Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 12-13

Ten draws: Manchester United v West Ham, Blackpool v Coventry, Chesterfield v Walsall, Peterborough v Port Vale, Rochdale v Bury, Swindon v Millwall, Accrington v Plymouth, York v Barnet, Dundee v Hearts, St Mirren v Queen of South.

Best draws: Manchester United v West Ham, Blackpool v Coventry, Peterborough v Port Vale, Swindon v Millwall, Accrington v Plymouth.

Best weekend away bets: Tottenham, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Wimbledon, Falkirk.

Best weekend home bets: Stoke, Hull, Queens Park Rangers, Rotherham, Bradford City, Burton, Exeter, Luton, Yeovil, Aberdeen.


Pick of the draws: West Ham have had some outstanding away results this season, which should serve them well in their FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. West Ham's scalps on the road include Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. I expect them to share the spoils and win the replay. Blackpool and Coventry, who meet on Saturday, are in wretched form at opposite ends of the League One table. Blackpool have slipped back into the relegation zone while Coventry have dipped below the play-off places. It sounds like a good recipe for a stalemate. Peterborough halted their rotten run of results with a creditable draw at Wigan last weekend but they may be hard-pushed to overcome Port Vale, who are punching above their weight. Swindon's match at Oldham last Saturday was postponed because of bad weather, so they will be fresh and eager for the visit of Millwall, who are more formidable away than at home. I am predicting deadlock between two in-form sides. Accrington's hopes of automatic promotion from League Two suffered a blow with a midweek home defeat by Portsmouth but they should be capable of at least holding third-placed Plymouth.

Away days: It is impossible to overlook Premier League title contenders Tottenham, who are at Aston Villa on Sunday. Villa, who are bottom and nine points from safety, appear to have given up the ghost and Tottenham won't want to lose further ground on top-of-the-table Leicester. Fourth-placed Manchester City won't be satisfied with anything other than victory at Norwich, whose efforts to avoid relegation are being hindered by a shortage of goals. Middlesbrough surprisingly lost at Rotherham in midweek to fall four points behind Championship leaders Burnley. They will be anxious to return to winning ways on Sunday against Charlton, who look doomed to relegation. Wigan are now strongly fancied to go up automatically from League One and will surely beat bottom club Colchester, whose hopes of escaping the drop are fading by the week. Wimbledon's away form in League Two stands up to scrutiny and I'm backing them to prevail at Morecambe, who have already lost 10 home games. Falkirk have overtaken Hibernian in the race for second in the Scottish Championship and they should have too much for Dumbarton.

Homes sweet homes: What a difference veteran manager Neil Warnock has made at relegation-troubled Rotherham!  They have won three on the bounce, including an uplifting triumph over promotion-seeking Middlesbrough in midweek. Rotherham face another high-flyer on Saturday in Derby and I've a hunch they'll win again. League Two Exeter have recently won at Stevenage and Cambridge to stop a worrying slide and although their home form is not so encouraging, I believe they will raise their game against Carlisle. Yeovil's late winner at Mansfield last weekend enabled them to move nine points clear of the relegation zone and they will relish taking on Notts County, who seem to be going in the opposite direction.


Pools info: The FA Cup quarter-final between Reading and Crystal Palace (No 3 on the coupon) is being played on Friday and is therefore void.