English Football League 
/ Ian Lamont / 24 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Can Dean rally his men to victory?
"Want a mad value bet? Lay Bradford at home to the Hatters."
Ian Lamont scours the football league's basement division for the weekend's best bets...
Aldershot [2.52] draw [3.35] Port Vale [3.05]
A few weeks ago Dean Holdsworth said he was still getting to know many of his Aldershot squad. Well, he always knew one, Alex Rodman, whose goals denied him victory in his last game as Newport manager. Now, however, he seems confident enough to state that his players will soon give someone a right pasting, given how they are playing. He thinks they should have won at Northampton, where they gained a fifth consecutive draw against fellow draw specialists whose home form has been pretty good of late.
The Shots can certainly play with a little freedom in knowing that relegation and promotion are not really issues for them. Having said that, much as he might want to impress the Rec's faithful with a rousing victory, I don't think he will get one against Port Vale. Jim Gannon's men continue to be less of a fearsome force than they seemed under Micky Adams. Don't you just hate it when a manager leaves before completing a promotion? It doesn't seem to have affected Bournemouth, mind. The Valiants lost to a resurgent Stevenage in midweek. Unbeaten in five before that, I still felt that they might struggle to take all three points here.
A certain amount of background noise - prospective new owners in the wings and a fans-led "Black and Gold until we're sold" campaign - should keep the players on their toes but should not distract professionals. Tom Pope, on loan from Rotherham and a lifelong fan, will lift spirits as they fight out a draw.
Macclesfield [3.25] draw [3.1] Wycombe [2.5]
I hate it when a bet comes off a week late. Having predicted that the Chairboys could not afford to lose again last Saturday, they finally won on Tuesday, beating Burton handsomely. That should be the spur to take victory at Macclesfield, who remain a side playing the role of frustrating mid-ranking teams while picking off enough points for safety. They have lost at home to Bury, Rotherham and Gillingham in the past two months, the sort of sides who are chasing promotion with Gary Waddock's men. That losing streak by the visitors has probably bumped up the price on the away win, so this should be an occasion to pick up some pounds by backing them.
Bury [2.1] draw [3.55] Crewe [3.7]
Toss up between Stevenage at [1.9] to beat Cheltenham and a Bury home win, at the bigger price. Dario Gradi's visitors have really gone off the boil. The fear has to be that opponents have worked out how to manage their surfeit of possible match-winners - Clayton Donaldson, Ashley Westwood and the like - or that when one head drops the lot do. Maybe Crewe's players are down after realising - as Gradi outlined publicly recently - that their days at the club are numbered. Some need to reach League One to have any chance of signing new contracts on the same money as they are on now. Their one point from five games will put Efe Sodje in just the mood to give the Shakers a platform from the back to build a victory.
Bradford [1.74] draw [3.75] Stockport [5.3]
Psst! Want a mad value bet? Lay Bradford at home to the Hatters. The visitors have one win and four defeats from five away trips, eight points from 12 games. Ten points for Bradford in the same number of games has left them battling Stockport for a bottom two spot. Peter Taylor says he can take personal criticism from the fans and it has become exactly that - they are questioning his tactics, his choice of players, his abilities as a manager. They didn't like the fact he now says the players get nervous playing at home. Defeat here would make calls for his exit hard to resist at board level. In such a cauldron, the visitors may well take advantage.
Recommended bets:
Aldershot to draw with Port Vale at [3.35]
Wycombe to win at Macclesfield at [2.5]
Lay Bradford at home to Stockport [1.74]
Back Burty to beat Crewe at [2.1]
Ian Lamont scours the football league's basement division for the weekend's best bets......
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