side have played 15 games so far in their Northern West Division schedule and fans will have seen 52 goals scored in those matches, so a rate of over three-per-game. Hartlepool themselves are nudging towards four-per-game.

The visitors should be considered big favourites coming in from a significantly higher league and goals should flow at the Berry Street Garage Stadium.

Leg 4 - Hereford vs South Park FC @ 8/15

Can it really be 24 years since Newport IoW made the long journey to Edgar Street to take on recently relegated from the Football League, Hereford United?

I doubt anyone reading this will remember that FA Cup Third Qualifying round tie but I do. The home side were 2-0 up with 23 minutes remaining before the mighty Port came storming back to dump the Welsh side out of the competition in the upset of the round.

Hereford are a phoenix club who inherited the stadium back in 2014 and they’ve been fighting their way back through the football pyramid and are currently on the outskirts of the playoff places in the National League North.

They should be considered heavy favourites to get past Isthmian South Central side South Park FC on Saturday and similar to my thought-process with the Chesterfield game earlier in the column, the home side could well do the business without any help from their lower-league opposition.

Leg 5 - Kidderminster Harriers vs Stourbridge @ 4/9

Another mismatch on paper comes from the ground of another famous FA Cup side of yesteryear, Aggbrough, where the home side get the opportunity to get away from their league issues and play a team who are sitting in mid-table in the Southern League, Central Division.

Stourbridge do have several games in hand and their hopes of promotion are not already in the bin. The Glassboys made it all the way to the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup before going down to National League opposition in Gateshead.

This of course is a bit of a West Midlands Derby with the two clubs only separated by less than eight miles along the A451. It should be competitive despite the differences in levels of both sides. This isn’t a case of where I think the team from a significant higher division just rolls. Both sides score and a 3-2 type of scoreline either way would not shock.

Leg 6 - Radcliffe Football Club vs Redditch United @ 4/9

Radcliffe FC are the runaway leaders in the Northern Division and they are scoring at three-goals-a-game and that doesn’t include the 24 times they conceded.

If you throw them into the mix then we are seeing games involving the Greater Manchester side averaging over four-per-game.

On Saturday they face a good Redditch United side who themselves are looking to get out of the same tier of the football pyramid, although they play in the Southern League, Central Division.

I think this is a competitive match, with both clubs very much believing that they can progress. Neither side have been stingy at the back and they have good attacks. Goals are on the cards.

Leg 7 - Oldham Athletic vs Mickleover Sports @ 4/11

Oldham sit in mid-table in the National League but they play a Mickleover Sports side who have been banging in goals for fun down in the Southern League, Central Division. 43 in 18 is a great return and they’ll be looking to cause a potential upset.

The home side have both scored 33 and conceded 33 in 22 games, which makes the maths really rather easy and no need to get the calculator app up. That equates to three goals per 90 minutes in games involving the Latics.

That is the type of record that always gets over 2.5 punters interested but when you add the goalscoring record of their opponents this weekend, it is very much a play for our Saturday Over 2.5 Accumulator.

The team here at Betfred Insights provide plenty of Football Accumulator Tips throughout the week, so check them out on our Acca hub page...