Pools forecast and best bets for weekend of Nov 29-30

Ten draws: Southampton v Manchester City, Tottenham v Everton, West Ham v Newcastle, Birmingham v Nottingham Forest, Leeds v Derby, Middlesbrough v Blackburn, Crawley v Chesterfield, Rochdale v Oldham, Shrewsbury v Burton, Barnet v Macclesfield.

Best draws: Southampton v Manchester City, Tottenham v Everton, Leeds v Derby, Crawley v Chesterfield, Shrewsbury v Burton.

Best weekend away bets: Chelsea, Fulham, Doncaster, Preston, Oxford, Portsmouth.

Best weekend home bets: Burnley, Manchester United, Swansea, Bolton, Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry, Bury, Southend, Rangers.


Pick of the draws: Manchester City will have been heartened by their win over Bayern Munich, despite being outplayed for most of the match, and I believe they will halt Southampton's surge. Tottenham's away form is keeping them in the top half of the Premier League. However, at home they are struggling and Everton will be difficult opponents on Sunday. Leaders Derby look a class apart in the Championship but Leeds have improved and were unlucky to lose at Blackburn last weekend. This may be the kind of test they will relish. Crawley have drawn more League One games than they have won this season and I can see that trend continuing when they host mid-table Chesterfield. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's first two matches as Burton's manager have brought two victories in League Two. They've got momentum and I'm taking them to spoil Shrewsbury's excellent home record by coming away with a point.

Away days: Chelsea, the unbeaten Premier League leaders, are so dominant right now that it's hard to see anybody stopping them. It will be a major surprise if Sunderland, their opponents on Saturday, are the first to do it. Fulham gave a good account of themselves, despite losing narrowly at Brentford last Friday. A repeat of that form should be good enough to overcome Brighton, who just cannot get going in the Championship. No side has won more away matches than Doncaster in League One and they look a banker at bottom-of-the-table Crewe, who find goals so hard to come by. Promotion contenders Preston will be confident of defeating Yeovil, having beaten the higher-placed Oldham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in midweek. In League Two, Oxford are worth a punt at Cheltenham, who have sacked their manager Mark Yates, and Portsmouth must fancy their chances at Tranmere, who are in danger of being cast adrift from the rest.

Homes sweet homes: Burnley's hopes of Premier League survival rose when they won at Stoke last Saturday and they will be looking forward to playing out-of-form Aston Villa. Bolton have upped their game since appointing Neil Lennon as manager, so don't be surprised if they see off Huddersfield in the Championship. Lowly Coventry's win at Colchester in League One last weekend came in the nick of time and will have boosted their confidence. It should put them in the right frame of mind to beat Walsall at the Ricoh Arena. It may not rate as a Scottish Cup fourth-round shock but I'm tipping Rangers, of the Championship, to knock out Kilmarnock, of the Premiership, when they meet on Sunday.

Pools info: Peterborough v Bristol City (match No 29 on the coupon) is being played on Friday and is therefore void. A void match is worth two points.