Midweek League One Betting: Feelin' so good about Dani Lopez

19Mar 2013

Betfair

Alan Dudman returns for another go at Tuesday night's League One fixtures, and is very excited about Spanish forward Dani Lopez - the Stevenage star who bagged a classy hat-trick on Saturday against Sheffield United.

Yeovil Town 3.0 v Swindon Town 2.56, the draw 3.50

Yeovil are not quite in the same blistering form of late, with only one win registered in their last five games. Three of those have been draws, including last week's 2-2 home match against Crawley - an encounter they should have wrapped up the points.

Gary Johnson's side were 2-0 up and cruising, but lost their play in the second-half. They were slow to the ball and looked out of sorts. When Yeovil are on song, they get plenty of balls in to the box and their midfield four press well with great energy.

They do have an impressive home record at Huish Park, and Johnson has moved in the transfer market to sign Latvian left-footer Vitalijs Maksimento and Charlton striker Jordan Cook.

Like the Glovers, Swindon had no game on Saturday and they are decent on their travels. Opta stats reveal that the Robins have kept eight clean sheets away from home this season - the best record in the league. And I think it might be a really tight affair here.

Swindon are likely to be without Alan Navarro (hamstring) and Louis Thompson (international duty). Neither team are in red-hot form at the moment, and I would favour going at the 1-1 correct scoreline to back up the outright draw bet.

Recommended bets:

Back the draw @ 3.50

Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.88

Oldham Athletic 2.02 v Hartlepool United 4.10, the draw 3.55

This is a game Hartlepool simply cannot afford to lose in their bid for League One safety. Pools were the joke team for much of the season, but boss John Hughes has turned around a side that were lacking in results and confidence. This match pitches 21st against 22nd, which always leads me to a clash that neither will want to lose.

The north east outfit (despite their recent revival) are struggling in front of goal. They haven't scored in their last four matches, and have taken two points from their last 12. Beating Oldham looks a must, as they are six points from safety, but I am struggling to see where their goals are coming from.

Oldham have appointed Lee Johnson as their new manager (the youngest in the football league at 31), with the remit being keeping the Latics in the division.

Opta stats bode well for the host team, as they have won their last two games against Hartlepool. However, I am more interested in playing the unders here, as Oldham's last four games have all been under 2.5 goals, which is the same for Hartlepool's last three.

Recommended bet:

Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.86

Bury 2.54 v Stevenage Borough 3.10, the draw 3.40

Bury look far too short for Tuesday's match here considering their recent record of one win in their last eight. On the plus side the Shakers were much better on Saturday against Colchester - creating lots of chances but losing 2-1. Manager Kevin Blackwell got booed off, which raises the question what exactly do the Bury fans think should be happening?

Blackwell has no money and a squad so bare that 'Old Mother Hubbard' would be pretty disappointed. They

could welcome back veteran Efe Sodje and Nicky Ajose, and the latter's presence in front of goal will be a big boost.

The Shakers have the worst home attack in League One, whilst Opta highlight their fragile nature at the back - conceding 36 goals in the second-half of matches this season (joint-highest in the division).

Stevenage are the intriguing ones at the price. Saturday's 4-0 win over Sheffield United would make them far shorter than the 3.10 on offer this Tuesday. However, they are really inconsistent and their form has been dipping, along with their impotence in front of goal.

However that all changed with Dani Lopez on Saturday. The 22-year-old bagged a really classy hat-trick in that 4-0 win with some high calibre finishes. The Spaniard looks just the player Borough have been lacking recently, and I fancy him against a poor Bury backline.

Lopez was playing for Barnet on-loan the week before, and he hit a hat-trick there too. Let's all root for D-Lo.

Recommended bet:

Lay Bury @ 2.56