Welsh Wizards to serve up Wins

April has turned into our Monthus Horriblis after what has been a great start to 2012 betting wise. Short heads in races & draws that should have been wins in football games have become regular occurrences over the past couple of weeks & illustrate the dangers of betting at the beginning or end of seasons in any sports. It isn't a bad strategy to pare down bet sizes at this time of year as being cautious with your regular betting means you can save up for those really big bookie smashing punts for ultra confident picks. We've looked through the leagues to find some ace footy bets & although value is thin on the ground in the Premier League there are some good odds to be had elsewhere, as ever the best of luck & keep winning!

(Welsh loanee Jake Cassidy has scored 4 goals in 5 games for Tranmere)

In League One, Tranmere Rovers entertain Hartlepool at Prenton Park in a mid-table clash. Tranmere are two places & two points above Hartlepool as they both look to end their seasons on a high rather than a whimper. Tranmere had a major mid season blip but have picked up in recent months & have won six of their last nine league games making them one of the form teams in the league, in front of the home faithful they have been at their best & are unbeaten in their last ten matches. Tranmere have won their last four in a row with an aggregate scoreline of 9-1 & the loan signing of Jake Cassidy from Wolves seems to have really freshened up their attacking play. Visitors Hartlepool have also had their struggles this season & they have only won one of their last ten league games, they lost 2-1 at home to Chesterfield last weekend & boss Neale Cooper says his players should feel as disappointed as fans by recent results. Away from home the Monkey Hangers have mustered just four goals in their last seven games so Tranmere at the attractive price of evens with Paddy Power & Ladbrokes look to be the bet here.

(Cardiff stopper David Marshall will hope to keep stuttering Leeds at bay)

Here's one for you: in 7 of Cardiff City's last 8 games there have been two goals or less; for Leeds that figure is less than two goals in 10 of their last 12; in their early kickoff game on Saturday the odds for under 2.5 goals are 5/6 - all we can say is wow! This is a game where a win will confirm Cardiff's playoff place whereas a loss could leave Middlesbrough right on their tail so Malky Mackay will be determined to keep things tight & not lose. Over the whole season there have been plenty of total goals at the Cardiff City stadium but not over the past few weeks as their success has been built on a solid base & relying on some high quality midfield & forward play to nick the goals they need to keep grinding out the results. Leeds haven't kicked on with manager Neil Warnock's tenure & now they'll surely already be looking to next year & could take this as an opportunity to field some players that haven't had much recent action to see what they can do. We can certainly see a Cardiff victory here & it's likely to be a low scoring one, back the under 2.5 goals with confidence & a small wager on Cardiff 1-0 at 13/2 is worth a punt too.

(Rotherham boss Steve Evans embarks on a new challenge after a successful spell with Crawley)

In League Two, Rotherham need three points against Morecambe to keep alive their slim hopes of capturing the final play-off spot. New manager Steve Evans left promotion hopefuls Crawley Town to join Rotherham recently & this will be his first home game in charge, their current form has seen them win four of their last five before last weekend's 3-1 away defeat to formidable home side Shrewsbury Town. Rotherham are strong at home though & at the Don Valley Stadium they have won their last three in a row & four of their last five. Morecambe are going through a difficult spell currently & have only picked up one point in their last three league games & goals haven't be easy to come by, with them failing to score in three of their last five. With Steve Evans firing up the home side to get the fans on side we expect Rotherham to come out on top at the general price of 4/5.

As an additional little 3 odds on team treble we like the look of Bristol City (5/6), Notts County (8/15) & Reading (2/5) to win their respective games. Bristol City have had an upturn in fortunes & are unbeaten in 6 whilst opponents Barnsley haven't won away to them in over 20 years (12 attempts). Whilst Bury have been playing well of late they tend to be a much better home team & look up against it at Notts County who have only lost to the sides in 1st, 2nd & 3rd at home plus one blip to 20th placed Leyton Orient, they should weep the Shakers away here. The Reading pick speaks for itself, they are in incredible form & if they win here will become champions whereas Crystal Palace look to have little motivation to go all out for this one.

Selections:

Tranmere Rovers to beat Hartlepool at evens (Paddy Power/Ladbrokes)
Cardiff City v Leeds United under 2.5 goals at 5/6 (Coral & Bodog)
Cardiff City to beat Leeds United 1-0 at 13/2 (Coral & William Hill)
Rotherham to beat Morecambe at 4/5 (various)

Tasty Treble: Bristol City, Notts County & Reading all to win pays £39.30 to a £10 stake