Sporting Life
non league nuggets

Matthew O'Regan's Non-League tips and best bets: Saturday 6 September 2025

By Matthew O'Regan
Football
Sat September 06, 2025 · 4M ago

Football betting tips: Non-league

National League

1.5pts Carlisle win to nil vs Truro at 13/8 (General)

National League North

1.5pts South Shields to score 2+ goals vs Southport at 4/5 (bet365)

1.5pts BTTS in Chester vs Scarborough at 8/11 (General)

1pt BTTS and Over 2.5 goals in Buxton vs Oxford City at 11/10 (bet365)

1pt BTTS in Bedford vs Curzon Ashton at 4/5 (bet365)

National League South

1.5pts BTTS and Over 2.5 goals in Farnborough vs Dover at evens (bet365)

1pt Worthing to score 2+ goals vs Dagenham & Redbridge at 5/4 (bet365)

BTTS Accumulator

0.5pt BTTS in Chester vs Scarborough, Farnborough vs Dover, Buxton vs Oxford City and Bedford vs Curzon Ashton at 15/2 (bet365)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

In my debut Sporting Life piece, I am delighted to have been asked to cover the wonderful and wacky world of non-league. In case I haven’t mentioned it enough, both my arms are in casts, owing to fractures on a thumb and a wrist.

Just because I am playing as Steve Buscemi from Grown Ups doesn’t mean I can’t find bets. The bookies have been stingy with the 1x2 market and picking a value bet from the National League has been as difficult as it currently is to wipe my arse, so the column consists of just one bet from step one.

Carlisle vs Truro

Carlisle entered the season as title favourites after back-to-back relegations and have made a steady start, sitting 3rd after edging past Brackley 1-0 in midweek. That was their fourth clean sheet of the campaign, with Mark Hughes clearly favouring pragmatism over flair.

If a return to the Football League is on the cards, Brunton Park must become a fortress.

So far, they’ve managed just one home clean sheet and five points in front of their own fans. Truro, though, look like ideal visitors.

The Tinners face a gruelling 896-mile round trip and opened the season with five straight defeats, scoring only once. They’ve since taken four points from two games but remain toothless away from home, scoring just once and losing all three. Against heavy favourites CARLISLE, they’ll do well to make this competitive, so backing the host to WIN TO NIL appeals.

Southport vs South Shields

South Shields were my outright pick to win the National League North at a juicy 16/1, and The Mariners are already sailing clear at the top. Ian Watson has tapped into the North-East talent pool, snapping up local freebies and luring Cedwyn Scott from Carlisle.

The 26-year-old hit 24 goals the last time he played at this level and already has five since his debut. Add in Paul Blackett—52 goals across the past two seasons and another five this term—and Watson boasts the league’s most dangerous strike force.

It’s paid off handsomely: 19 points from a possible 21, with at least two goals in each of the last six. Next up is a trip to basement side Southport, who’ve lost six of seven and conceded at least twice in every defeat.

With the division’s joint-best attack facing the joint-worst defence, The Mariners should barely need to raise the sails to claim another three points, and backing SOUTH SHIELDS TO SCORE 2+ GOALS is the bet.

Chester vs Scarborough

Chester’s 2-1 defeat at Worksop brought more drama off the pitch than on it, as an angry fan stormed the tunnel to confront boss Calum McIntyre. It neatly captures the mood at the Seals: after last season’s play-off heartbreak, things just aren’t clicking. A 2-2 draw at AFC Fylde did at least steady the ship.

Goals have been the one constant. Both teams have scored in five of Chester’s seven matches, including all three at home. They’ve only drawn a blank in heavy away defeats to South Shields and Chorley, but clean sheets have completely eluded them.

Scarborough, meanwhile, are flying. Since losing on opening day at title favourites Kidderminster, the Seadogs have rattled off four straight wins, scoring at least twice in each. Defensively, though, they’ve been far from watertight—only struggling Southport failed to find the net.

With leaky Seals up against free-scoring Seadogs, the battle of the sea creatures looks destined to make a splash on the goals front, with BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE a cracking bet.

Buxton vs Oxford City

Buxton were my other pick to win the league, but the Stags have stumbled out of the blocks and sit just two points above the drop zone. I’ve still got faith in my favourite manager in non-league, John McGrath to turn things around, but the early results are a worry.

My biggest doubt over their title hopes was always their style. They play football that’s almost too easy on the eye—like in the 2-1 defeat at Scarborough where they hogged 65% possession but came away empty-handed. Non-league demands a bit of nastiness, and that edge still seems missing. What they do guarantee, though, is entertainment—and Derbyshire has seen plenty of it.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in six of Buxton’s seven matches, including all three at Silverlands. Oxford City, level on points but ahead on goal difference, are cut from the same cloth, with six of their seven games also hitting three or more goals. Both play on artificial turf, which should suit the visitors too, setting up what looks a proper barnstormer - back BTTS AND OVER 2.5 GOALS.

Farnborough vs Dover

Farnborough stunned Chelmsford in midweek, hitting five against a side usually built on defensive discipline. It was their sixth BTTS in seven games and the fifth to go OVER 2.5 GOALS. Summer recruits Rakish Bingham and Dominic Poleon have added plenty of firepower—only leaders Hornchurch have scored more—but it’s come at a cost. No side has conceded more than Spencer Day’s threadbare squad.

Dover, promoted via the Isthmian Premier play-offs, have been just as entertaining. Jake Leberl’s side have scored in every match, with BTTS and overs landing in five of seven. Only Eastbourne Borough and Salisbury—both bottom-four sides with the worst attacking records—have failed to breach their defence.

Dagenham and Redbridge vs Worthing

The international break means a pause from my beloved Brighton and a chance to switch focus to my non-league team, Worthing. Chris Agutter's sexy Rebels head to recently relegated Dagenham & Redbridge, with both sides desperate to shake off sluggish starts.

Worthing have reached the play-offs in all three of their National League South campaigns, but promotion has remained elusive—last season’s late collapse costing them the title in the most dramatic fashion. Agutter arrived from Hastings with a reputation for fluid, attacking football, but inexperience and overthinking seemed to catch up with him.

That hangover lingered into this season. Agutter’s initial 5-3-2 produced sideways passing, long punts, and just a single point from games against Enfield, Farnborough, and Chippenham—all accompanied by three blanks in front of goal.

A switch to 4-3-3 has transformed them back into their free-scoring selves. Nicky Wheeler and Razzaq Coleman De-Graft now provide pace and trickery out wide, dovetailing with adventurous full-backs. I saw it first-hand: the 3-3 with Maidstone and 2-0 win over Salisbury were night and day compared to the lifeless 0-0 with Enfield.

As for Dagenham, the outright odds of 6/4 to win the league were baffling—one of the worst prices I’ve ever seen. Last year’s off-field turmoil ended in relegation, and new boss Lee Bradbury is still finding his feet. His side sit just outside the relegation zone, conceding at least twice in five of seven games, with the only exceptions a goalless draw against Salisbury and a 2-1 win over Hemel Hempstead—helped by some very questionable officiating.

With Worthing finally firing in attack and Dagenham still nursing relegation scars, the South Coast Barcelona look a juicy price to keep their scoring run going, so backing WORTHING 2+ GOALS is the bet. The game is live on DAZN if you fancy playing spot the lanky prick in a sling in the away end.

Bedford vs Curzon Ashton

Bedford stormed to the Southern League Central Premier Division title last season but have found life in the National League North far tougher, with the gruelling travel schedule taking its toll. Lee Bircham would have loved a National South placement, but instead faces a real battle to keep The Eagles afloat in the NLN.

Goals, though, have been a constant theme: BTTS has landed in six of their seven games, with the only blank coming in a narrow 1-0 defeat at AFC Fylde.

Under Craig Mahon, Curzon Ashton continued to punch above their weight but have lost him to AFC Fylde and they now sit 14th, with BTTS clicking in four of seven. Their 2-0 win over Chorley owed plenty to a superb goalkeeping display from Callum Hawkins, while blanks against Merthyr and Kidderminster tell only part of the story. With key attackers now back in the side, they’ll fancy their chances against Bedford’s leaky back line.

Odds correct at 1500 BST (04/09/25)

More from Sporting Life

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.