Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 30-May 1

Ten draws: Southampton v Manchester City, Swansea v Liverpool, Bristol City v Huddersfield, Chesterfield v Bury, Rochdale v Swindon, Carlisle v Oxford, Hartlepool v Portsmouth, Leyton Orient v Mansfield, Barrow v Wrexham, Bromley v Aldershot.

Best draws: Swansea v Liverpool, Carlisle v Oxford, Hartlepool v Portsmouth, Leyton Orient v Mansfield, Bromley v Aldershot.

Best weekend away bets: Sunderland, Hull, Sheffield United, Doncaster, Bradford City, Bristol Rovers.

Best weekend home bets: Arsenal, Newcastle, Watford, Ipswich, Leeds, Barnsley, Barnet, Cambridge, Dagenham & Redbridge, Braintree.


Pick of the draws: Although Liverpool are in a rich vein of form, their minds may be more on the Europa League than the Premier League. You suspect that Villarreal in the two-legged semi-final will be more of a priority than the trip to Swansea next Sunday and I can see the hosts nicking a point. Carlisle's League Two play-off ambitions may have vanished but they are good enough to hinder Oxford's chances of automatic promotion and I believe they'll take something from this fixture. A couple of months ago Hartlepool looked on their way out of the Football League but they have made a remarkable recovery. Indeed, they have improved so much that a draw against Portsmouth on Saturday is not out of the question. Leyton Orient and Mansfield have missed the play-off boat in League Two and two disappointed teams seem set for a point apiece. Bromley's form in the National League has dipped and as Aldershot, their opponents on Saturday, are better away than at home, I'm predicting a share of the spoils.

Away days: Stoke, becalmed in mid-table, appear to have little interest in the rest of this season and Sunderland, fighting for their Premier League lives, can take full advantage. Hull, who are assured of a place in the Championship play-offs, need a win against already relegated Bolton to restore confidence and I think they will get it. Sheffield United are not giving up on a League One play-off place and will have more desire than mid-table Coventry, who have faded badly. Home wins over leaders Wigan and Coventry have given Doncaster a fighting chance of escaping relegation and they could have no more suitable opponents than bottom club Crewe, who just cannot buy a positive result. Nobody is playing better than Bradford City at the moment and I expect them to prevail at Southend, whose second half of the season has been far worse than the first. Perhaps the biggest away banker is Bristol Rovers, aiming for their second consecutive promotion, at York, whose relegation from League Two was confirmed at the weekend.

Homes sweet homes: Newcastle, with two of their last three fixtures at home, can see an escape route from Premier League relegation, especially after a fine comeback to earn a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday. I'm taking them to gain maximum points against Crystal Palace, who have reserved their best displays for the FA Cup.  Cambridge, 7-0 home winners over Morecambe in League Two last week, host promotion-seeking Plymouth, who were on the wrong end of one of the upsets of the season on Saturday - a 3-2 home defeat by bottom club Dagenham & Redbridge. Cambridge are well worth backing here. Although Dagenham & Redbridge are doomed to relegation, they can end their home programme on a winning note against off-colour Crawley.


Pools info: Chelsea v Tottenham (No 2 on coupon) is being played next Monday and will be judged by the pools panel. Birmingham v Middlesbrough (11) is being played on Friday and is therefore void.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 23-24

Ten draws: Fulham v Nottingham Forest, Doncaster v Coventry, Peterborough v Scunthorpe, Sheffield United v Barnsley, Morecambe v Stevenage, Notts County v Cambridge, Aldershot v Southport, Eastleigh v Tranmere, Gateshead v Bromley, Wrexham v Braintree.

Best draws: Fulham v Nottingham Forest, Peterborough v Scunthorpe, Sheffield United v Barnsley, Aldershot v Southport, Wrexham v Braintree.

Best weekend away bets: Brighton, Brentford, Burton, Northampton, Dover, Hibernian.

Best weekend home bets: Bournemouth, Manchester City, Sunderland, Cardiff, Huddersfield, Wigan, Accrington, Luton, Plymouth, Lincoln.


Pick of the draws: Fulham and Nottingham Forest, who have both had disappointing seasons, are among the draw specialists of the Championship and I think they'll continue the habit when they face each other at Craven Cottage on Saturday. Scunthorpe are one of the most improved sides in League One to such an extent that they have given themselves an outside chance of making the play-offs. However, they will have their work cut out at Peterborough, who are also running into form. Sheffield United are also making a late surge into play-off contention but Barnsley, their opponents on Saturday, are in an even stronger position and below Gillingham only on goal difference. Nobody in the National League has lost more home fixtures than middle-of-the-table Aldershot but they should at least avoid defeat against Southport, who are of similar mediocre quality. Braintree are bang in form and well placed to contest the play-offs. I'm backing them to share the spoils at Wrexham.

Away days: Brighton, edged out of the automatic promotion places in the Championship only by goal difference, are the team on a roll. They showed their intent with a 4-0 beating of Queens Park Rangers in midweek and they are a confident selection to prevail at Charlton, whose relegation to League One has been confirmed. MK Dons are almost down and have lost their past three home games, so Brentford will go there full of confidence. Burton, second in League One, have stumbled recently but I believe they'll get back on the winning track at Colchester, whose upturn in form will not save them from relegation. Northampton are already champions of League Two and heading for a huge points total. They should have few problems at 20th-placed Yeovil. Dover are the surprise promotion challengers in the National League and will surely triumph at relegated Kidderminster. Hibernian, third in the Scottish Championship, will have gained confidence from reaching the Scottish Cup final and they are recommended at Morton, who have little to play for except pride.

Homes sweet homes: Bournemouth have had an encouraging first season in the Premier League and will fancy their chances against Chelsea, who were desperately poor in losing 3-0 at home to Manchester City last weekend and may struggle to finish in the top half of the table. Sunderland have played the best of all the teams threatened by relegation from the Premier and gained a crucial victory at Norwich last Saturday. They host Arsenal on Sunday and will probably have too much passion and desire for the dispirited Gunners, whose season has been one long anti-climax. Few sides are more unpredictable than Huddersfield, of the Championship, but they are a match for anybody on their day. I've a hunch they'll have too much for Birmingham, whose play-off ambitions have bitten the dust.


Pools info: Preston v Burnley (No 10 on the coupon) is being played on Friday and is therefore void. Five of my draw selections were correct last weekend: Everton v Southampton, Leicester v West Ham, Brentford v Bristol City, Burton v Barnsley and Fleetwood v Oldham. Next week's blog will appear earlier than usual - on Sunday.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 16-17

Ten draws: Everton v Southampton, Leicester v West Ham, Birmingham v Burnley, Blackburn v Huddersfield, Brentford v Bristol City, Burton v Barnsley, Colchester v Peterborough, Fleetwood v Oldham, Swindon v Bury, Bromley v Torquay.

Best draws: Birmingham v Burnley, Brentford v Bristol City, Burton v Barnsley, Colchester v Peterborough, Swindon v Bury.

Best weekend away bets: Liverpool, Derby, Scunthorpe, Wigan, Bradford City, Barrow.

Best weekend home bets: Arsenal, Norwich, West Bromwich, Preston, Rotherham, Accrington, Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Hartlepool, Portsmouth.


Pick of the draws: Promotion-seeking Burnley, of the Championship, would have hoped for an easier match on Saturday than a trip to St Andrew's. Birmingham slipped up at home to Leeds in midweek, having won at Reading last weekend, but I feel they will make life difficult for the division's second-placed team. Brentford are bound to miss Alan Judge, who was seriously injured in their 3-1 win at Ipswich last Saturday and fast-improving Bristol City, fresh from beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 at home, are in the mood to take advantage. League One promotion contenders Burton have lost their zip recently and may find Barnsley tricky opponents. Barnsley, winners of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley two weeks ago, have a fighting chance of making the play-offs as well as a good away record. Colchester's revival has probably come too late to save them from relegation and they will be hard-pushed to defeat mid-table Peterborough. Two sides who have disappointed this season, Swindon and Bury, play each other on Saturday and stalemate looks the likeliest result.

Away days: When Liverpool are on song, as they were in beating Stoke 4-1 last Sunday and Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League in midweek, they are a formidable proposition and I believe they will come out on top at Bournemouth, who seem more vulnerable at home than away. Derby, flying high in the Championship, are rejuvenated after victories over Nottingham Forest and Bolton and shouldn't be inconvenienced by a trip to Charlton, who will almost certainly go down. Scunthorpe, of League One, are thriving under the management of Graham Alexander. They deserved their win over Burton last weekend and will surely chalk up another victory at bottom-of-the-table Crewe, whose relegation was confirmed after losing 3-0 at Port Vale last Saturday. There seems no stopping leaders Wigan, who are 10 points clear of League One's third-placed club Bradford City. I'm backing them to gain maximum points at Doncaster, whose survival hopes are fading. Bradford City are in great form and look too strong for relegation-threatened Shrewsbury. It's been hard to ignore Barrow's climb up the National League and they are a confident selection to prevail at Kidderminster, who are surely doomed to relegation.

Homes sweet homes: I fancy Norwich to triumph in their crucial Premier League relegation battle against Sunderland at Carrow Road on Saturday. Both teams are finding goals hard to come by but I think Norwich will make the most of ground advantage. Now that Northampton's promotion to League One has been confirmed, they may take their foot off the gas. If that happens, it will suit Exeter, who are making a late charge for the League Two play-offs on the back of some fine results. Portsmouth have their eye on automatic promotion from League Two. The momentum is more with them than Plymouth, their fading opponents on Saturday, and I'm going for a home win at what should be a packed Fratton Park.


Pools info: Stoke v Tottenham (No 9 on the coupon) has been switched to Monday and will be judged by the pools panel. Hull v Wolves (17) is being played on Friday and is therefore void.

Betting info: I scored four out of six with my away selections last week. Bournemouth, Oxford, Accrington and Portsmouth all obliged.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 9-10

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Norwich, Sunderland v Leicester, Fulham v Cardiff, MK Dons v Rotherham, Bury v Doncaster, Peterborough v Rochdale, Barnet v Leyton Orient, Morecambe v Hartlepool, Northampton v Bristol Rovers, Plymouth v Wimbledon.

Best draws: Sunderland v Leicester, Fulham v Cardiff, Bury v Doncaster, Morecambe v Hartlepool, Northampton v Bristol Rovers.

Best weekend away bets: Bournemouth, Chelsea, Oxford, Portsmouth, Accrington, Dundee.

Best weekend home bets: Manchester City, Southampton, Derby, Middlesbrough, Reading, Barnsley, Millwall, Oldham, Sheffield United, Carlisle.


Pick of the draws: Sunderland, who are fighting for their Premier League lives, were desperately unlucky not to beat West Bromwich Albion last Saturday. The table suggests they have little chance against the league leaders but Leicester have found goals hard to come by lately and it wouldn't surprise me if they dropped a couple of points on Sunday. Down at the wrong end of the Championship, Fulham can breathe a little easier after two consecutive wins. Cardiff, their opponents on Saturday, are contenders for a play-off place and gained a creditable point in a goalless draw at Burnley in midweek. Doncaster, battling relegation from League One, halted a terrible run of results by drawing at Rochdale last Saturday. I believe another draw is on the cards at Bury, who have not fulfilled their early-season promise. Hartlepool's revival in League Two ended with a midweek defeat at Carlisle but they have banished the fear of relegation and look good for a point at Morecambe. Bristol Rovers, third in League Two with 10 away victories to their credit, will fancy their chances of getting something at leaders Northampton, although it's a question of when, rather than if, the Cobblers will be promoted.

Away days: Bournemouth have recently been battered by Manchester City (home) and Tottenham (away) and will be anxious to return to winning ways in the Premier League. There are few more accommodating opponents than a rudderless Aston Villa, who are doomed to relegation. Chelsea have not lost in the league since Guus Hiddink took over as manager and may even finish the season in the top six. I rate their chances at Swansea, who have only scored 15 goals at home this campaign. League Two promotion favourites Oxford made League One Barnsley work hard for their win in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final at Wembley last Sunday and will surely be too strong for Crawley. Portsmouth, who lie sixth, have been efficient on their travels and should be backed at Dagenham & Redbridge, who seem certain to drop out of the Football League. Accrington, whose away wins are into double figures, are a confident selection at Luton, who often stumble at home. Dundee, after putting five past Ross, held leaders Celtic to a goalless draw in the Scottish Premiership in midweek and I expect them to see off Hamilton.

Homes sweet homes: Reading are progressing under Brian McDermott's managership and must be fancied against Birmingham, whose Championship play-off hopes have almost disappeared after consecutive defeats by Charlton (away) and Brighton (home). Oldham's form near the foot of League One has also picked up and they are worth a punt against third-placed Walsall, who have wobbled recently as their hopes of automatic promotion fade. High-flyers Gillingham are also stumbling. They visit Sheffield United, who defeated Walsall last weekend and are capable of beating anybody on their day.


Pools info: Nottingham Forest v Brighton (No 19 on coupon) is being played on Monday and will be judged by the pools panel. Hearts v Aberdeen (49) will be played on Friday and is void.