Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 25-26

Ten draws: Arsenal v Chelsea, Burnley v Leicester, West Bromwich v Liverpool, Birmingham v Charlton, Reading v Brentford, Coventry v Crewe, Yeovil v Port Vale, Dagenham & Redbridge v Accrington, Oxford v Cambridge, Southend v Luton.

Best draws: Arsenal v Chelsea, Burnley v Leicester, Birmingham v Charlton, Yeovil v Port Vale, Oxford v Cambridge.

Best weekend away bets: Swansea, Watford, Derby, Wolves, MK Dons, Shrewsbury.

Best weekend home bets: Queens Park Rangers, Stoke, Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday, Chesterfield, Fleetwood, Plymouth, Wycombe, York, Raith.


Pick of the draws: Chelsea, the Premier League champions elect, will be happy with a draw at the Emirates on Sunday and that's what I believe they will settle for. No team is better than Chelsea at grinding out results and I can see them frustrating second-placed Arsenal, who will be trying for a 10th consecutive victory. Leicester can suddenly see an escape route from relegation thanks to three wins on the trot but I think they will be denied a fourth at Burnley, who, as the bottom club, are as desperate for points themselves. Charlton are the Championship draw specialists with 18 stalemates this season. Don't be surprised if they make it 19 at Birmingham, who are also used to drawing, having shared the spoils on 15 occasions. Although Yeovil have been relegated from League One, they have won their past two games, against Sheffield United (home) and Swindon (away). I'm taking them to avoid defeat against Port Vale, who are just above the drop zone. In League Two, there is little to separate Oxford and Cambridge and a draw is the likeliest outcome.

Away days: I cannot ignore Swansea's claims at crisis club Newcastle, who are going from bad to worse and must be relieved to have picked up so many Premier League points earlier in the season. Watford are in the Championship driving seat as they are now leading the table. They will surely be too strong for Brighton, who have badly tailed off. When Derby are on song there are few better teams in this division. Victory at third from bottom Millwall will guarantee them a play-off place and I'm confident they will get it. It looks as though Wolves will fall short in their quest for the play-offs but they should still be too good for Wigan, whose wretched home record will probably result in relegation. MK Dons are breathing down Preston's neck in the race for automatic promotion from League One. With nine goals from their past two matches, they seem a good bet at Rochdale. Maximum points at relegation-haunted Cheltenham will confirm Shrewsbury's promotion from League Two and I'll be surprised if there is an upset in this one.

Homes sweet homes: Relegation-troubled Queens Park Rangers are well worth a punt in the London derby against West Ham, who look as though they cannot wait for the season to end. Recent results have given QPR a fighting chance of staying in the Premier League and I believe they will gain a  valuable three points. Bristol City, the runaway League One champions, may be tempted to take their foot off the pedal when they visit Chesterfield, for whom a win will confirm their place in the play-offs. York are ending the League Two season with a flourish under manager Russell Wilcox. They were unlucky to lose at Shrewsbury last weekend and are recommended against Newport, whose play-off hopes have faded.

Pools info: Bournemouth v Bolton (match No 12 on coupon) has been switched to Monday and the outcome will be decided by the pools panel.