Pools tips and best football bets for weekend of February 15-16

 Ten draws: Manchester City v Newcastle, Tottenham v Manchester United, West Ham v Brentford, Blackburn v Plymouth, Millwall v West Bromwich, Stoke v Swansea, Barnsley v Huddersfield, Crawley v Wycombe, Newport v Bradford City, Dundee v Aberdeen.

Best five draws: Manchester City v Newcastle, West Ham v Brentford, Barnsley v Huddersfield, Crawley v Wycombe, Newport v Bradford City.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Arsenal, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Wrexham, Swindon, York. Ten homes: Aston Villa, Cardiff, Hull, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Leyton Orient, Reading, East Fife, Peterhead, Barnet.

Pick of the draws: Manchester City are much more vulnerable than they used to be and Newcastle, their visitors, are thinking positively right now. Don't be surprised if the League Cup finalists pick up a point or better. Graham Potter has yet to make an impact as manager at West Ham and mid-table Brentford will be doing all they can to frustrate him again. Barnsley and Huddersfield are faltering in their attempts to be promoted from League One and this fixture looks a probable stalemate. Crawley, 3-1 home winners over Stevenage in midweek, have not given up hope of escaping relegation and could deny second-placed Wycombe, who may be fading. Newport, with four League Two wins in a row, entertain Bradford City, who have also hit form and moved into the automatic promotion places. 

Away days: With Arsenal's injuries piling up, their Premier League fixture at relegation-fearing Leicester looks harder than it did a few weeks ago. However, I believe their short break in Dubai will benefit them, just as it did last season, and they will strengthen their hold on second place after Saturday's early match. Bournemouth are one of the teams of the season and cannot be ignored at Southampton, who are virtually doomed to drop. Portsmouth are playing better than their lowly Championship position indicates. They were very unlucky to lose at Sheffield United last weekend and I've a feeling they will take it out on Oxford. Wrexham, third in League One, should have enough in the tank to beat Northampton and Swindon, improving by the week, cannot be discounted at Harrogate in League Two. High-flying York, of the National League, look an away banker at rock bottom Ebbsfleet.

Homes sweet homes: Struggling Cardiff gave a gutsy display to knock Stoke out of the FA Cup last Saturday. A repeat of that spirit will see them defeat Bristol City in the Championship. Hull, like Cardiff, are among the Championship also-rans but they are worth backing against Norwich, who seem capable of losing to anybody. Middlesbrough, although inconsistent, are in better nick than their visitors Watford, who crashed 4-0 at home to Leeds in midweek and continue to slide down the Championship table.

Pools tips and best football bets for weekend of February 8-9

 Ten draws: Brighton v Chelsea, Everton v Bournemouth, Preston v Wycombe, Charlton v Stevenage, Huddersfield v Reading, Barrow v Gillingham, Colchester v Walsall, Fleetwood v Cheltenham, Swindon v Port Vale, Clyde v Stranraer.

Five best draws: Everton v Bournemouth, Preston v Wycombe, Charlton v Stevenage, Colchester v Walsall, Swindon v Port Vale.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Newcastle, Wolves, Fulham, Wimbledon, Southend, Gateshead. Ten homes: Leeds, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Bolton, Stockport, Bradford City, Crewe, MK Dons, Notts County. 

Pick of the draws: Everton have been transformed since the return of David Moyes as manager and can take their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Bournemouth into extra time. Bournemouth are no slouches themselves, as they have shown against Newcastle (won 4-1 away) and Nottingham Forest (won 5-0 at home) recently. In the same competition, Wycombe, League One promotion contenders, won't be fazed by a trip to Preston, Championship draw specialists. Stevenage, with three successive League One victories behind them, will be aiming for at least a point at Charlton. League Two leaders Walsall have stumbled lately, unlike their hosts Colchester, who have run into form and are climbing the table. Swindon's outstanding 5-1 win at Carlisle last Saturday has put them in the mood to play Port Vale, who fill one of the play-off places. 

Away days: League Cup finalists Newcastle, seeking their first FA Cup triumph since 1955, should see off the challenge of League One leaders Birmingham. Because they are not involved in a desperate scramble for points this weekend, Wolves ought to be able to relax a bit more and I'm taking them to end Blackburn's interest in the FA Cup. Fulham have been good travellers this season, which should serve them well when they visit Wigan, of League One, on Saturday. Wimbledon, among the favourites to gain promotion from League Two, are recommended at lowly Accrington. In the National League, Southend are worth backing at relegation-threatened Maidenhead, who were lucky to lose only 3-0 at Barnet two weeks ago. I fancy high-fliers Gateshead to collect all three points at struggling Wealdstone.

Homes sweet homes: Southampton, rock bottom of the Premier League, badly need an FA Cup run to improve morale and they have a chance to go further in the competition when they host Burnley, whose priority is promotion from the Championship. It may take a while for Cardiff to forget the 7-0 battering they received at Leeds in the Championship last weekend. That's one reason why I believe Stoke, 2-1 winners at Hull last Saturday, will beat them and book their place in the fifth round. Stockport, fourth in League One and convincing 1-0 victors at Leyton Orient last Saturday, have regained their balance after a few falls and I'm confident they will cope with fast-fading Barnsley. 

Pools info: Mansfield v Northampton (No.23 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void. A void match is worth two points.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of February 1-2

 Ten draws: Bournemouth v Liverpool, Wolves v Aston Villa, Oxford v Bristol City, Watford v Norwich, Reading v Bolton, Wigan v Lincoln, Wimbledon v Bradford City, Cheltenham v Chesterfield, Morecambe v Fleetwood, Dundee v Hearts.

Best draws: Bournemouth v Liverpool, Oxford v Bristol City, Watford v Norwich, Reading v Bolton, Wimbledon v Bradford City.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Sheffield United, West Bromwich, Swindon, Crewe, Celtic, Ayr.

Ten homes: Brentford, Ipswich, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Stevenage, Port Vale, Rangers, St Mirren.

Pick of the draws: Bournemouth, with nine goals in their past two Premier League games, must have a chance of halting Liverpool's march to the title. The stylish manner of Bournemouth's wins over Newcastle (4-1, away) and Nottingham Forest (5-0, home) cannot be ignored and makes them contenders for European football next season. Oxford United and Bristol City, who play each other, are doing better than expected in the Championship and neither may come out on top. Watford will want to halt their slide but won't find it easy against Norwich, who hit Swansea for five at Carrow Road last weekend. Consecutive away losses at Leyton Orient (2-0) and Burton (3-2) in League One have dampened Reading's spirits and they need to stop the rot against Bolton, who have climbed into the play-off positions despite being without a manager. Wimbledon and Bradford City, two in-form sides, are among the many front-runners in League Two and I think they'll deny each other two points on Saturday. 

Away days: Sheffield United, second in the Championship, have the character to recover from last Friday's shock 3-0 home defeat by relegation-haunted Hull and I've a feeling that their hosts, fast-fading Derby, will suffer. West Brom, the division's draw specialists, finally cut loose by beating Portsmouth 5-1 at home last Saturday. Pompey showed minimal resistance and I doubt whether bottom club Plymouth will do much better. Veteran manager Ian Holloway has made a positive difference at Swindon, who are quickly climbing League Two and fancied to make it four wins in a row at second bottom Carlisle. Promotion-seeking Crewe have lost only three away fixtures, which should help them at Harrogate, who are poor at home. Celtic the runaway Scottish Premiership  leaders, are odds-on to triumph at Motherwell, who are in a slump. Ayr, second in the Scottish Championship and going well, are recommended at Hamilton, who crashed 3-0 at home to Raith in midweek.

Homes sweet homes: After chastening defeats against Manchester City (6-0, home) and Liverpool (4-1, away), Ipswich, in a Premier League relegation dogfight, will welcome a home match against seemingly doomed Southampton on Saturday. They will surely make the most of it. Shrewsbury, although at the foot of League One, are well worth a punt against mid-table Mansfield, who can't do anything right at the moment. Stevenage, with two unexpected away victories at Barnsley (1-0) and Wrexham (3-2) under their belt, will be in a positive frame of mind against faltering Exeter.

Pools info: Three of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Chesterfield v Port Vale (1-1), MK Dons v Wimbledon (0-0) and Tranmere v Gillingham (1-1).  

 

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

Ten draws: Norwich v Swansea, Preston v Middlesbrough, Exeter v Blackpool, Bradford City v Walsall, Cheltenham v Salford, Chesterfield v Port Vale, MK Dons v Wimbledon, Tranmere v Gillingham, Aberdeen v St Mirren, St Johnstone v Motherwell.

Best draws: Bradford City v Walsall, Cheltenham v Salford, Chesterfield v Port Vale, MK Dons v Wimbledon, Tranmere v Gillingham.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Arsenal, Rotherham, Grimsby, Hibernian, Peterhead, York. 

Ten homes:  Bournemouth, Brighton, Tottenham, Sunderland, Stockport, Wycombe, Doncaster, Notts County, Airdrieonians, Barnet.

Pick of the draws: Walsall, the runaway League Two leaders, have won nine consecutive league games. They have to slip up sometime and I think they will at Bradford City, who are steadily improving and just outside the play-off positions. Salford's 2-0 home defeat by Fleetwood last Saturday was unexpected but I think they will recover sufficiently to force parity at Cheltenham. Third-placed Port Vale's 3-2 home win over Newport will have restored some confidence and they appear on course for a point at Chesterfield. MK Dons and Wimbledon can't stand each other. This could be a bad-tempered affair and I wouldn't put money on either emerging victorious. Tranmere v Gillingham features two sides who are woefully out of form. Tranmere, third from bottom of League Two, need the points more but I can't see them getting more than one. 

Away days: After faltering at home against Aston Villa last Saturday, Arsenal know that nothing less than three points at Wolves will do if they are to stay in the Premier League title race. Wolves, who are just outside the drop zone, have lost their last three league matches after rallying briefly and will be apprehensive about this fixture. Rotherham, of League One, are on a roll and are recommended at Burton, despite the lowly hosts winning 2-1 at Wigan in midweek. Although League Two Grimsby have done nothing special recently, they are in better shape than their hosts Barrow, who keep sliding down the table. I fancy Hibernian, of the Scottish Premiership, to gain maximum points at Ross County, who were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Championship team Livingston last weekend. Peterhead, striving for promotion in Scottish League Two, should see off Spartans and York, among the front runners in the National League, ought to overcome struggling Boston. 

Homes sweet homes: Bournemouth must think the sky's the limit after their stunning 4-1 success at Newcastle last Saturday - the outstanding result of the weekend. As Bournemouth have already beaten Arsenal and Manchester City at home in the Premier League this season, they are well worth a punt against third-placed Nottingham Forest, who have also exceeded expectations. Neither Tottenham nor Leicester, who face each another on Sunday, can buy a league win at the moment. Home advantage will probably be important here, which is why I'm siding with Spurs. Although Airdrieonians look doomed to be relegated from the Scottish Championship, they have a chance to record only their second league victory of the season against Dunfermline, who are just one place above them.  

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

 Ten draws: Everton v Tottenham, Newcastle v Bournemouth, Coventry v Bristol City, Derby v Watford, West Bromwich v Stoke, Mansfield v Wycombe, Reading v Stockport, Rotherham v Charlton, Grimsby v Chesterfield, Ross v Livingston.

Best draws: Newcastle v Bournemouth, Coventry v Bristol City, Mansfield v Wycombe, Reading v Stockport, Ross v Livingston.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Barnsley, Wigan, Notts County, Bradford City, Crewe, Motherwell. Ten homes: Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Luton, Millwall, Birmingham, Port Vale, Salford, Swindon, Woking.

Pick of the draws: Bournemouth look capable of playing European football next season. They were seconds away from winning at Chelsea in midweek and it won't surprise me if they avoid defeat at Newcastle, even though the hosts have won their last nine matches. Coventry, of the Championship, have yet to benefit from the appointment of Frank Lampard as manager and won't find the better-placed Bristol City easy opponents. Wycombe, second in League One, have lost their manager to Luton at the most inappropriate time. They visit Mansfield, who are also feeling low after losing 2-0 at home to Wigan in the FA Cup third round. Reading have not drawn at home this season. That may change when they face Stockport, who are just behind them in League One and went out of the FA Cup with honour against Premier League Crystal Palace last Sunday. There's no reason for Livingston, third in the Scottish Championship, to be fearful of a trip to Ross County, who are struggling in the Scottish Premiership and in danger of bowing out of the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

Away days: Barnsley, fifth in League One, are worth backing when they are away from home and look a good bet at lowly Bristol Rovers. Wigan, having won at Mansfield in the FA Cup in midweek, will feel confident going to Stevenage, who have scored only 18 goals in 23 games. League Two seems the most likely section for away wins. Free-scoring Notts County are recommended at Accrington and Bradford City should boost their promotion prospects by beating Carlisle, who are bottom. Second-placed Crewe will be disappointed not to gain maximum points at second-from-bottom Morecambe. I expect Motherwell to add to St Johnstone's pain in the Scottish Cup. 

Homes sweet homes: Leicester, fighting relegation from the Premier League, found some form in the FA Cup by thrashing Queens Park Rangers, of the Championship, 6-2 at home last weekend. They are worth a punt against Fulham on Saturday. Crisis club Luton appointed the much sought-after Matt Bloomfield as manager and I predict he will start his career at Kenilworth Road with a win over Preston in the Championship. Swindon, who are close to the League Two relegation zone, had much the better of their home goalless draw against promotion-seeking Crewe last Saturday and I fancy them to get the better of Barrow, who are five places higher.

Betting info: I scored five out of seven with my home selections last weekend. Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Ipswich, Southampton and Walsall obliged for me. Three matches were postponed.