Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 20-21

 Ten draws: Sheffield United v Burnley, Huddersfield v Swansea, Stoke v Plymouth, Sunderland v Millwall, Watford v Hull, Bristol Rovers v Peterborough, Harrogate v MK Dons, Newport v Salford, Walsall v Bradford City, Stirling v Queen of the South.

Best draws: Sheffield United v Burnley, Stoke v Plymouth, Bristol Rovers v Peterborough, Newport v Salford, Walsall v Bradford City.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Birmingham, Derby, Wycombe, Annan.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Aston Villa, Luton, Blackburn, Bolton, Portsmouth, Doncaster, Mansfield, Morecambe, Stockport, Tranmere.

Pick of the draws: Sheffield United (bottom) and Burnley (second bottom) seem doomed to relegation from the Premier League. They have been so poor this season that I can't see them beating each other. Plymouth's hopes of surviving the drop from the Championship were given a big boost when they beat promotion contenders Leicester at home last Friday. That will encourage them to get something at Stoke, who are also nervously looking over their shoulders. Although Peterborough are in the League One promotion mix, their results can fluctuate wildly. As Bristol Rovers, their hosts, have won their past two games, there's a good chance they can deny the Posh. Newport v Salford is a clash between teams on the slide in League Two. Neither can buy a win at the moment, so a draw is the most likely outcome. Bradford City's hopes of finishing in the top half of the table have risen recently and they can halt Walsall's surge.

Away days: Nottingham Forest, precariously placed in the Premier League, have won only two away matches this season but will be looking to make that three when they visit fellow relegation strugglers Everton, who lost 6-0 at Chelsea on Monday and appear to have imploded. With the top three in the Championship all faltering, fourth-placed Southampton can suddenly sense automatic promotion. They can follow their routine 3-0 midweek home victory over Preston by beating Cardiff. Birmingham's convincing 3-0 home win against FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry last Saturday moved them out of the relegation zone, so you have to fancy them at rock bottom Rotherham. Automatic promotion from League One is within Derby's grasp and they will probably clinch it by winning at Cambridge. Mid-table Wycombe have recovered well from their defeat in the EFL Trophy final, winning consecutive away games at Shrewsbury and Port Vale. I'm tipping them to make it a hat-trick at Carlisle, who have been relegated. Annan are battling bravely to escape the drop from Scottish League One and another three points are on the cards at Edinburgh, who cannot be saved.

Homes sweet homes: Luton have fared the best of the three promoted clubs from last season's Championship and have every chance of staying in the top flight. They are worth a wager against Brentford, who have lost 11 away fixtures so far this season. Doncaster won their eighth successive match by defeating Accrington 4-0 at home last weekend. They are now only two points off the League Two play-off positions and are in the mood to see off fellow contenders Barrow. Wimbledon look like falling short of the play-offs and it won't surprise me if they lose at Tranmere. 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 13-14

Ten draws: Burnley v Brighton, Preston v Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday v Stoke, Bolton v Portsmouth, Oxford v Peterborough, Shrewsbury v Wycombe, MK Dons v Mansfield, Newport v Tranmere, Walsall v Notts County, Aberdeen v Dundee.

Best draws: Burnley v Brighton, Bolton v Portsmouth, Oxford v Peterborough, MK Dons v Mansfield, Walsall v Notts County.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Leicester (Friday), Blackpool, Northampton, Dundee United (Friday), Rangers, Oldham.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Bournemouth, Hull, Millwall, Swansea, Stevenage, Crewe, Doncaster, Stockport, Wrexham.

Pick of the draws: A long injury list has made 10th-placed Brighton less effective this season, which gives Burnley, seemingly doomed to relegation from the Premier League, a chance to avoid defeat. Bolton, aiming for automatic promotion from League One, need maximum points but prospective champions Portsmouth have lost only four league fixtures all season and I don't see them losing this one. Peterborough, the EFL Trophy winners at Wembley last Sunday and fourth in the table, visit Oxford United, another side in form and fellow promotion contenders. Mansfield, strongly fancied to go up from League Two, crashed 4-1 at home to Crawley in a major upset last weekend but I believe they'll recover sufficiently to hold MK Dons, who are also challenging for promotion. Notts County, after an alarming slide down the table, are showing signs of turning things around and can take a point at Walsall.

Away days: Championship leaders Leicester fell to a shock 1-0 midweek loss at struggling Millwall. I'll be surprised if they make the same mistake at Plymouth, who, like Millwall, are battling relegation. Consecutive 1-0 home victories have given Blackpool a chance of reaching the League One play-offs, so they should prevail at Carlisle, who are going down. Mid-table Northampton visit Fleetwood, where hope of escaping relegation is fast fading. Dundee United, who lead the Scottish Championship, had a resounding 5-0 success at Queen's Park last Saturday. I don't think they'll win as handsomely at Morton but I still fancy them to collect three points. Rangers, one point behind table-topping Celtic in the Scottish Premiership with a game in hand, know they cannot afford to switch off and I'm tipping them to make lowly Ross County suffer on Sunday. Oldham, of the National League, will have only themselves to blame if they cannot return from rock bottom Oxford City with three points.

Homes sweet homes: Despite holding Premier League title contenders Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last Sunday, Manchester United looked terribly vulnerable and it would be just like them to lose  on Saturday against Bournemouth, who, incidentally, are no mugs. This is well worth a punt. If Millwall can beat promotion favourites Leicester at home, then they are perfectly capable of defeating Cardiff, who have nothing left to play for in the Championship. Crewe ended a run of five League Two games without a win with a 1-0 midweek victory at Morecambe. They will improve their play-off chances further by beating Grimsby, who are too near the drop zone for comfort. 

 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 6-7

 Ten draws: Fulham v Newcastle, Blackburn v Southampton, Cardiff v Hull, Huddersfield v Millwall, Stoke v West Brom, Charlton v Barnsley, Notts County v Harrogate, Tranmere v Walsall, St Mirren v Hearts, Dunfermline v Partick.

Best draws: Fulham v Newcastle, Blackburn v Southampton, Huddersfield v Millwall, Charlton v Barnsley, Notts County v Harrogate.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Liverpool, Bristol City, Oxford, Lincoln, Aberdeen, Peterhead.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Aston Villa, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Watford, Exeter, Northampton, Portsmouth, Barrow, Rangers.

Pick of the draws: Fulham, beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle, held to a 1-1 home draw by Everton, had disappointing Premier League results in midweek and inconsistency has been their undoing. Blackburn have played better than recent Championship results suggest and thrashing Sunderland 5-1 away on Easter Monday will make them believe they can frustrate Southampton, whose hopes of automatic promotion are fading. Lowly Millwall will want to make up for the embarrassment of losing 2-1  at relegation-doomed Rotherham last Monday and they visit Huddersfield, who are below them and in the drop zone. Charlton have been much harder to beat in League One lately and I fancy they will deny Barnsley, who look as though they will have to settle for the play-offs. Few teams relish facing mid-table Harrogate in League Two. They routed Gillingham 5-1 at home last Monday and have won more away games than they have lost. Notts County, their hosts, will be aware of the danger.

Away days: Liverpool let Manchester United off the hook when they lost their FA Cup quarter-final last month and I cannot see the favourites for the title making the same mistake at Old Trafford on Sunday. I think Bristol City, winners of their past two Championship fixtures, will take advantage of the unrest at Sunderland, who suffered a heavy home defeat last Monday. Oxford's 4-0 win over Fleetwood may have revived their League One season and I believe they'll carry on the good work at Burton. Lincoln's transformation in the same division has been remarkable and the high-flyers go to crisis-club Reading with confidence. In the Scottish Premiership, Aberdeen should prevail at rock bottom Livingston while Peterhead, second in Scottish Two, will rate their chances at league newcomers Bonnyrigg Rose. 

Homes sweet homes: Watford have perked up in the Championship under interim manager Tom Cleverley and are worth backing against Preston, whose play-off hopes are fading. Exeter, mid-table in League One, may be worth a punt against Stevenage, who are faltering and drawing too often to feel confident about promotion. In Scotland's big match of the weekend on Sunday, I'm going for second-placed Rangers to topple leaders Celtic and thus overtake them in the table.

Pools info: For the second week running, three of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace, Hearts v Kilmarnock and Dumbarton v Stenhousemuir. 

Pools tips and best bets for March 30-31 coupon

 Ten draws: Bournemouth v Everton, Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace, Hearts v Kilmarnock, Dundee United v Raith, Cove Rangers v Stirling, Dumbarton v Stenhousemuir, Spartans v Forfar, Stranraer v Bonnyrigg Rose, Le Havre v Montpellier, Strasbourg v Rennes.

Best draws: Bournemouth v Everton, Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace, Hearts v Kilmarnock, Dumbarton v Stenhousemuir, Spartans v Forfar.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Fulham, Leicester (Friday), Stockport (Friday), Bromley (Friday), Dunfermline, Falkirk.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham, Preston (Friday), Barnsley (Friday), Peterborough (Friday), Gateshead (Friday), Woking (Friday), Rangers, East Fife.

Pick of the draws: It's about time Everton began converting some of the chances they have been creating and it may happen at Bournemouth, who are none too sound defensively. A four-point deduction has put Nottingham Forest in the Premier League relegation zone and there's no guarantee they will beat Crystal Palace, who will want to impress their new manager. Hearts, third in the Scottish Premiership, were on the wrong end of an upset at Ross County last weekend, whereas fourth-placed Kilmarnock went on a scoring spree at home to St Mirren and will be on a high. Stenhousemuir, clear Scottish League Two leaders, could be denied maximum points at third-placed Dumbarton, who have scored eight goals in their past two matches. Spartans, the Scottish League newcomers, have stumbled lately, so don't be surprised if Forfar, 10 points below them, nick a draw.

Away days: If Fulham's away record were better they would be higher up the Premier League. They should go some way to correcting that at bottom side Sheffield United on Saturday. Leicester will be miffed at being overtaken by Leeds at the top of the Championship and I think they'll take it out on Bristol City. Promotion-seeking Stockport, of League Two, roared back to form with a 5-0 home demolition of MK Dons last Saturday and they will fancy their chances of another three points at Forest Green, who have slipped back to bottom. Bromley's 2-0 home defeat by York in the National League was one of the shocks of last weekend. I believe they'll recover quickly at relegation-threatened Dorking. Dunfermline, seemingly on an upward curve in the Scottish Championship, are recommended at Arbroath, who look doomed to relegation, while Falkirk, miles clear at the top of Scottish League One, will surely prevail at Montrose.

Homes sweet homes: Gateshead's 3-2 comeback victory at Altrincham last Saturday and their 7-1 midweek rout of Hartlepool in the National League will put them in the mood for the visit of Rochdale, who are struggling to catch them. Woking, in the same division, are pulling further away from the drop zone and are worth backing against Eastleigh, who concede too many goals. Finally, mid-table East Fife appear to be going the right way in Scottish League Two and are recommended against Elgin. 

Pools info: Three of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Aldershot v Solihull Moors, Dagenham & Redbridge v Oldham and Eastleigh v Hartlepool. 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 23-24

 Ten draws: Stockport v MK Dons, Tranmere v Crawley, Morton v Dunfermline, Aldershot v Solihull Moors, Altrincham v Gateshead, Dagenham & Redbridge v Oldham, Eastleigh v Hartlepool, England v Brazil, Colorado Rapids v Houston Dynamo, Kansas City v LA Galaxy.

Best draws: Stockport v MK Dons, Aldershot v Solihull Moors, Dagenham & Redbridge v Oldham, Eastleigh v Hartlepool, England v Brazil.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Stevenage, Derby, Wrexham, Partick, Hamilton, Belgium.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Burton, Crewe, Mansfield, Sutton, Dundee United, Falkirk, Dumbarton, Barnet, Chesterfield, France.

Pick of the draws: Not so long ago, Stockport looked certain to gain automatic promotion from League Two. However, they have faded and on Saturday face tricky opponents in MK Dons, who are only a point behind them, having defeated Crewe 3-1 at home last weekend. Solihull Moors, fourth in the National League, have won 10 away games this season, so shouldn't be too inconvenienced by a trip to Aldershot, who are also in the promotion frame. Mid-table Dagenham & Redbridge are the only National League side not to have drawn at home this season but that may not last beyond Saturday when they play Oldham, who are 10 points better off. Eastleigh, beaten 4-1 at home by Rochdale last Saturday, are conceding too many goals, something that Hartlepool, their better-placed opponents, have no doubt noticed. Although England are in good shape preparing for this summer's European Championship finals, they have a poor record against five-times World Cup winners Brazil, whom they meet in a friendly at Wembley on Saturday, and will be hard-pushed to win.

Away days: Stevenage's home form is letting them down in League One and they are a better bet away. It will be a shock if they don't return from bottom team Carlisle with three points. Nobody in League One has won more away matches than second-placed Derby, who have 12 to their credit. They have a good chance of making it 13 at Northampton. Wrexham's 1-0 home defeat by Tranmere in League Two was an unexpected blow to their promotion hopes but I believe they'll hit straight back at Grimsby, who are not completely clear of the drop zone. Partick, third in the Scottish Championship, are a confident selection at Arbroath, who are rock bottom. Hamilton, second in Scottish League One, ought to take their match at Cove Rangers in their stride and highly ranked Belgium should make their quality count against the Republic of Ireland. 

Homes sweet homes: Crewe and Wimbledon, both in the League Two promotion reckoning, meet on Saturday. Both had disappointing results last weekend -  Crewe losing 3-1 at MK Dons and Wimbledon going down 2-0 at home to Newport. I think Crewe will recover more quickly and make home advantage pay. Sutton, although last in League Two, are still alive and kicking after winning 1-0 at Forest Green, who are also threatened by relegation. Sutton are worth a punt against Accrington, who have recently parted with John Coleman, their long-serving manager. Dumbarton, surprising 6-2 winners at Spartans in Scottish League Two last Saturday, are recommended against Bonnyrigg Rose.