Home and Away: Cherries ripe for a win tonight

Eddie Howe has enjoyed a cracking start down on the south coast.

Jonno Turner focuses on League One for his two picks today.

We're off to the Fitness First Stadium for our first pick of the day - and AFC Bournemouth are looking to build over their excellent weekend win, with another three points against ailing Stevenage this evening.

The hosts have been galvanised since appointing boss Eddie Howe around six weeks ago, and go into this one unbeaten in eight - and with five consecutive wins of late.

That form has fired the Cherries into 11th place - and they are within touching distance of the play-off places, so much so that a win could put them right in the mix.

Howe will be delighted with that run of results, and he will be particularly happy with the performances of his side in front of their own fans, with five consecutive wins and 15 goals in that time underlining just how dominant the home side have been recently.

Visitors Stevenage began the season with a bang, and climbed right to the top end of the League One table - but are currently in the midst of a miserable run, and confidence will have been knocked in the away camp.

Two 4-1 losses in their last two outings (at home to Preston, and away at Sheffield United at the weekend) suggests that the Boro are having issues defensively at the moment, and I think that could cost them dearly this evening as they travel to a Bournemouth side full of momentum, confidence and attacking prowess.

Stevenage have slipped down into fifth place in the table, and another negative result here could see them move out of the play-off places completely - so boss Gary Smith will be keen for his side to arrest their recent slump in this one.

Unfortunately for the visitors, I can't see them shaking that recent poor form in this game - and I've got this encounter down as a home win.

Bet 1: AFC Bournemouth (HOME) @ 1.76

Across the South Coast, to Essex now - as Colchester United welcome in-form Coventry City to the Community Stadium, aiming to improve on recent performances which have seen them lose three of their last four.

Joe Dunne's side have failed to win in eight of their last 12 on their own patch, and that leaves the U's in mid table with around a third of the season played.

A 2-0 loss at home to Notts County a couple of weeks ago shows that the hosts are well beatable on their own patch - and a resurgent Coventry side will be desperate to take advantage of that in this clash.

And just one win from their last five games will have really affected confidence down in Essex - as the home side aims to tighten up at the back, following ten goals conceded in their last five.

Mark Robins' Sky Blues side go into this one on a roll following a 5-0 away thrashing of Hartlepool on Saturday - and he will be keen for his charges to build on that fantastic performance here.

Four wins from their last five is exactly the kind of consistency that the visitors will need to maintain if they are to secure their place back in the second tier - and they appear to have stabilised since a dreadful start to the season which left them sat in the relegation zone.

And 13 goals smashed in their last five underlines just how much attacking quality Robins has at his disposal - talent which he will be desperate to showcase in this fixture.

Bet 2: Coventry City (AWAY) @ 3.15