SlipsTips Tips: Annan Athletic vs Kelty Hearts

Having delivered yet another winner in his featured column in midweek, SlipsTips is back to share his favourite festive fancy from the SPFL on Boxing Day.

Annan Athletic vs Kelty Hearts (Boxing Day, 13:00)

Kelty Hearts will look to extend their lead at the top of Scottish League Two when they travel to in-form Annan Athletic on Boxing Day.

The Maroon Machine have been motoring away at the head of the pack in their maiden season as an SPFL club, with the runaway leaders the only senior side in Scotland to boast an unbeaten league record.

As such, the ambitious Fife outfit are sitting on a comfortable seven-point lead at the summit of the standings and it is difficult to see them being stopped in their pursuit of the title.

Third-placed Annan, meanwhile, are on a bright patch of form in recent weeks, having taken maximum points from their last three tier four tussles, but it will be fair to say that there will be a huge step up in class when Kelty come calling.

The money has started to come for the visitors in this festive fixture – who have been chipped into a general 4/6 – but we can get some 19/20 (Bet 365) on them to overcome a -0.75 start on the Asian Handicap and that looks like a worthy boost in price.

Here we would land a half win if Kelty Hearts win by a solitary strike, whereas a Kelty triumph by two or more goals would deliver a full pay out.

As already alluded to, Kevin Thomson's team are yet to taste defeat in the league this season, having racked up 13 wins and three draws from their opening 16 contests of the campaign to put an eye-catching 42 points on the board.

Their impressive season so far has been owing to their solid display at both ends of the pitch as they boast the division's meanest attack with 37 goals scored, while conceding just 10 at the defensive end of the pitch.

Peter Murphy's hosts, on the other hand, have kept just one clean sheet across their last six Scottish League Two outings, not to mention they have posted just one shut out in eight attempts at their Galabank base this term to date.

That does not bode well for this weekend's encounter with a free-scoring Kelty side who will be be brimming with confidence coming into the fixture following a pair of 6-1 and 4-0 victories respectively.

With all that in mind, coupled with the fact Ketly Hearts have won nine of their last 10 league games, backing the Maroon Machine to overcome a -0.75 start on the Asian Handicap at 19/20 (Bet 365) makes plenty of appeal.