Northampton Town v Kettering Town: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The Saturday FA Cup first round card is completed by a special derby between local rivals Northampton Town of League One and Kettering Town of the Southern League Premier Central.

The Poppies are taking 1,500 supporters down the A43 to add spice to one of the outstanding ties of the round and, with a giantkilling history which goes back decades, Jon Brady's Cobblers will not be taking them lightly.

Northampton Town v Kettering Town betting tips and predictions

Draw or Kettering Double Chance - 12/5

Progressive Kettering are licking their lips at the prospect of a trip to neighbours and rivals Northampton, the best draw the club could have had, according to manager Richard Lavery.

In theory, the Cobblers win this as cosily as match odds of 1/3 would imply.

But this is the FA Cup where shocks happen routinely, though there are greater grounds than merely years of upsets for believing that Kettering make the short hop in more than just hope.

Firstly, Northampton are struggling, yes, in a division four levels higher than Kettering, but they are struggling nonetheless.

Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Lincoln City left them in 18th place in League One and came at a cost.

Their Wales international ex-Premier League striker Tyler Roberts was sent off so is suspended, while Tom Eaves - his obvious replacement - hobbled off and is out.

Their first-choice frontman Sam Hoskins has already been ruled out, while another attacking midfielder, Callum Morton, is also sidelined.

They are already down to just five senior defenders, so Brady's squad is threadbare. He can still call upon third-tier professionals, but the numbers are dwindling and the trip to Sincil Bank would have taken plenty out of them.

Kettering have had a free week so will be fresh and, while they are a seventh tier side in reality, the fact is they are top of their division and looking like a National League side.

They were rebuilt in the summer with plenty of headline-making additions - none more so than ex-Newcastle striker Nile Ranger, one of a quartet of ex top-flight frontmen in their ranks, alongside Marvin Sordell, Bruno Andrade and Gary Hooper.

They have won nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions, upsetting National League North side Farsley Celtic 2-1 away in the last qualifying round.

Logic says Northampton flex their muscles, but they are no value given their injury troubles and quite how decent and refreshed Kettering should be.

Nile Ranger anytime scorer - 4/1

There is definitely plenty of potency in the Kettering front line with former Norwich and Celtic veteran Hooper added to a mix also featuring Isaiah Noel-Williams, Andrade and Sordell.

And then there's Ranger, the former Southampton academy star whose dream move to Newcastle United didn't work out and he has been club-hopping ever since.

Ranger always had potential and knows he has wasted it, but that's to Kettering's advantage and four goals in a dozen games since he turned up at Latimer Park shows he's not lost his eye for goal.

With Johnny Edwards cup-tied, Ranger will be on penalty duties and is worth an interest at 4/1 that he finds the net in the Anytime Scorer market.

Over 9.5 Corners - 5/6

Northampton don't win many corners in League One - they mustered just one at Lincoln on Tuesday night and are averaging under four per game.

But they should be dominating proceedings at Sixfields against their seventh-tier neighbours and you would certainly expect them to improve upon that.

Kettering are well drilled at corners where their skipper and former Kilmarnock centre-back Connor Johnson is a threat.

This should be an open game and over 9.5 corners looks likely.

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Northampton Town v Kettering Town odds

Northampton Town - 1/3
Draw - 17/4
Kettering Town - 13/2

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.