Wednesday, 5 January 2022

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of January 8-9

 Ten draws: Boreham Wood v Wimbledon, Cardiff v Preston, Swansea v Southampton, Wigan v Blackburn, Wolves v Sheffield United, Accrington v Milton Keynes Dons, Cheltenham v Burton, Colchester v Rochdale, Inverness v Raith, Albion v Stenhousemuir.

Best draws: Boreham Wood v Wimbledon, Cardiff v Preston, Swansea v Southampton, Wolves v Sheffield United, Inverness v Raith.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Plymouth, Brentford, Bournemouth, Oxford, Kilmarnock, Notts County.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Barnsley, Hull, Luton, Newcastle, Peterborough, Stoke, Doncaster, Stevenage, Tranmere, Halifax.

Pick of the draws: Boreham Wood, promotion contenders in the National League, haven't lost at home all season. That will encourage them to keep League One Wimbledon at bay for 90 minutes in Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie. Cardiff and Preston both had good results this week (Cardiff drawing at West Brom, Preston winning at Stoke) and these Championship sides appear well matched. I believe Southampton will overcome their FA Cup hurdle at Swansea but they may need extra time before doing so. Wolves come into their cup tie on the back of a fine 1-0 victory at Manchester United but they are not scoring many goals and Sheffield United, perhaps the Championship's biggest improvers, can take advantage. Inverness, second in the Scottish Championship, have not drawn at home this season but could be held by Raith, who are just below them.

Away days: Anybody looking for an FA Cup upset could do worse than take a chance on League One high-flyers Plymouth to win at Birmingham, who are hardly setting the Championship alight. Brentford, who have adapted well to the Premier League, are strongly recommended at Port Vale, of League Two, and Bournemouth, top of the Championship, should also progress to the next round, despite non-League Yeovil's past FA Cup heroics. Oxford, contesting promotion in League One, look too strong for relegation-troubled Lincoln. In the Scottish Championship the higher-placed Kilmarnock will start favourites at Queen of the South and Notts County, of the National League, will surely prevail at basement club Dover.

Homes sweet homes: Although Hull are nearer the bottom than the top of the Championship, they are worth a punt against Everton, who continue to flounder in the Premier League and look vulnerable to an early FA Cup exit on Saturday. Doncaster, bottom of League One, can give themselves a lift by beating Fleetwood, who sit just above the drop zone, and in League Two lowly Stevenage are worth considering against mid-table Walsall because their new manager Paul Tisdale, who did so well at Exeter, will probably get them out of the mire.

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