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MK Dons have recovered from a sluggish, and slightly unlucky, start to the campaign to win each of their last five matches and look much more like the side many thought would threaten the playoff spots at the start of the campaign.

Paul Warne has seen his side score at least twice in each of their last four matches, netting 4+ goals in two of the three home games during this run against Doncaster and Bromley.

Aaron Collins has been the main source of goals - netting 13 goals across just 12 starts which is at least three more than any other player in the division. MK Dons have only lost one of their seven games at home this term, netting 15 goals in the process (2.14 per game).

Burton have only managed to win two of their seven away assignments this season, and are likely to be the latest team to come undone against this confident MK Dons side.

The away side have notably only kept two clean sheets across their 14 matches in League One, with these shutouts being quite fortunate against Plymouth (2.52 xG) and Bradford (1.49 xG).

These two sides played out one of the most memorable finales to a National League season last year, drawing 1-1 on the final day with both goals coming in added time to give York the title and automatic promotion by just two points - despite both sides clearing the 100 point mark.

Rochdale recovered well from that setback to earn promotion through the playoffs, and are looking to keep their place in the division with just three points separating them from the drop zone. We just need them to score here, which is something they’ve managed in six of their seven home matches.

They’ve avoided defeat in four of these games as well, netting 10 goals in total. York have settled in better to life in the EFL, but have crucially been really poor on the road - failing to win any of their seven matches and conceding 16 goals in the process (2.28 per game).

York have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their seven away matches this term, and the background surrounding this game should make it an entertaining watch. York are the better side, as shown by their league standing, but their away form acts as a leveller.

Salford have been near flawless at home this season, winning six of their seven matches and conceding just four goals in the process.

The only side to beat them at home this season was Chesterfield right at the start of the campaign, with that defeat being in a period of adjustment for Salford as they lost their opening three matches of the campaign.

They’ve since recovered really well to win each of their last five matches in League Two, and have some impressive underlying numbers to match.

Only Barnet (28) have scored more goals than Salford (25) in League Two, with the home side here also boasting the fourth best defensive record and having the third highest share of the ball.

Northampton are hovering above the relegation zone in League Two, winning just one of their six away matches this term.

I struggle to see how their scoring power troubling Salford here, they’ve only scored five goals across these games and are the lowest scorers in the division overall with just nine goals - five of which have come from set pieces.

Northampton have also lost their last three matches ahead of this one, including a bruising 4-0 defeat in the FA Cup to York City as the away side.

Crewe are one of six sides in League Two who are yet to lose a game at home, with Lee Bell’s side netting 12 goals across their seven matches (1.71 per game).

Crewe have managed to score in 14 of their last 15 matches across all competitions, with only Exeter keeping them out. Crewe were the away side on that occasion, which is where their scoring power is weaker (5 goals across seven matches).

Newport have failed to keep a clean sheet across their last six matches, and are notably one of only four sides in League Two yet to win a game on the road - conceding 11 goals across their seven away assignments (1.57 per game).

Crewe scored twice against Newport in this fixture last season from an xG of 1.85. We only need them to score once here, which looks more than plausible given their superior scoring power at home and Newport’s issues on the road.

Luke Woodhouse is worth a punt at 40/1 to win the Grand Slam.

He’s been the most improved player on the tour this year for me, and certainly is capable of putting together a decent run at a major now that he has shaken off some of the slight immaturity that previously affected his game.

This is a kind opening game for Woody against Tom Sykes, who will be making his debut at the Grand Slam after beating the likes of Tyler Thorpe, Adam Leek, Rob Owen and Tavis Dudeney in qualifying.

I think the nerves get to the debutant here. His highest average across qualifying was 91, and only Tavis Dudeney really gave him a proper game across those matches (92.61 - 5-4 defeat). 

Woodhouse outperforms Sykes in almost every metric over the last year, and also has way more experience on the big stage - where he’s looked increasingly confident, including beating Luke Littler on a big stage a few months ago.

He’s won a European Tour and Player Championship event this year, and has also reached the last 16 of two major tournaments. 

Woodhouse will play Ratajski next, which is obviously a much more awkward assignment with the experience and standard that the Polish Eagle regularly produces on the big stages - so this is pretty much a must win with only the top player from each group progressing. 

I think we see the version of Woodhouse we’ve seen all year here, and I really wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a deep run. 

At some point, Gerwyn Price’s luck has to change.

He’s probably been the best player overall in each of the last three big tournaments, but has lost in the final in two of them - once to Ross Smith, and once to Luke Humphries, despite having a commanding lead over Cool Hand in the World Grand Prix final.

There’s a multitude of reasons you could examine as to why Price is failing to get over the line, some point to his new focus outside of darts which Price references regularly in his interviews after losing two finals.

This group should be relatively straightforward for the Ice Man, only Luke Littler (1.25) and Luke Humphries (1.30) are shorter in the market to top their Grand Slam group than Price (1.33) who takes on Joe Hunt and Sebastian Bialecki.

Bialecki has the potential to cause a surprise, but this opening game should be routine. Joe Hunt qualified for the Grand Slam as a Challenge Tour winner, but has crucially never played on a stage this big.

His seasonal average sits just below 90, suggesting that even a below par Gerwyn Price would be able to beat him. His performance in the PC events this year has also been quite concerning, rarely getting past the Round of 64 in most of the events.

Price is 12/1 in places to win the Grand Slam, which isn’t bad for a player who has reached the final of the World Grand Prix and World Series this year as well as reaching the semi finals of the European Championship. 

Luke Woodhouse is worth a punt at 40/1 to win the Grand Slam.

He’s been the most improved player on the tour this year for me, and certainly is capable of putting together a decent run at a major now that he has shaken off some of the slight immaturity that previously affected his game.

This is a kind opening game for Woody against Tom Sykes, who will be making his debut at the Grand Slam after beating the likes of Tyler Thorpe, Adam Leek, Rob Owen and Tavis Dudeney in qualifying.

I think the nerves get to the debutant here. His highest average across qualifying was 91, and only Tavis Dudeney really gave him a proper game across those matches (92.61 - 5-4 defeat). 

Woodhouse outperforms Sykes in almost every metric over the last year, and also has way more experience on the big stage - where he’s looked increasingly confident, including beating Luke Littler on a big stage a few months ago.

He’s won a European Tour and Player Championship event this year, and has also reached the last 16 of two major tournaments. 

Woodhouse will play Ratajski next, which is obviously a much more awkward assignment with the experience and standard that the Polish Eagle regularly produces on the big stages - so this is pretty much a must win with only the top player from each group progressing. 

I think we see the version of Woodhouse we’ve seen all year here, and I really wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a deep run. 

Jermaine Wattimena has a real opportunity in this group against a player in Lisa Ashton who has never won a game at the Grand Slam across her five appearances and an out of sorts Alan Soutar.

Wattimena is as short as 1.11 to win this game, and it’s clear to see why when you look at the underlying numbers. All the metrics point to a comfortable Wattimena victory, and I think he also wins the 180 battle - which brings this single to a more appealing 1.57.

Wattimena is not a sensational 180 hitter, but has maintained a rate of 0.26 180s per leg over the last year which is decent enough. Lisa Ashton rarely hits maximums at the same rate, averaging just 0.11 180s per leg. 

Even if the game extends to seven legs, which would likely be a 5-2 win for Wattimena, Ashton would still come out without a 180 if she plays to that seasonal rate of maximum hitting - so two maximums is likely to be enough for the Dutchman to win that battle as well as the match.

This is such a tight group, with these two joined by the ever unpredictable Andrew Gilding in Group F.

There’s not a clear favourite for this group, Searle is the shortest in the odds (2.20), but I wouldn’t be in a rush to back him in a format this short and with Searle being one of those players who can average 100+ in one game and stoop down to a low 90s in the next.

Manby will see this as an opportunity. Unlike most of the lower ranked qualifiers in this event, Manby has performed and beaten big names on a big stage - with his run in the World Championship last year being seriously impressive on debut. 

We need this game to have at least seven legs, so we’re essentially backing both players to win at least two legs each. That’s basically backing Manby to hold his throw if you look at the odds for this game, which he’s more than capable of doing.

They’ve played each other twice this year, with Searle coming out a 6-3 winner on both occasions. The latest meeting was in a European Tour event too, showing again how Manby can certainly be competitive on this stage.

Jonny Clayton has been a solid performer all season, but I think he needs a big trophy to be in the conversations he’d like to be in around the Premier League next year. 

He’s got a kind start here against the final player to qualify for the Grand Slam in Anton Ostlund, who hails from Sweden and qualified via the Nordic & Baltic Championships. 

Ostlund has taken part in two Player Championship events this year, right at the start of 2026, and lost in the first round on both occasions to Willie O’Connor and Kevin Doets, being whitewashed 6-0 by the latter. 

I never worry about Clayton in games like this, he’s got the big stage experience and will know that he’s much better than his opponent in the majority of metrics. 

He’ll also have the foresight to know that this group is likely to become a straight shootout between himself and Rob Cross, who hasn’t been at his best this year but is always capable of pulling off an upset in this format. 

Clayton has gone out to the eventual finalist in the European Championship, the World Grand Prix and the World Series Finals - suggesting that it almost always takes a top player to beat him, and Ostlund will find it very difficult to reach that level. 

At some point, Gerwyn Price’s luck has to change.

He’s probably been the best player overall in each of the last three big tournaments, but has lost in the final in two of them - once to Ross Smith, and once to Luke Humphries, despite having a commanding lead over Cool Hand in the World Grand Prix final.

There’s a multitude of reasons you could examine as to why Price is failing to get over the line, some point to his new focus outside of darts which Price references regularly in his interviews after losing two finals.

This group should be relatively straightforward for the Ice Man, only Luke Littler (1.25) and Luke Humphries (1.30) are shorter in the market to top their Grand Slam group than Price (1.33) who takes on Joe Hunt and Sebastian Bialecki.

Bialecki has the potential to cause a surprise, but this opening game should be routine. Joe Hunt qualified for the Grand Slam as a Challenge Tour winner, but has crucially never played on a stage this big.

His seasonal average sits just below 90, suggesting that even a below par Gerwyn Price would be able to beat him. His performance in the PC events this year has also been quite concerning, rarely getting past the Round of 64 in most of the events.

Price is 12/1 in places to win the Grand Slam, which isn’t bad for a player who has reached the final of the World Grand Prix and World Series this year as well as reaching the semi finals of the European Championship. 

MK are in good form, winning each of their last three.

That includes scoring 10 in their last two home games, producing 4.62 xG combined in those games.

I’ve got to mention Aaron Collins, he netted six across those two home wins and he has 13 in 13 league games.

Burton are just one point behind MK in the table but expected points shows they have picked up five more points than they should have.

Their metrics are poor, especially away, where they average just 1.26 xG but 1.62 xGA.

MK have lost just one home game this season, whereas Burton have just two away wins.

Salford haven’t tasted defeat in the league since the end of August and they’re on a run of eight straight league victories.

They’ve also been superb at home, winning six from seven.

Their underlying data is particularly strong at home, where they create an average of 1.70 xG and restrict their opponents to just 1.19.

Northampton are also quite stern defensively, but their major issue is creating chances and scoring goals.

The Cobblers have averaged just 1.18 xG in League Two this season.

As a result, they are the league’s lowest scorers with nine goals in 13 games and they’ve won just one of their last six in all competitions.

The tide has turned for The Cumbrians, with Rob Elliot winning the fans over and guiding them to eight games unbeaten in all comps, with seven wins and an impressive win over Salford in the FA Cup last week.

This had been coming, with Carlisle averaging the highest xG in the National League at 1.83 and sitting top of the expected points table, despite being 18 points behind Boreham Wood.

Boston have picked up a couple of wins but they did come against the bottom two in the division.

On the road, The Pilgrims have managed just eight points from 21 available and they average a huge 1.89 xGA.

This looks like a good opportunity for Sebastien Pocognoli to claim his first home win as Scotland manager, and I think the Scots can score a couple of goals in the process.

Scotland made light work of North Macedonia in the reverse fixture, claiming a 2-0 success in Skopje.

The scoreline could have been more convincing, given that the Scots posted an xG of 3.45 and fired off 25 shots, 10 of which hit the target.

Scotland also have the added bonus of Che Adams and Scott McTominay returning, which boosts their firepower.

As for North Macedonia, they have endured a miserable campaign, losing all four of their matches and conceding multiple goals in each of those defeats.

With confidence and motivation likely to be low in the visitors’ camp, Scotland look capable of claiming a morale-boosting victory with some room to spare on Friday night.

Scott McTominay is expected to return to the Scotland starting XI on Friday night, and I’m keen to back him to register at least one shot on target.

He is yet to feature in the current Nations League campaign due to injury, but has been back with Napoli for well over a month and is in impressive form.

Indeed, McTominay has scored in each of Napoli’s last two Champions League matches.

He also bagged a brace against Roma last month.

The midfielder has long cut a talismanic figure for the Tartan Army and was a reliable source of shots on target during World Cup qualifying, working the opposition goalkeeper at least once in 5 of his 6 appearances.

He also racked up 3 on-target efforts against Brazil at the World Cup earlier this summer.

John McGinn has long had a reputation as a foul-winning machine, so I’m keen to back the all-action Scotland midfielder to be fouled 2+ times against North Macedonia on Friday night.

Remarkably, McGinn has been fouled a whopping 21 times across Scotland’s opening four Nations League matches, earning his country at least 4 free kicks in each.

He was brought down on no fewer than 6 occasions in last month’s meeting with North Macedonia.

McGinn has also been a foul magnet for Aston Villa this season, drawing 2.83 fouls per game in the Premier League and 1.56 per 90 in the Champions League.

He could come up against Agon Elezi, who committed 2 fouls and picked up a yellow card during North Macedonia’s last match against Switzerland.

Another player I’m keen to back to be fouled is Billy Gilmour.

The midfielder has been one of Scotland’s standout performers across Sebastien Pocognoli’s first four games in charge.

Gilmour sees plenty of possession at the base of midfield, where he looks to dictate the game.

That naturally brings him into close contact with opposition midfielders, which is reflected in the fact that he has been fouled in 3 of his 4 appearances during the current campaign.

That knack for winning free kicks was also evident in Napoli’s Champions League clash with Porto last week, when Gilmour drew 3 fouls.

He could come up against North Macedonia midfield duo Agon Elezi and Eljif Elmas, with the former overstepping the mark 5 times against Scotland last month and the latter committing 2 fouls against Switzerland last time out.

Back Andy Robertson to attempt at least one shot on Friday night.

Since Sebastien Pocognoli took charge, the Scotland skipper has been playing at wing-back and trying his luck more often.

Indeed, Robertson has taken 6 shots across Scotland’s opening four Nations League games, firing off 4 efforts away at North Macedonia in the reverse fixture.

Robertson has also registered 3 efforts across his last three Premier League appearances for Tottenham, one of which was away at Chelsea.

North Macedonia gave up 25 shots to Scotland when the sides met last month, so I fancy Robertson to get another shot away during this clash.

Moldova and Kazakhstan have two of the worst defensive records in Nations League C, having conceded eight and seven goals respectively.

Kazakhstan have scored and conceded in all four games, including their meeting with Moldova in October, which ended in a 2-1 win for the Moldovans.

There were 35 shots in that game, with 12 on target, and Kazakhstan won 11 corners.

Moldova have been creating chances at home, averaging 19.5 shots and 1.38 xG across their two home games.

Even in their 4-0 defeat to Slovakia last time out, they still managed 17 shots, with five on target.

Kazakhstan are allowing an average of 6.25 shots on target per game and will be without defender Sergey Maliy, who was sent off in their 2-2 draw with the Faroe Islands.

The Netherlands have scored and conceded in all four of their Nations League games and have one of the best attacking records in League A, with seven goals and an average of 2.8 xG per game.

They’ve been creating plenty of chances, averaging 22 shots per game, with 7.5 on target, but have struggled at the back.

Even Serbia managed to score against them in both meetings, creating 1.1 and 1.4 xG.

Greece, meanwhile, are still unbeaten and have scored in both away games, including a 1-0 win over Germany.

The two sides drew 2-2 in October, with the Dutch managing 19 shots but conceding twice and having to come back from two goals down.

The Netherlands will be without Van Dijk this time, while Greece have Pavlidis back. He’s currently the top scorer in the Portuguese league, with 11 goals in 11 games.

Cliftonville head into this one on the back of three straight Premiership wins, scoring an impressive 14 goals against Dungannon, Carrick Rangers and Larne.

They have the second-best attack in the league, with 27 goals in 15 games, and Brian Healy has been in great form, scoring four times in the last three rounds.

Despite that excellent attacking form, Cliftonville have conceded in 14 of their 15 league games and are averaging around 1.6 xGA away from home.

Limavady haven’t been much better at the back, conceding ten goals in their last five games and averaging 1.73 goals against per match, one of the worst defensive records in their league.

Going forward, though, they’ve scored in four straight games, including against Larne and Carrick Rangers, and both teams have found the net in four of their last five league matches.

Switzerland have won all four of their Nations League games and sit top of their group, with 11 goals scored and just one conceded.

They’re averaging 19.75 shots and 8.25 on target per game, while their opponents have managed just three shots on target across all four matches combined.

The Swiss have won both away games 3-0, beating North Macedonia and Scotland, and also beat Slovenia 2-1 in October, dominating possession and creating the better chances.

Dan Ndoye has been one of their standout players, with two goals, three assists and ten shots on target, more than any other player in the competition.

Slovenia have picked up seven points, but Scotland created over 2 xG against them in both meetings, even though Slovenia avoided defeat in both.

The hosts will also be without defenders Erik Janža and David Zec, which is far from ideal when facing one of the best attacks in the Nations League.

Serbia have lost all four of their Nations League games, conceding at least twice in every match, with three of those games seeing over 2.5 goals.

They're allowing an average of 26.25 shots per game, including eight on target, more total shots than any other team in the competition.

Germany beat Serbia 2-0 in October, completely dominating the game with 32 shots, eight on target and 3.81 xG.

Füllkrug is back in the squad, giving Germany another attacking option.

He's the Bundesliga's top scorer with nine goals, and the Germans need a win to boost their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

Serbia will be missing some important players in midfield and defence, including the suspended Lukić and Maksimović.

They'll be playing without their usual home support too, due to a UEFA sanction.

Scotland beat North Macedonia 2-0 in October, managing 25 shots, ten on target and 3.45 xG. They created seven big chances but missed six of them.

North Macedonia have lost all four of their Nations League games, conceding ten goals and at least twice in every match.

They've yet to score a single goal and are allowing 21 shots per game, including 8.25 on target.

Scotland are three points behind second-placed Slovenia and need a win to keep their promotion hopes alive, especially with a trip to Switzerland still to come.

Scott McTominay is back in the Scotland squad after missing the previous meeting. He's scored five goals in 11 games for Napoli this season and is averaging 3.33 shots and 1.25 on target per 90 minutes.

McTominay has been in good form for Napoli, scoring five goals in 11 games this season, including two against Roma, two against Bodø/Glimt and one against Porto.

The midfielder is averaging 3.33 shots and 1.25 on target per 90 minutes, impressive numbers for a player in his position.

He also scored three goals for Scotland in the previous Nations League campaign.

North Macedonia have lost all four of their Nations League games, conceding ten goals and allowing an average of 21 shots per game, with 8.25 on target.

Scotland beat them 2-0 in October but created enough chances to win by an even bigger margin, with 25 shots, ten on target and 3.45 xG.

McTominay missed that game but is back in the squad for this one, and he'll fancy his chances against a North Macedonia defence that's been giving opponents plenty of opportunities.

Jani Atanasov has picked up four yellow cards in 14 games for Aktobe this season, averaging a booking every 279 minutes.

The midfielder has also been booked in both of his Nations League appearances, including the game against Scotland in October, when he was shown a yellow just six minutes after coming on.

In that 2-0 defeat, North Macedonia committed 20 fouls and picked up five yellow cards.

They’re averaging 3.25 cards per game across their four Nations League matches.

John McGinn could be a handful for Atanasov in midfield. The Scot is averaging 5.2 fouls won per game in the competition and was fouled six times against North Macedonia.

Three players have been booked for fouling McGinn in his last two games: North Macedonia’s Anes Meliqi and Slovenia’s David Zec and Mark Zabukovnik.

Panagiotis Retsos has been picking up more cards this season, with four yellows in eight Greek league games and an average of 1.75 fouls committed per match.

That’s already as many yellow cards as he picked up in 26 league games last season.

He was booked for Greece against Germany recently, after fouling Karim Adeyemi.

Crysencio Summerville could cause similar problems for the Greek defence, with the winger playing in a similar area to Adeyemi.

He was fouled four times against Serbia, including once by Strahinja Pavlović, who was booked. Summerville is also averaging 2.09 fouls won per game for Al-Hilal this season.

When the two sides met in October, the Netherlands had 71% possession and managed 19 shots, keeping Retsos and the rest of the Greek defence pretty busy.

With Scott McTominay expected to be back in the Scotland side, I’m siding with him for a goal or an assist against North Macedonia on Friday night.

McTominay has long been one of the Tartan Army’s biggest goal threats, scoring 3 times during World Cup qualifying, including in home wins over Denmark and Belarus.

He also provided an assist away to Belarus and found the net against Bolivia in Scotland’s final World Cup warm-up fixture.

His recent form for Napoli offers further encouragement, netting 3 goals across his last two outings in the Champions League and a brace against Roma in Serie A last month.

McTominay also tends to take responsibility for penalties when representing Scotland, which adds to the appeal of backing him for a goal involvement here.

Given how I expect this game to play out tactically, I think there’s value in backing Andy Robertson to attempt 2+ shots.

Sebastien Pocognoli has been making use of a back three with wing-backs, which gives the Scotland captain plenty of licence to get into forward areas.

The clearest example came in last month’s reverse fixture, when Robertson let fly on no fewer than 4 occasions.

He also managed 1 shot in Scotland’s home game with Switzerland and another in their away match against Slovenia.

Looking further back, Robertson had 2 attempts in Scotland’s pre-World Cup friendly against Curacao at Hampden.

He’s been getting shots away at club level too, registering 2 against Crystal Palace in Tottenham’s last Premier League home game.

North Macedonia may be enduring a miserable campaign, but Matej Gashtarov has been one of the few players to impress.

The 19-year-old is highly rated and tends to find himself in the thick of the action, drawing plenty of fouls across the three matches he has started so far.

Indeed, he was brought down twice during North Macedonia’s home game with Switzerland, while he won 4 free kicks against Scotland in the reverse fixture.

His club numbers make the case even more compelling, with Gashtarov drawing an average of 2.83 fouls per 90 for Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian top flight this season.

He is likely to come up against combative Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, whose foul count across Scotland’s opening four Nations League games reads 2, 3, 4 and 4.

With Stephen Welsh ruled out through injury, Luke Graham could get the chance to start for Scotland on Friday night, making the young centre-half an attractive option to be fouled at least once.

Graham was a standout performer at both Falkirk and Dundee before earning a move to Stoke.

He is comfortable in possession and can carry the ball into midfield, which often sees him draw contact and win fouls.

That is reflected in the fact that he has drawn a sizeable average of 1.46 fouls per 90 for Stoke in the English Championship this season, being brought down 6 times across his last 3 outings.

He could be pressed and dragged into physical duels with North Macedonia’s Elmin Rastoder, who committed a foul while leading the line against Switzerland last time out.

Notably, Rastoder has committed an average of 1.36 fouls per 90 for Panathinaikos in the Conference League this season, adding to the case for Graham to draw a foul.

Morton look capable of making their mark when they travel to Livingston on Saturday.

The Ton have put their poor start to the season behind them and are now among the division’s in-form sides, having racked up four league wins in a row.

During their last away game a fortnight ago, Morton scored three times to defeat league leaders Partick Thistle before following that up with a thrilling 4-3 win over Stenhousemuir last Saturday.

They therefore look well placed to land a blow on a Livingston backline that has been far from watertight this season.

The Lions have failed to keep a clean sheet in four of their last five league games at home, adding weight to the case for the in-form visitors to score in West Lothian this weekend.

Partick Thistle will be keen to put their home defeat to Morton behind them when Inverness visit Firhill on Saturday.

That loss was their first league defeat at home since April 2025, which shows just how difficult the Jags have been to beat on their own patch over the past 18 months.

However, Mark Wilson’s side responded by beating Queen’s Park 1-0 last weekend and extending their lead at the top of the table.

Partick will now fancy their chances against an Inverness side who tend to do their best work at home and have struggled on their travels of late.

Indeed, the Caley Jags have lost three of their last six league games on the road, including a 5-1 hammering at Dunfermline a couple of weeks ago.

This should be a closer contest, but I think Partick can send Inverness home empty-handed.

East Kilbride returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win away at Queen of the South last weekend, and I think they can follow it up with another victory against Alloa on Saturday.

The K-Park side are going well in their first season in Scottish League One and currently sit third in the table.

East Kilbride have already seen off Queen of the South, Cove Rangers and Peterhead at home this season, and I fancy them to do the same against a struggling Alloa side.

The Wasps have lost seven of their last eight league games and are now on a run of three straight defeats.

What’s more, East Kilbride came out on top in the reverse fixture in mid-September, so I’m happy to back them to get the better of Alloa again.

I think Stranraer look like good value to defeat Kelty Hearts on Saturday, but I’m going to side with the slightly safer option on the double chance.

The Blues are top of Scottish League Two and will make the trip to Fife having avoided defeat in each of their last 11 league games, triumphing in an impressive eight of them.

Their form on the road during that run has been particularly strong, with Chris Aitken’s side winning each of their last four away matches, including comprehensive victories against Annan and Elgin.

As for Kelty Hearts, they are sitting mid-table after last week’s win over bottom club Annan.

However, the Maroon Machine have lost two of their last three home games, against Edinburgh and Elgin, so Stranraer look well placed to extend their unbeaten run.

East Kilbride returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win away at Queen of the South last weekend, and I think they can follow it up with another victory against Alloa on Saturday.

The K-Park side are going well in their first season in Scottish League One and currently sit third in the table.

East Kilbride have already seen off Queen of the South, Cove Rangers and Peterhead at home this season, and I fancy them to do the same against a struggling Alloa side.

The Wasps have lost seven of their last eight league games and are now on a run of three straight defeats.

What’s more, East Kilbride came out on top in the reverse fixture in mid-September, so I’m happy to back them to get the better of Alloa again.

I think Stranraer look like good value to defeat Kelty Hearts on Saturday, but I’m going to side with the slightly safer option on the double chance.

The Blues are top of Scottish League Two and will make the trip to Fife having avoided defeat in each of their last 11 league games, triumphing in an impressive eight of them.

Their form on the road during that run has been particularly strong, with Chris Aitken’s side winning each of their last four away matches, including comprehensive victories against Annan and Elgin.

As for Kelty Hearts, they are sitting mid-table after last week’s win over bottom club Annan.

However, the Maroon Machine have lost two of their last three home games, against Edinburgh and Elgin, so Stranraer look well placed to extend their unbeaten run.

I think the Republic of Ireland are worth backing to score at least once against Austria on Saturday night.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side have looked a greater threat going forward lately, scoring six goals across their last three Nations League games, including three away to Israel and two against Austria in last month’s reverse fixture.

Their strong finish to World Cup qualifying also offers encouragement, with Ireland winning all three of their final matches in the regular phase despite ultimately failing to qualify.

Those wins included a 2-0 success over Portugal at home and a thrilling 3-2 victory away to Hungary.

Ireland then took the Czech Republic to penalties after a 2-2 draw away from home in a World Cup play-off tie in March.

That suggests the visitors are more than capable of making their mark against an Austria side that have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their four Nations League matches, conceding in home wins over Israel and Kosovo.

I’m expecting Austria to be on the front foot for much of this game, so a minimum of five corners looks well within range for the hosts.

Ralf Rangnick’s side are not renowned for racking up high corner totals, but they have taken 5 or more in three of their opening four Nations League matches, including the 2-2 draw away to Ireland on matchday three.

Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign offers further encouragement.

They conceded 9 corners away to Portugal and 8 away to Hungary before giving up 6 against the Czech Republic in their play-off tie.

Canada racked up 12 corners against Ireland in a friendly back in June, which adds to the appeal of backing Austria to clear the over 4.5 hurdle.

Troy Parrott looks well placed to attempt at least two shots against Austria on Saturday night.

The Ireland forward is increasingly cutting a talismanic figure for his country, having scored 4 goals across his last three outings, including a brace against Austria in the reverse fixture.

He scored with 2 of his 3 attempts against the Austrians, while he also had 4 efforts against Israel last time out, one of which found the net.

Parrott finished World Cup qualifying strongly too, scoring 6 times across his final three outings and delivering 3 or more shots in each of those contests.

He has been in and out of the Real Betis side in La Liga this season, but still got multiple efforts away against Elche last weekend.

Parrott has also attempted at least 2 shots in Champions League appearances against both Feyenoord and Lille this term.

Austria have looked shaky at the back throughout their Nations League campaign, so I fancy Parrott to get at least two shots away again on Saturday night.

I’m also keen to back Troy Parrott to be fouled at least once at the Raiffeisen Arena on Saturday night.

The Ireland forward works tirelessly up front, looking to stretch defences with runs in behind, working the channels and holding the ball up with his back to goal.

That makes him a handful for defenders, who regularly end up fouling him.

Indeed, Parrott has been fouled 5 times in four Nations League appearances for Ireland, including once against Austria in Dublin last month.

He also won a free kick away to the Czech Republic in March’s play-off tie.

His recent domestic figures for Real Betis add weight to the case, with Parrott having been fouled five times across his last two La Liga appearances.

He is likely to get drawn into plenty of physical duels with Kevin Danso, who has committed 5 fouls across his three Nations League appearances for Austria and gave away multiple free kicks in their home game against Israel.

There is rarely any shortage of goalmouth action when Norway are involved, which is why I’m backing both teams to score in Oslo on Saturday evening.

All four of the Norwegians’ Nations League matches so far have featured goals at both ends, including a thrilling 3-2 home win over Denmark on matchday one.

BTTS was also a winning selection in all six of Norway’s matches at the World Cup, as well as in three of their four friendlies in the build-up to the tournament.

Wales’ Nations League games have not been as goal-heavy, but they did score twice when beating Norway 2-1 in the reverse fixture.

The Dragons like to play on the front foot under Craig Bellamy and will need to have a go here if they are to boost their hopes of finishing second, which should help make for an open contest in the Norwegian capital.

I think there’s plenty of scope for the two teams to combine for over 8.5 corners on Saturday evening.

Across their Nations League and World Cup campaigns, Norway’s matches have averaged 9.40 corners per game.

Stale Solbakken’s side tend to do much of the heavy lifting, averaging 5.00 corners per 90.

A closer look at Norway’s home games shows there were 11 corners in their opening win over Denmark.

They then took 7 of the 9 corners in their next home game against Portugal.

The reverse fixture with Portugal also saw both teams combine to deliver 10 corners.

Wales’ matches have not been as corner-heavy, but they managed to force 4 away at Denmark and 3 at home to both Denmark and Norway.

If the visitors can contribute a similar number here, I think Norway are more than capable of making up the difference and getting us past the 8.5 line.

I’m fully expecting Ethan Ampadu’s combative streak to be on show on Saturday evening, which is why I’m backing him to commit 2+ fouls.

He does plenty of the dirty work in the middle of the park for club and country, and has committed 9 fouls across his four Nations League appearances for Wales.

Upon closer inspection, Ampadu has committed at least 2 fouls in three of those games, including both away outings, with 4 against Denmark and 2 against Portugal.

Ampadu is likely to have his hands full trying to keep Martin Odegaard quiet.

The Norway captain was fouled 3 times in the reverse fixture and won 4 free kicks at home to Portugal and 3 at home to Denmark.

It’s also worth pointing out that Ampadu has been penalised 2+ times in four of his last five Premier League appearances for Leeds, adding weight to the case for this selection.

Back Neco Williams to be fouled at least once during this contest.

The Welsh full-back plays with plenty of intensity and likes to get stuck in, which often sees him in the thick of the action.

He has been fouled in all four of his Nations League appearances this campaign, earning Wales multiple free kicks in their home win over Norway.

Followers of the Premier League will also know that Williams has a real knack for being fouled at club level, and this season is proving no different.

Indeed, the Nottingham Forest utility man has drawn an average of 1.31 fouls per 90 in the English top flight this term.

He could find himself in a direct battle with Antonio Nusa, who has committed 3 fouls across the three Nations League matches he has started for Norway during the current campaign