Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 18-19

Ten draws: Burton v Brentford, Cardiff v Ipswich, Leeds v Brighton, Oxford v Scunthorpe, Southend v Walsall, Cheltenham v Cambridge, Hartlepool v Wycombe, Luton v Exeter, Stevenage v Portsmouth, Kilmarnock v Partick.

Best draws: Cardiff v Ipswich, Leeds v Brighton, Oxford v Scunthorpe, Luton v Exeter, Stevenage v Portsmouth.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Leicester, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Doncaster, Accrington.

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Everton, Bolton, Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood, Rochdale, Grimsby, Mansfield, Plymouth, Inverness.


Pick of the draws: Mick McCarthy's Ipswich are the draw specialists of the Championship - 15 in total - and I think they'll get another one at Cardiff, who are only two places and three points above them. Only goal difference stops Brighton from leading the Championship table. Normal service was resumed with their 3-0 home defeat of Derby last Friday and they have enough about them to avoid defeat at Leeds, who dropped two points in a goalless stalemate against Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road last Saturday. Scunthorpe's hopes of automatic promotion from League One were revived with a midweek home victory over Rochdale and I believe they will gain something at Oxford, whose recent results have been mixed. Luton and Exeter occupy two of the play-off places in League Two. Although Luton have ground advantage, Exeter's away record is so good - 11 wins on the road - that I'll be surprised if they come away with anything less than a draw. Stevenage v Portsmouth is possibly the best draw on the coupon. Stevenage's 1-0 loss at Blackpool in midweek was their first defeat in nine matches while Pompey have recorded two consecutive 4-0 victories, moving them into the automatic promotion slots.

Away days: I can't ignore Manchester United's claims at Middlesbrough on Sunday. Boro look certain to be relegated from the Premier League unless they start scoring. They have only 19 league goals to their credit this season. Leicester have an extra bounce in their step since Craig Shakespeare took charge and they worth backing at West Ham, even though they have yet to record an away league win this season. Championship leaders Newcastle were beaten 3-1 at home by Fulham last weekend but they usually recover well from setbacks and I'm taking them to return to winning ways at Birmingham, who have lost their last three at home. Aston Villa should improve their indifferent away form by gaining maximum points at Wigan, who have sacked their manager and lie second from bottom. League Two leaders Doncaster seem an away banker at Leyton Orient, who have sunk to the bottom and are wearing the look of doomed men. Accrington have pulled right away from the drop zone and a win at Yeovil appears well within their capabilities.

Homes sweet homes: Crystal Palace, fourth from bottom in the Premier League, will have gained great encouragement from winning 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion and will be disappointed if they don't beat Watford, who could be sucked into the relegation zone if they are not careful. Mansfield have stumbled in League Two recently but not as much as their visitors Carlisle, who have seen their hopes of automatic promotion take a dive. Two 3-0 home defeats by Portsmouth and Cambridge haven't helped their cause and Mansfield could add to their misery. It's very tight at the foot of the Scottish Premiership and I've a hunch that bottom club Inverness Caledonian Thistle will get the better of fourth-from-bottom Ross County.


Pools info: Port Vale v Shrewsbury (No 26 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 11-12

Ten draws: Bournemouth v West Ham, Aston Villa v Sheffield Wednesday, Preston v Reading, Charlton v Walsall, Chesterfield v Shrewsbury, Mansfield v Plymouth, Notts County v Hartlepool, Celtic v Rangers, St Johnstone v Dundee.

Best draws: Aston Villa v Sheffield Wednesday, Preston v Reading, Mansfield v Plymouth, Notts County v Hartlepool, Celtic v Rangers.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Swansea, Bradford City, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Falkirk.

Best weekend home bets: Everton, Liverpool, Cardiff, Wigan, Wolves, Port Vale, Crewe, Leyton Orient, Hearts, Arbroath.

Pick of the draws: Aston Villa's number of draws in the Championship (12) this season has put paid to their hopes of a play-off place and I can't see them getting more than a point from the visit of Sheffield Wednesday, who deserve to be in promotion contention. Manager Jaap Stam has improved Reading to such an extent that they will be expecting at least a draw at Preston, who are among the Championship's better teams. Plymouth, second in League Two, have had some strange results lately, none stranger than their 3-0 midweek home defeat by Blackpool. However, the Pilgrims are into double figures with away victories and I believe they'll nick a point at Mansfield. Consecutive home wins have given Hartlepool a big boost in their battle to avoid relegation and they can break their losing away sequence by sharing the spoils at Notts County, who are also struggling. Celtic, runaway leaders in the Scottish Premiership, are overwhelming favourites to win the Old Firm derby but I've a hunch that Rangers, 6-0 victors over Hamilton in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals last weekend, will find something extra and deny their bitter rivals.

Away days: Despite being held to a goalless draw by Stoke, Manchester City are looking better with each passing week and are strongly fancied to knock Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup on Saturday. After their last-gasp win over Burnley last weekend, Swansea are five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and I'm backing them to come away from second bottom Hull with another three points. Coventry, rock bottom of League One, sacked manager Russell Slade this week but I doubt whether that will affect the expected outcome of their match against Bradford City, who will probably add to their seven away wins this season. Portsmouth, like more than a few sides in League Two, are happier on the road than on their own ground. They won 2-0 at Crawley in midweek to put them in the automatic promotion places and can register another victory at Colchester. Blackpool were surprise 3-0 winners at Plymouth in midweek and I'm backing them to follow that up by beating Wycombe. Falkirk, the nearest challengers to Hibernian in the Scottish Championship, seem a sound bet at lowly Ayr.

Homes sweet homes: A 1-0 midweek away win at Birmingham has breathed new life into Wigan's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Championship. They are worth a wager against Nottingham Forest, who rarely strike fear into anybody. Port Vale gained a merited point in a 1-1 draw at Southend last Saturday. They host Swindon, who are in just as much trouble near the foot of League One and I expect Vale to make ground advantage count. Leyton Orient are a League Two club in crisis and off the pitch but they gave a spirited response last weekend by defeating bottom side Newport 4-0 away. They host mid-table Grimsby on Saturday and my money is on them winning again.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 4-5

Ten draws: Swansea v Burnley, Bristol City v Burton, Derby v Barnsley, Queens Park Rangers v Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday v Norwich, Northampton v Charlton, Scunthorpe v Fleetwood, Walsall v Oldham, Cambridge v Colchester, Braintree v Wrexham.

Best draws: Bristol City v Burton, Derby v Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday v Norwich, Walsall v Oldham, Braintree v Wrexham.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Southampton, Brentford, Aston Villa, Doncaster, Luton.

Best weekend home bets: Manchester United, Stoke, Tottenham, Blackburn, Reading, Bury, Shrewsbury, Southend, Newport, Portsmouth.


Pick of the draws: There is every chance that Bristol City, sliding ever nearer to the Championship relegation zone, will find it tough going against Nigel Clough's Burton, who have drawn six matches on their travels and are not intimidated by anybody. Steve McLaren's Derby have faded alarmingly after looking certain to contest a play-off place and have almost forgotten how to score. Barnsley held on-form Huddersfield to a draw at Oakwell last Saturday and will be fancying their chances of at least sharing the spoils this weekend, particularly as they do better away than at home. Two consecutive defeats to Brentford and Leeds may have damaged Sheffield Wednesday's confidence and I won't be surprised if they falter against Norwich, who still have hopes of getting into the play-offs. Oldham  have improved since John Sheridan was appointed manager and they are now four points clear of the League One drop zone. They won at Northampton in midweek and I believe they will nick a point at Walsall, whose midweek fixture was a victim of the wet weather. Braintree's 5-0 midweek away triumph in the National League made a few people sit up but bear in mind that Bromley, their opponents, had two players sent off early in the game. Wrexham will surely be made of sterner stuff.

Away days: It's impossible to ignore the claims of Manchester City at Sunderland on Sunday. City have won the most away matches - nine - in the Premier League while bottom-of-the-table  Sunderland have averaged less than a goal a game and are favourites to be relegated. Southampton were the better team for long periods of the League Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley last Sunday and were unlucky to lose. If they play half as well against Watford this Saturday they will probably be rewarded with maximum points. Brentford, mid-table in the Championship, have already found the net 50 times this season, unlike their goal-shy hosts Ipswich, who have managed only 34. I'm banking on Brentford's attacking flair to win the day. Aston Villa have quelled crowd unrest with back-to-back home victories. A match at doomed Rotherham gives them an opportunity to improve their poor away record. Doncaster, six points clear at the top of League Two, should have too much for Crawley and much the same can be said for Luton at Yeovil.

Homes sweet homes: Some of the gloom at Ewood Park has been lifted by Tony Mowbray's appointment as manager. The midweek home win over Derby has put Blackburn level on points with Bristol City at the wrong end of the Championship and another three points on Saturday should see them pull away from the relegation zone. I believe Blackburn will gain the maximum return from the visit of Wigan, why lie second from bottom. Bury are another team doing their best to avoid the drop,  this time from League One. Saturday's win at Charlton was followed by another at home to Coventry in midweek and I'm backing Bury to make it three in a row against Gillingham. Newport, the League Two's bottom club, will be relieved to be facing Leyton Orient, who are only three points better off and arguably in an even worse state. A third home win of the season for the Welsh club is well worth a punt.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of February 25-26

Ten draws: Watford v West Ham, Aston Villa v Derby, Preston v Queens Park Rangers, MK Dons v Shrewsbury, Sheffield United v Bolton, Barnet v Cambridge, Luton v Plymouth, Morecambe v Grimsby, Albion v Queen's Park, Alloa v Airdrieonians.

Best draws: Watford v West Ham, Aston Villa v Derby, MK Dons v Shrewsbury, Sheffield United v Bolton, Morecambe v Grimsby.

Best weekend away bets: Huddersfield, Scunthorpe, Oxford, Bradford City, Dundee, East Fife.

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Brentford, Newcastle, Wigan, Fleetwood, Colchester, Crewe, Doncaster, Mansfield, St Johnstone.


Pick of the draws: West Ham are clearly over their mid-season crisis and have moved into the top half of the Premier League. I fancy them to collect at least a point at Watford, who have eased their own relegation fears. Aston Villa, who were aiming for a Championship play-off place not so long ago, have slumped so badly that they are now looking over their shoulders at the teams below them. However, Steve Bruce's team may get some respite from out-of-sorts Derby, whose hopes of reaching the play-offs have almost vanished. Shrewsbury are steadily pulling clear of the League One relegation zone and won't be fearful of visiting MK Dons, who are only one place above them and unreliable at home. Bolton fought back from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw at Bradford City last Saturday and are back in contention for automatic promotion. I'm backing them to gain another point in their top-of-the-table clash at Sheffield United. Grimsby's away record in League Two must be respected and should be enough to hold Morecambe, who have lost more games at home than anybody bar Leyton Orient.

Away days: Manager David Wagner is doing a fantastic job at Huddersfield, who, thanks to their midweek win over Reading, are just four points behind second place in the Championship. I believe they'll pile more pressure on the front two by winning at Barnsley. Scunthorpe, second in League One, drew 1-1 with leaders Sheffield United last Saturday, despite being reduced to 10 men. That should give them the confidence to come away from Bristol Rovers with three points. Mid-table Oxford gave Middlesbrough a fright before going out of the FA Cup, then won at Charlton in midweek. They must be optimistic about going to relegation-troubled Chesterfield. Bradford City, annoyed at letting slip a two-goal lead against Bolton last weekend, will be wanting to take it out on Port Vale, who have dropped into the League One relegation zone. Beating Rangers last Sunday has moved Dundee into the top half of the Scottish Premiership. The can stay there by prevailing at Motherwell. In Scottish League One, East Fife are worth a punt at Peterhead, who often flop at home.

Homes sweet homes: Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace owe their supporters, not to mention manager Sam Allardyce, a good result at home and I think it will come against Middlesbrough, who have just three more points and find it very difficult to score goals. Wigan are fighting hard to avoid the drop from the Championship and won't be too dispirited at losing at Queens Park Rangers in midweek. I've a hunch they'll make up for it when they host Nottingham Forest, who have already lost 12 matches on the road. After being in freefall, Crewe have taken seven points from a possible nine in League Two, so don't be surprised if they complete the double over Stevenage. The Railwayman won 2-1 at Stevenage on the opening weekend of the season.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of February 18-19

Ten draws: Fulham v Tottenham, Birmingham v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Leeds, Wigan v Preston, Chesterfield v Bury, Port Vale v Bristol Rovers, Accrington v Colchester, Doncaster v Luton, Grimsby v Mansfield, Gateshead v Forest Green.

Best draws: Birmingham v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Leeds, Port Vale v Bristol Rovers, Doncaster v Luton, Gateshead v Forest Green.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Norwich, Bolton, Oldham, Tranmere, Dover.

Best weekend home bets: Millwall, Cardiff, Coventry, Southend, Cambridge, Exeter, Leyton Orient, Barrow, Bromley, Hearts.


Pick of the draws: Birmingham's slide down the Championship table continues under manager Gianfranco Zola and they may be hard-pushed to gain more than a point from the visit of Queens Park Rangers, who were unlucky to lose at home to promotion-seeking Huddersfield last Saturday. Ipswich followed last weekend's win at Aston Villa with a midweek draw at high-riding Brighton. With these results behind them, they'll be more confident of coping with Leeds, who stopped the rot with a home midweek victory over Bristol City. Port Vale, who are dangerously close to the League One drop zone, face Bristol Rovers, whose promotion challenge has faded. These are two teams seemingly in decline and stalemate appears the best option. League Two leaders Doncaster suffered a setback at Carlisle in midweek and they may encounter another against Luton, who are showing the best form of all the top sides. National League team Gateshead have eight home draws to their name this season. Don't be surprised if they make it nine when third-placed Forest Green come to play on Saturday. Both sides won well last weekend.

Away days: Manchester City have got their mojo back and look poised to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Their task on Saturday - a fifth-round visit to bang on-form Huddersfield, of the Championship, is far from easy but I'm sure they'll deal with it. Norwich are back in the promotion reckoning after a lean spell and must be fancied at relegation-troubled Burton, who are only averaging a goal a game. Bolton, third in League One, are back in business after some poor results and I'm backing them to become the first team to win at Bradford City this season. Bradford have stalled and their hopes of automatic promotion are fading. Oldham are moving away from the relegation zone and well worth a punt at Swindon, who have lost their way and dropped into the mire. National League promotion hopefuls Tranmere will be disappointed not to come away from Eastleigh with three points while Dover, in sixth place, look nailed on at bottom club North Ferriby.

Homes sweet homes: Millwall have already beaten Premier League opposition in Bournemouth and Watford at The Den in the FA Cup, so the League One outfit will relish taking on Leicester, who, as champions, have massively under-achieved this season. A place in the Cup quarter-finals is not beyond the Londoners, particularly as they have strengthened their promotion challenge. I've a hunch that Coventry, who are propping up League One, will beat Gillingham, who hardly exude confidence this season. What Coventry must stop doing is keep conceding late goals. One such deprived them of victory at AFC Wimbledon in midweek. If defeating League Two promotion favourites Plymouth 3-2 away in midweek doesn't inspire lowly Leyton Orient then nothing will. I believe they'll follow that up with victory over Kevin Nolan's struggling Notts County.