Pools tips for this weekend February 5-6

Treble chance (home teams): Stoke, Burnley, Portsmouth, Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday, Yeovil, Hereford, Morecambe, Stevenage, Altrincham.


Best draws: Portsmouth, Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday, Yeovil, Hereford.


Aways: Arsenal, Manchester United, Huddersfield, Rochdale, Bradford City.


Homes: Chelsea, Tottenham, Leeds, Leicester, Swansea, Preston, Carlisle, Bury, Gillingham.




Pick of the draws: The Championship match at Fratton Park on Saturday is between teams on a downward spiral - Portsmouth and Derby. I cannot see either gaining anything more than a point each. By contrast, Peterborough and Southampton are sides on the up in League One. Peterborough have scored more than 40 goals at home while fellow promotion contenders Southampton will be encouraged by their battling display against Manchester United in the FA Cup last Saturday. Deadlock is the likeliest outcome. Sheffield Wednesday have had some poor results and I expect MK Dons to hold them at Hillsborough. On-form Yeovil have moved out of the relegation zone and can deny Charlton victory. Although in the bottom half of League Two, Hereford and Lincoln are on long unbeaten runs. Expect that sequence to continue when they meet on Saturday.


Away days: Arsenal, unbeaten in the league since mid-December, look a good bet to prevail at Newcastle, who will probably suffer from the sale of their England striker Andy Carroll. Huddersfield gave the Gunners a scare in the FA Cup last Sunday and should boost their League One promotion challenge by winning at Exeter. Rochdale are coping well with life in a higher division and are worth a punt at Swindon, who have slipped into the bottom four. Bradford City are underachieving in League Two, but I am tipping them to halt their slide at Macclesfield. 


Homes sweet homes: Chelsea, with new £50 million signing Fernando Torres set to make his debut, must be fancied to beat his former club Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Fifth-placed Tottenham have an injury crisis, but they should still have too much in their locker for Bolton, who have gone off the boil since Christmas. In the Championship, I am backing Swansea to complete a league double over their fellow promotion contenders Cardiff and bottom club Preston to gain three much-needed points at the expense of Bristol City. Gillingham should continue their League Two ascent against Oxford.