Pools tips and best bets for weekend of Dec 16-17

Ten draws: Brighton v Burnley, Stoke v West Ham, Birmingham v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Reading, Preston v Sheffield United, Fleetwood v Peterborough, Gillingham v Bristol Rovers, Cambridge v Newport, Lincoln v Accrington, Inverness v Dumbarton.

Best draws: Birmingham v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Reading, Gillingham v Bristol Rovers, Cambridge v Newport, Lincoln v Accrington.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Oldham, Walsall, Bradford City, Morecambe, Luton.

Best weekend home bets: Arsenal, Chelsea, Brentford, Cardiff, Millwall, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Shrewsbury, Coventry, Kilmarnock.


Pick of the draws: Birmingham, third from bottom of the Championship, can't score and Queens Park Rangers, their visitors, can't win away. Birmingham have netted only 10 times this season and this fixture points towards a low-scoring stalemate. Ipswich may appear favourites to beat Reading but the Berkshire side are a match for anybody on their day and it wouldn't surprise me if they come away with something. Mid-table Bristol Rovers are the only League One team without a draw this season but I believe that sequence will end when they visit relegation-troubled Gillingham. Like Birmingham, Gills are averaging under a goal a game and have just four victories to their credit. There's almost nothing to choose between Cambridge and Newport in League Two and Saturday's outcome will probably reflect that. Lincoln have moved into the play-off places after a praiseworthy 2-0 win at Yeovil last Saturday but there's no guarantee they'll do the same to Accrington, who keep surpassing expectations and deserve their third placing.

Away days: Manchester United, still hurting from their 2-1 home loss to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City last Sunday, will surely take their frustration out on struggling West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. A resurgent Oldham hit Northampton for five in League One last weekend, a result that should give them the confidence to prevail at Doncaster, who are finding it hard to adapt to life in a higher division. Walsall are nothing special but they may not have to be to win at Northampton, who are leaking goals and in big trouble near the foot of the table. I'm backing promotion contenders Bradford City to continue their fine away form at mid-table Southend. Morecambe's unexpected 2-0 triumph over Coventry in League Two was one of the best results of last weekend and they can add bottom club Barnet to their list of victims. It's impossible to ignore the claims of goal-hungry leaders Luton at Forest Green, who have slipped into the drop zone.

Homes sweet homes: Unfancied and unfashionable Millwall have recently defeated Sheffield United at home and drawn with Aston Villa away in the Championship, results that give them more than a sporting chance against Middlesbrough, who have not made as much progress as expected under new manager Garry Monk. It's been far too long since lowly Sunderland last won at home but with Chris Coleman now in charge I've a hunch they'll do it against Fulham, who are consistently inconsistent.
Kilmarnock seem on the upgrade in the Scottish Premiership. Beating Partick 5-1 at home and drawing at Ross after being 2-0 down in midweek will make them confident of coming out on top against Motherwell.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of December 9-10

Ten draws: Huddersfield v Brighton, Manchester United v Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers v Leeds, Bristol Rovers v Southend, Charlton v Portsmouth, Peterborough v Blackburn, Accrington v Swindon, Cheltenham v Crewe, Colchester v Exeter, Port Vale v Cambridge.

Best draws: Manchester United v Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers v Leeds, Bristol Rovers v Southend, Charlton v Portsmouth, Colchester v Exeter.

Best weekend away bets: Leicester, Chelsea, Brentford, Mansfield, Lincoln, Dundee United.

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Fulham, Wolves, Oldham, Wigan, Chesterfield, Luton, Rangers, Ayr.


Pick of the draws: Manchester United, second in the Premier League, have won all seven of their home matches. Their visitors, leaders Manchester City, have won all seven of their away games. Something has to give at Old Trafford on Sunday in the biggest Premier League fixture of the season so far. I think both records will be blemished in a low-scoring stalemate. My feeling is that United will be more cautious than they were when beating Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates last Saturday and that free-scoring City will find it hard to penetrate their defence. Queens Park Rangers were only minutes away from drawing their Championship game at Preston last weekend, despite playing most of the match with 10 men. A repeat of that spirited display should be enough to deny Leeds, who are falling short of expectations. Bristol Rovers ended their losing run in League One by defeating Rotherham at home last Saturday but will probably find Southend tougher opponents. Charlton may have a hangover after suffering an unexpected exit from the FA Cup at Wimbledon last Sunday. If that is so, then Portsmouth are well equipped to take advantage. Exeter are credible promotion challengers in League Two but Colchester don't give much away at home and this fixture is one of the likeliest draws on the coupon.

Away days: Leicester, who have moved well clear of the Premier League relegation zone under their new manager Claude Puel will fancy their chances at Newcastle, who are heading in the opposite direction. Chelsea's away form is better than how they fare at Stamford Bridge and they will be disappointed with anything less than three points at second-from-bottom West Ham in Saturday's early match. Brentford's fluent football in the Championship has caught the eye this season and they are worth backing at Hull, who are in danger of slipping into the drop zone. Mansfield have climbed into the League Two play-off places and will further strengthen their position with victory at Crawley, who are fragile on their own ground. Ambitious Lincoln are eager to gain promotion in successive seasons and a win at lowly Yeovil will improve their prospects. Scottish Championship leaders Dundee United are highly recommended at Morton.

Homes sweet homes: Roy Hodgson is turning things around at Crystal Palace. After a dreadful start to the season they have moved off the foot of the Premier League and are in the mood to climb higher. They have an excellent opportunity to get three points from the visit of Bournemouth, who have just had disappointing home results against Burnley (lost) and Southampton (drawn). Chesterfield are playing much better than their bottom placing in League Two suggests and should relish the visit of second-last Barnet, who can hardly do a thing right. Leaders Luton have scored a stunning 48 goals from 20 matches - a statistic that ought to tilt the balance their way when they play Notts County, who are second, on Saturday.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of December 2-3

Ten draws: Arsenal v Manchester United, Watford v Tottenham, Brentford v Fulham, Bristol City v Middlesbrough, Sunderland v Reading, Aberdeen v Rangers, Ross v Dundee, Airdrieonians v Forfar, Clyde v Montrose, Mainz v Augsburg.

Best draws: Arsenal v Manchester United, Watford v Tottenham, Brentford v Fulham, Sunderland v Reading, Ross v Dundee.

Best weekend away bets: Wolves (Monday), Sheffield United, Charlton, Leyton Orient, Hibernian, East Fife.

Best weekend home bets: Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leicester, Bolton, Cardiff (Friday), Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Gillingham, Livingston, Peterhead.


Pick of the draws: Jose Mourinho has lost only once (last season) to an Arsene Wenger team in a competitive match and I think he'll maintain that record when Manchester United visit the Emirates on Saturday evening. United, who are just about keeping leaders Manchester City within reach, won well at in-form Watford in midweek and I fancy them to dent Arsenal's flawless home record in the Premier League this season. Tottenham will be anxious to halt a run of three away league defeats in a row and can do so at Watford, who are not as convincing at home as they are on the road. Brentford have a habit of drawing Championship games they should win. They were at it again on Monday, conceding two injury-time goals at Queens Park Rangers to draw 2-2. I reckon they'll have similar difficulty beating Fulham, who recently scored five at Sheffield United. Struggling Sunderland have been boosted by the appointment of Chris Coleman as manager. They are looking for their first home win this season but Reading, impressive 3-0 home victors over Barnsley in midweek, can deny them. Dundee, second from bottom in the Scottish Premiership, got a much needed boost by defeating Rangers 2-1 at home last Friday. Although their away record is terrible, they can build on that by gaining a point at Ross.

Away days: Wolves, top of the Championship and scoring goals for fun, are highly recommended at Birmingham, who are at the other end of the table. Note the match has been moved to Monday. Sheffield United, in third place, can bounce back from a couple of home lapses with victory at Millwall, who are finding goals elusive. It's the FA Cup second round this weekend and Charlton, sixth in League One, are well worth a punt on Sunday at Wimbledon, whose home is anything but a fortress. Leyton Orient's misery in the National League continues but they will be disappointed with anything other than three points at bottom club Solihull Moors, who have just one home win to their name. Hibernian have not lost away in the Scottish Premiership and if their home form were as good, they would challenging leaders Celtic. Hibs will probably be too strong for lowly Partick. East Fife should relish their trip to bottom side Queen's Park in Scottish League One, especially after scoring six at home to Airdrieonians last Saturday.

Homes sweet homes: Bournemouth, despite losing at home to Burnley in midweek,  should have enough in their armoury to beat Southampton, who are too close to the drop zone for comfort. Leicester climbed into the top half by defeating Spurs 2-1 at home in midweek and I'm taking them to see off Burnley as well. Forget Bolton's 5-1 defeat at Wolves in the Championship last weekend. Bolton manager Phil Parkinson said Wolves were exceptional and will win the division by at least 10 points. Apart from that result, bottom club Bolton have recovered well from a calamitous start to the season and I reckon they'll have too much for Barnsley.


Pools info: Birmingham v Wolves (No 11 on coupon) has been rearranged for Monday and will be assessed by the pools panel. Leeds v Aston Villa (No 17 on coupon) has been rearranged for Friday and is therefore void.

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

Ten draws: Liverpool v Chelsea, Newcastle v Watford, Middlesbrough v Derby, Nottingham Forest v Cardiff, Reading v Sheffield Wednesday, Gillingham v Oldham, Shrewsbury v Bradford City, Cambridge v Stevenage, Exeter v Accrington, Lincoln v Port Vale.

Best draws: Liverpool v Chelsea, Newcastle v Watford, Middlesbrough v Derby, Shrewsbury v Bradford City, Exeter v Accrington.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Everton, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Wigan, Luton.

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Sheffield United, Wolves, Blackburn, Southend, Barnet, Mansfield, Notts County, Wycombe.


Pick of the draws: Liverpool, so good going forward, have serious issues in defence. Relinquishing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 against Sevilla in the Champions League in midweek was a worrying lapse and Chelsea are well equipped to take advantage of Liverpool's vulnerability. The Londoners must be fancied to come away with at least a point. Watford are one of the surprise packets of the Premier League and on current form are capable of denying Newcastle victory at St James' Park. Derby are Championship promotion contenders and I expect them to share the spoils with fellow high fliers Middlesbrough. Bradford City's superb away record (six wins, two draws and one defeat) has kept them in the League One promotion frame and I believe they'll get something at leaders Shrewsbury, who unexpectedly lost at bottom club Bury in midweek. Exeter, fourth in League Two, host difficult opponents in third-placed Accrington, who often play their best football away from home.

Away days: Mid-table Huddersfield are finding goals hard to come by and will surely suffer against all-conquering Manchester City, who have dropped only two points in their opening 12 Premier League matches. Everton are one of three teams in the Premier League yet to win away this season. That could change on Sunday when they visit Southampton, who look to be on the slide. Bournemouth, coming off the back of a 4-0 home triumph over Huddersfield last Saturday, will be in a much better frame of mind than their hosts Swansea, who lie second from bottom and are probably in for a long, hard winter. Chris Coleman's first game in charge of Championship strugglers Sunderland ended in a midweek defeat at Aston Villa but Saturday's match at goal-shy Burton is far more winnable. Wigan, second in League One, are admirably consistent this season and they are well capable of taking maximum points at Rotherham. New League Two leaders Luton, 46 goals from 18 matches, are a formidable force. They put seven past Cambridge last Saturday and must be rated an away banker at ailing Crewe.

Homes sweet homes: Crystal Palace, who prop up the Premier League, were unlucky not to beat Everton at Selhurst Park last weekend and there are signs they are getting their act together. A repeat of the form they showed last Saturday should be enough to account for Stoke. Apart from leaders Shrewsbury, Southend are the only side in League One not to have lost at home. That record ought to be intact after Saturday when they entertain Oxford, who shipped four goals at home to Blackburn in midweek. Two goals in the last three minutes of normal time gave lowly Barnet in League Two a surprising and desperately needed 2-1 midweek victory at Newport. It was a timely boost for their new manager Mark McGhee and I suspect they'll follow it up by defeating Grimsby at The Hive.


Pools info: Three of my five best draws were correct last weekend. Crystal Palace v Everton (2-2), Hull v Ipswich (2-2) and Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City (0-0).

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

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, Hull v Ipswich, Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Northampton v Scunthorpe, Oldham v Rochdale, Rotherham v Shrewsbury, Yeovil v Swindon, Eastleigh v Barrow, Gateshead v Tranmere.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, Hull v Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Rotherham v Shrewsbury, Gateshead v Tranmere.

Best weekend away bets: Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn, Exeter, Carlisle, Annan.

Best weekend home bets: Burnley, Liverpool, Norwich, Sunderland, Charlton, Plymouth, Colchester, Wycombe, Dundee, Bromley.


Pick of the draws: Beleaguered Everton gained a much-needed victory over Watford, fighting back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Goodison Park, and they can build on that with a point at Crystal Palace, who prop up the Premier League and are in danger of being cast adrift. For their part, Palace will be encouraged by the way they played in a narrow defeat against Tottenham at Wembley. Ipswich are without a draw in 15 Championship games but that unusual sequence could end when they visit Hull, who will be anxious to halt their slide. Sheffield Wednesday's 2-1 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park in their last match was an eye-catching result but fourth-placed Bristol City are in even better shape and have lost only once away. League One leaders Shrewsbury were the last side in the top four divisions to lose their unbeaten record. It doesn't seem to have damaged their confidence and they look set for at least a point at free-scoring Rotherham, who have yet to draw at home. I sense that Tranmere are at last finding their feet in the National League and beating Dagenham & Redbridge 2-0 at home last Saturday should bode well. Despite Tranmere's heavy midweek defeat in their FA Cup replay against League One Peterborough, I believe they'll share the spoils at Gateshead, 3-0 winners at Maidenhead.

Away days: Chelsea's away form has kept them in the Champions League qualifying places and they are recommended at West Bromwich Albion, who have managed just two Premier League wins. Nottingham Forest's resounding 4-0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers will put them in good heart for their trip to Birmingham, who have so far failed to respond positively to Steve Cotterill's management and find themselves in the Championship relegation zone. Although Blackburn are outside the League One play-off spots, they have matches in hand. They can make up lost ground by winning at bottom club Bury, who crashed out of the FA Cup to non-League Woking in midweek. I think League Two high fliers Exeter will have too much knowhow for bottom-of-the-table Chesterfield and an improving Carlisle are well worth a punt at Grimsby. In Scottish League Two, Annan should be backed at Cowdenbeath, who are in dire straits.

Homes sweet homes: It's about time the tide turned for Sunderland and I've a hunch it will when they host Millwall on Saturday. It seems that Sunderland, bottom of the Championship, can't buy a win at the moment but they've played better recently and they'll be encouraged by the fact that Millwall have yet to triumph on their travels. League One strugglers Plymouth have arrested their slump and their  victory at promotion contenders Bradford City was one of the upsets of last weekend. I fancy them to defeat mid-table Oxford, who have gone off the boil. Dundee, bottom of the Scottish Premiership, could do with a lift and they may get it against third-from-bottom Kilmarnock, who appear equally fragile.