Pools tips for this weekend January 1-2

Treble chance (home teams): Liverpool, Stoke, Norwich, Watford, Colchester, Walsall, Lincoln, Aberdeen, Hamilton, St Johnstone.

Best draws: Liverpool, Norwich, Watford, Aberdeen, Hamilton.

Aways: Arsenal, Ipswich, Derby, Bournemouth, Torquay.

Homes: Manchester City, Tottenham, Doncaster, Hull, Nottingham Forest, Hartlepool, Plymouth, Burton, Gillingham.


Pick of the draws: Bolton's rise in the Premier League has been one of the features of the season and they look good for a point at Liverpool, who are nowhere near the force they were. Queens Park Rangers have spectacularly recovered from their blip as Championship leaders and visit fellow promotion contenders Norwich, who are not as convincing at home as they are away. Watford play Portsmouth at Vicarage Road - a meeting of two teams who are consistently inconsistent. In the Scottish Premier League, lowly Aberdeen, now managed by Craig Brown, are tipped to end their losing home sequence against mid-table Dundee United while Hamilton, without a home victory all season, can at least hold fading Motherwell.

Away days: A goal in stoppage time denied Arsenal victory at St Andrew's last season, but they should go one better on Saturday against a goal-shy Birmingham side who are fighting relegation. Have a punt on Ipswich springing a surprise at Coventry, who have lost both their Christmas fixtures in the Championship. Although Derby have surprisingly lost five matches in a row, they will surely be too strong for managerless Preston, who are rock-bottom. For a team chasing League One promotion, Bournemouth's away form is poor, but I'm backing them to improve on that by beating a disappointing Swindon. Torquay to increase Hereford's misery at the bottom of League Two.

Homes sweet homes: A frustrated Doncaster, whose two games were postponed over Christmas, could be in the mood to take it out on relegation-threatened Scunthorpe. Hull are fancied to continue their climb up the Championship at the expense of Leicester. In League One, Hartlepool, who are making a surprising charge for the play-offs, are expected to account for Oldham. In League Two, take a chance on Burton defeating the higher-placed Shrewsbury while Gillingham, who are flying, will probably send Stevenage home pointless.