Chesterfield have all but sewn up promotion from the Vanarama National League, with the Spireites moving clear at the top of the table as the business end of the season approaches.
It leaves several teams looking to join them into the football league via the National League play-offs.
But when are the National League play-off finals scheduled to take place, and which sides are likely to compete for a coveted place in the football league?
When is the National League Play-Off Final?
The regular National League season concludes on Saturday, April 20th, in the 2023/24 campaign. There’s then little time before the play-offs get underway, however, with the first eliminator (which sees the teams finishing fifth and sixth in the table do battle) taking place on Tuesday, 23rd April 2024.
The teams finishing in fourth and seventh meet each other the following day on Wednesday, 24th April 2024, confirming the semi-final participants to face the league runners-up and the team finishing 3rd. Both play-off semis are contested on Sunday, 28th April 2024, with the final taking place six days later at Wembley on Saturday, 4th May.
The National League promotion finals for the North and South divisions are scheduled for the following day (Sunday, 5th May 2024) in what’s expected to be a busy and dramatic conclusion to the season.
| Play-off Round | Date |
| Eliminator A (5th vs 6th) | Tuesday, 23th April 2024 |
| Eliminator A (4th vs 7th) | Wednesday, 24th April 2024 |
| Semi-finals | Sunday, 28th April 2024 |
| Play-off Final | Saturday, 4th May 2024 |
Who’s in Contention to Win the National League Play-offs?
Football betting enthusiasts will know that Notts County secured promotion through the National League play-offs last season after overcoming the disappointment of narrowly missing out on the title to Wrexham.
However, six teams enter the play-off rounds, with the teams placing second and third automatically progressing to the semi-finals. They’ll be joined by two of the sides that finish between fourth and seventh, who’ll compete in eliminators to progress their chances of promotion.
Interestingly, in the first week of March, just 14 points separated Solihull Moors in fourth and Boreham Wood in 14th, so many teams remained in promotion contention as the last stretch of the season approached. But which teams are currently blazing a trail for others to follow? Here are four of the teams currently sitting just below Chesterfield:
- Bromley
- Barnet
- Solihull Moors
- Gateshead
National League Play-off Finals Betting Tips
You can back any of these teams to win promotion with talkSPORT BET, but what are the key insights when analysing markets and selecting potential winners? Here are some tips and ideas to keep in mind:
- #1. Study the Form: While this is a generic and obvious piece of advice, it’s important to study relevant data and use this to evaluate real-time promotion odds. Certainly, Bromley’s recent form is a cause for concern among fans, while it increases the chances of teams like Solihull Moors and Gateshead being promoted through the play-offs. So, use our odds to calculate the implied probability of each team’s success before using your own form analysis to identify superior value in betting lines.
- #2. Target BTTS and Over/Under Markets: When wagering on individual play-off matches, you should note that games are likely to be tense, keenly contested and difficult to call. So, there may be more value in exploring alternative betting markets, such as BTTS (both teams to score) and the over/under on how many goals will be scored during 90 minutes. These are even money and competitively priced wagers, while you can use form and performance analysis to inform your picks.
- #3. Use Combination Betting Where Applicable: While handicap betting isn’t recommended during the play-offs (due to the evenly matched nature of the competing teams), you should consider using combination wagering in some instances. These usually combine one or more markets in a single wager, such as backing a match winner and BTTS. Such bets require detailed research and analysis but may also unlock higher returns.
However you choose to bet on the National League play-offs, and regardless of your individual picks, you’ll need to ensure that you wager responsibly and within your means at all times. We offer several tools to help you in this regard, which can be accessed through talkSPORT BET’s Safer Gambling Portal.
