Little's Tranmere can see off Barnsley.

By Rob Freeman

Betting Box Tipping Guide

BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS
	1pt on Tranmere to beat Barnsley at 7/2 (Ladbrokes & Skybet).	Rovers have improved hugely under Brian Little.
	2pts Jake Edwards to score at anytime for Yeovil at 5/2 (Bet365).	Big price about striker netting for a fifth consecutive game.
	2.75pts on Mansfield to beat Carlisle at 10/11 (Ladbrokes & Coral).	Stags have been in terrific form, while Carlisle have just five points from 17 games.
	1pt on Mansfield to score three or more at 10/3 (Bet365).	Most prolific attack in the division will punish any poor defending.

With a full schedule of international matches this weekend, the Nationwide league has a slightly watered down look about it. Just four matches in the first division have survived the international call-ups, although the second and third divisions remain unaffected.

The First Division coupon is fairly unappealing, with Norwich likely to dispose of Watford, while Gillingham start as hot favourites to add to Wimbledon's problems. Though at 8/15 and 8/13 respectively, I won't be getting involved in either of these two games.

Elsewhere, Burnley look a reasonable price to beat Derby at Pride Park, but the Rams took a decent result from last weekend's tie with Ipswich, so I would prefer not to oppose them.

So it's straight into the Second Division where Tranmere could be the best value on the coupon this weekend.

Rovers finished last season in great form, staying unbeaten for the final 15 games of the campaign, so it has been a great surprise to see them struggling so badly to pick up points this time around.

The signs are there that things are starting to get back to normal around Prenton Park under Brian Little. Since Little took over Tranmere have lost just once, and are now unbeaten in five.

While Tranmere were starting the season slowly, this week's opponents Barnsley were performing miracles by setting the pace in the division, despite not playing a single pre-season game.

The Barnsley bubble may have finally burst however and Tranmere could inflict a third consecutive league defeat on the Tykes this weekend.

Barnsley also dropped out of the LDV Vans cup this week when they went down by the odd goal at Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night.

Although Tranmere will have plenty of work to do if they are to return from Yorkshire with three points, they look an attractive proposition at 7/2 to win their first away game of the season.

In the Third Division, it's hard not to fancy Mansfield to defeat bottom side Carlisle. The league's top scorers turned in a professional performance last weekend as they trounced non-league Bishop's Stortford 6-0 in the FA Cup and are still hot on the heels of Hull City in the league. They would be hugely disappointed if they drop points at Carlisle in what is probably the easiest away day in the entire football league.

With just five points from 17 games so far, things are starting to look very worrying indeed for Carlisle, and they must dread playing free-scoring sides such as Mansfield after conceding 32 goals already this campaign.

Mansfield have won their last three games, beating Cheltenham 4-0 and Boston 2-1, while Carlisle have lost five of their last six, including a 3-0 FA Cup hammering at Oldham last weekend.

Nothing has really improved at Brunton Park since Paul Simpson took over as manager and some might even feel that since Simpson stopped picking himself, his absence on the pitch has further deepened the problems for the Cumbrian side.

Mansfield look well priced at 10/11 to win the game at Brunton Park, but it might also pay to have a small wager on the visitors scoring three or more goals at 10/3 with Bet365.

The best attack in the division meets the second worst defence, and things could get messy for Carlisle if Mansfield kick into gear early. The Stags have hit three or more goals on eight occasions already this season, and Carlisle could struggle to contain the likes of Liam Lawrence, Iyseden Christie and Junior Mendes.

Our final pick this weekend comes from Huish Park, where Yeovil should make light work of Southend.

Essex to Somerset is no easy journey, so Southend are unlikely to enjoy perfect preparations for this tie. The Shrimpers were held to a draw by Ryman League side Canvey Island in the FA Cup last weekend, and sit just one place above the relegation zone after a run of poor results.

Southend are struggling to stop their opponents scoring, and have managed just three clean sheets all season, while Yeovil are on fire at home this season with eight wins already in the bag – and they saw off second division Wrexham comfortably last weekend.

Kevin Gall was the star of the Conference last season, but there is a new kid in town now at Yeovil, who has found out that Gall does not only score goals for himself, but is also well capable of making them for others. Jake Edwards is his name, and five goals in his last four starts tells the story of how he has adapted to life in the third division.

A summer capture from Telford, Edwards has found that the step up a division was nothing like as tough as one might expect, and has now netted against Cambridge, Bury, Colchester and his former club Wrexham in consecutive games.

Although we can't expect him to keep up this scoring record, Edwards looks a very big price at 5/2 to notch again this weekend against a slightly shaky defence. Edwards is playing superb football, and this price is simply too good to miss.