This weekend’s National League action offers several exciting fixtures and plenty of value in the betting markets.
Barnet vs Solihull Moors sees the league leaders looking to maintain their dominant home form against a Solihull side struggling for consistency. Braintree Town vs Forest Green Rovers pairs an improving Braintree team with a tough challenge against second-placed Forest Green, who have lost just twice all season.
Finally, Halifax Town vs Boston United features a promotion-chasing Halifax side up against a Boston team rooted near the bottom of the table and desperate for points. Let’s break down each game and explore the best betting opportunities.
Barnet vs Solihull Moors
Barnet host Solihull Moors on Saturday, sitting top of the table, two points clear of Forest Green Rovers, though Rovers have a game in hand. Barnet’s home form has been exceptional this season, with a record of W12-D3-L0, failing to score in just one game and keeping seven clean sheets in 15 home fixtures.
While Barnet have shown some inconsistency recently—drawing six of their last 11 matches—their home performances remain outstanding, averaging 2.47 goals per game while conceding only 0.67 per match. Notably, three of their 10 goals conceded at home came in a 3-3 draw with Sutton United, meaning they have allowed just seven goals in the other 14 games at an average of 0.5 per match.
Solihull Moors arrive in poor form, without a win in their last five matches. Their away record, however, isn’t terrible, standing at W6-D3-L5, with 14 goals conceded and four clean sheets in 14 matches. Solihull have failed to score in only three of their away games and did beat Barnet 4-3 at home earlier this season.
However, they have struggled against the stronger sides, with a W4-D- L8 record against teams in the top half. Away from home, they have dropped points to lower-tier teams, including a 1-0 loss at 18th-placed Braintree and a 1-1 draw with 22nd-placed Wealdstone.
Despite their strong home record, Barnet’s first halves tend to be tight, averaging just 1.53 total goals in the opening 45 minutes. Four of their 15 home games saw no first-half goals, while eight featured only one goal. There has been just one match with four or more first-half goals and only four with three or more.
Solihull’s first-half numbers are similarly low, averaging just 0.93 match goals in the first half of their away games. They have scored only seven first-half goals on the road, conceding six—two of which came in a 2-0 half-time deficit at Eastleigh. Solihull are likely to keep things tight early, knowing that an early Barnet goal could open the floodgates.
Given these patterns, it’s unlikely we’ll see three or more goals in the first half—this has only happened once in Solihull’s 14 away games. Barnet should ultimately be too strong for Solihull but backing Barnet to win and under 3 first-half goals is an excellent betting angle for this game.
- Best Bet: Barnet to win and under three 1st half goals at 1.80 with Bet365
Braintree Town vs Forest Green Rovers
Braintree have steadily climbed out of the relegation zone this season, with a current record of W8-D7-L15. They have failed to score in 10 of their 30 matches and have managed just eight clean sheets. At home, their record stands at W5-D4-L6, but they have failed to score in seven of those 15 home fixtures, despite keeping a clean sheet in 40% of their home games.
Braintree’s record against top four sides is poor—W0-D0-L5—though only one of those games was at home, a 2-0 loss to Oldham. They did manage to hold Gateshead to a 2-2 draw, but recent home form has been shaky, with just one win in their last six home matches.
Forest Green are currently second in the division and have lost only once in their last 20 National League games. Their season record is W17-D11-L2, with both defeats coming against fellow top-four sides Barnet and Oldham. Against teams outside the top four, Forest Green have been unstoppable, with a record of W16-D10-L0, conceding just 21 goals—an average of 0.81 per match.
Given Forest Green’s consistency and their unbeaten record on the road against teams outside the top four, it’s highly unlikely that Braintree will take all three points.
Forest Green have scored in all but three away game this season and their away games have averaged 2.6 goals per match. While the first two away games of the season produced 10 goals combined, the average has since dropped to 2.23 goals per game, with only three of their last 13 away matches seeing four or more goals.
Braintree’s home games have been low scoring, averaging just 1.6 goals per match, with only three of their 15 home fixtures producing four or more goals. Both teams are defensively solid, so a high-scoring game seems unlikely.
Given Forest Green’s strong record, their ability to score in every game, and Braintree’s struggles against top opposition, backing Forest Green to win or draw, Forest Green to score at least once, and under four total match goals is an excellent angle for this game.
- Best Bet: Forest Green to win or draw (double chance), Forest Green over 0 goals and under 4 goals at 1.90 with Bet365
Halifax Town vs Boston Utd
Halifax Town sit sixth in the National League, having collected 48 points from 30 games with a record of W13-D9-L8. Over their last 10 fixtures, Halifax have picked up 18 points, with only five teams in the division collecting more during that period. At home, their form has been inconsistent (W5-D4-L5) with just three clean sheets, but they have been reliable against lower-half opposition.
Their record against teams in the bottom half stands at W10-D3-L3, showing they can capitalise on weaker opponents. In their last 14 matches, they have only lost three times.
Halifax are just five points ahead of Rochdale, who have four games in hand, making this a must-win to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Boston United are in serious trouble and look almost certain to face relegation. They have a poor record of W4-D8-L15, having conceded 44 goals, with only six sides allowing more. Offensively, they have struggled badly—only Ebbsfleet have scored fewer goals than Boston this season.
On the road, Boston have picked up just nine points from 12 matches (W2-D3-L7), scoring only nine goals, the lowest away tally in the division. Their two away wins came early in the season—a 1-0 victory over York in August, followed by a 3-0 win over Sutton. Since then, their away form has collapsed, with a record of W0-D3-L6, scoring just four goals in nine games, two of which came in a 2-2 draw with Altrincham.
Defensively, Boston’s away performances have been consistently poor. Over their last nine away games, they have conceded an average of 1.89 goals per match and managed just one clean sheet, which came against bottom-placed Ebbsfleet.
Boston’s away record is consistently poor, and their defensive vulnerabilities make them highly likely to concede multiple goals. Given Halifax’s solid record against weaker teams and Boston’s ongoing struggles, Halifax are well-priced for the win, and despite their mixed home form, they should have enough to beat an incredibly poor Boston side.
- Best Bet: Halifax to win at 1.80 with 888 Sport
