After 14 games, the National League is starting to take shape with Barnet and Forest Green neck and neck at the top. At the other end of the table, Ebbsfleet have their work cut out to stay in the division, with Wealdstone, Boston, and Fylde all in danger of relegation too.
What is most surprising about Fylde’s early involvement in the relegation battle is that they currently have the league’s top scorer, who has 11 goals in just 14 games.
This anomaly has created some excellent value in the top goalscorer betting for the season, with Haughton currently out on his own at 5/1 at many of the sites reviewed by SportsCasting UK.
The good news for bettors about Haughton’s excellent early form is that it has pushed the prices of other players out. If Fylde continues to struggle, he may find opportunities few and far between in future fixtures.
His 11 goals and 3 assists mean that Fylde has only managed 4 league goals without his involvement. This is not the kind of numbers you want if you are a contender for top goalscorer.
Rochdale’s Kairo Mitchell and Gus Scott Morriss of Southend are next in the goalscoring charts with 9 goals apiece. However, Southend are currently down in 15th place with Rochdale in 6th.
Because of this, both players are priced at 10/1 alongside Christian Doidge of Forest Green who is on 7 goals. The former Hibs striker returned to Forest Green in 2024 after a stint in Scotland, and Forest Green’s position as second favourite for the title means he should have plenty of opportunity to add to his tally.
League favourites Barnet have two players in contention with bookmakers making them joint second favourites behind Nick Haughton at 9/1. Callum Stead currently sits on 7 goals from 14 games, but it is his teammate Nicke Kabamba who has been turning heads.
Despite sitting in 8th place in the top goalscorer charts, it is worth noting that he has only made 7 appearances this season so far, half that of most of his rivals.
The 31-year-old journeyman has featured for 14 clubs in his career, most notably playing in the Scottish Premier League for Kilmarnock. Starting life as a sprinter, he opted to pursue his career in football and at 6ft 3″ he offers speed and strength up front.
There is still a long way to go with teams completing a rigorous 46-game calendar. While this will give players plenty of opportunity to get more goals, the physical demands can also see players pick up injuries or managers experiment with squad rotation to keep their players fresh.
Finding out who is on penalties will always help when it comes to goal scorer markets, and you might also consider whether a player will be snapped up in the winter transfer market.
