Pools tips for this weekend March 19-20

Treble chance (home teams): Blackburn, Everton, Sunderland, Hull, Swansea, Brentford, Dagenham & Redbridge, Tranmere, Oxford, Shrewsbury.


Best draws: Blackburn, Everton, Hull, Swansea, Shrewsbury.


Aways:  Wolves, Reading, Watford, Leeds, Gillingham.


Homes: Tottenham, Wigan, Millwall, Preston, Exeter, Huddersfield, Southampton, Accrington, Aldershot.




Pick of the draws: Premier League action resumes this weekend as Blackburn host Blackpool. Both teams are just above the relegation zone and in decline, so it is difficult to pick a winner. You never know which Everton is going to turn up these days, but Fulham, their opponents, are models of consistency away from home, having drawn eight matches on their travels. Hull are making a late charge for the Championship play-offs and well capable of taking a point off second-placed Norwich. Swansea have stumbled in the last few weeks, which makes them vulnerable to a team like fellow promotion-seekers Nottingham Forest, who have already drawn seven games on the road. In League Two, it is hard to separate Shrewsbury (5th) from visitors Wycombe (3rd).


Away days: Although Wolves have been terrible away from Molineux, it's worth taking a chance on them to beat Aston Villa, who are being unsettled by player unrest and only two points off the relegation zone. Reading came out of their FA Cup sixth-round defeat at Manchester City with enormous credit and will be confident of taking maximum points from their Championship trip to Barnsley. Watford have come alive again after a dip in form and will go to Middlesbrough with no fears. Leeds should bolster their promotion challenge by defeating Sheffield United, where hope of avoiding relegation is fading fast. In League Two, I expect the rapidly improving Gillingham to prevail at troubled Burton.


Homes sweet homes: Bottom-of-the-table Wigan have a must-win match against fellow relegation strugglers Birmingham and I believe they will come through. Having beaten Queens Park Rangers (at home) and Burnley (away) in their past two games, Millwall will feel they can send faltering Cardiff home pointless from the New Den. Preston, the Championship's bottom club, won a crucial encounter at Scunthorpe this week and will approach their fixture against Coventry with much more confidence. Middle-of-the-table Accrington have won their last four home matches in League Two. Back them to make it five against promotion contenders Port Vale, who have gone off the boil.