Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 7-8

Ten draws: Chelsea v Everton, Crystal Palace v Watford, Charlton v Middlesbrough, Preston v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Coventry, MK Dons v Doncaster, Peterborough v Portsmouth, Cheltenham v Port Vale, Salford v Bradford City, St Johnstone v Livingston.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Watford, Charlton v Middlesbrough, MK Dons v Doncaster, Peterborough v Portsmouth, Salford v Bradford City.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Burton, Rotherham, Oxford, Rangers, Inverness.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Wolves, Derby, Leeds, Stoke, Crewe, Northampton, Plymouth, Swindon, Hearts.

Pick of the draws: Watford must still be on cloud nine after that magnificent 3-0 home win over Liverpool last Saturday. It moved them out of the Premier League relegation zone but they may have to settle for a point at Crystal Palace, who have defeated Newcastle (home) and Brighton (away) in the past two weeks and are nearly safe. Charlton v Middlesbrough is a clash between two out-of-form sides in the Championship. Both are fighting to avoid relegation and it's hard to make a positive case for either of them. Doncaster's 3-1 home victory over League One high-flyers Wycombe last weekend was probably their best display of the season but their hosts, MK Dons, have also perked up and held second-placed Rotherham to a 1-1 draw last Saturday. It's getting very tight at the top of this division and Peterborough v Portsmouth is the stand-out match. Pompey gave Arsenal some anxious moments in the first half of the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Fratton Park last Monday and I believe they'll come away with a point here. Bradford City have the quality to climb back into the League Two play-off places but Salford have acquitted themselves well in their first season in the Football League and can deny them maximum points.

Away days: I think beating Real Madrid away in the Champions League and winning the League Cup for the third year in a row will lift Manchester City for the rest of the season and I tip them to come out on top against their bitter foes Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. Burton, who have six away wins in League One, will fancy their chances of making it seven at Lincoln, who appear on a downward spiral. Promotion-seeking Rotherham let two points slip at home to MK Dons and will be anxious not to repeat this mistake when they visit Rochdale, who are just above the drop zone. Oxford are also in the promotion reckoning and will strengthen their case by beating Shrewsbury. Although Steven Gerrard's Rangers have faltered badly lately, I believe they'll gain their 10th away success of the season at Ross County. Inverness, second in the Scottish Championship, are a confident selection at struggling Alloa.

Homes sweet homes: Derby, who won impressively at Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday, could get another three Championship points on Sunday against Blackburn, who have been hindered by too many draws. Relegation-threatened Stoke are worth backing against Hull, who have completely gone off the boil and are leaking goals galore. Hearts, having already knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup, moved off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership with a great 3-1 midweek win at Edinburgh rivals Hibernian and can send Motherwell home pointless.

Pools info: Nottingham Forest v Millwall (No 17 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.