Pools tips and best bets for weekend of February 18-19

Ten draws: Fulham v Tottenham, Birmingham v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Leeds, Wigan v Preston, Chesterfield v Bury, Port Vale v Bristol Rovers, Accrington v Colchester, Doncaster v Luton, Grimsby v Mansfield, Gateshead v Forest Green.

Best draws: Birmingham v Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich v Leeds, Port Vale v Bristol Rovers, Doncaster v Luton, Gateshead v Forest Green.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Norwich, Bolton, Oldham, Tranmere, Dover.

Best weekend home bets: Millwall, Cardiff, Coventry, Southend, Cambridge, Exeter, Leyton Orient, Barrow, Bromley, Hearts.


Pick of the draws: Birmingham's slide down the Championship table continues under manager Gianfranco Zola and they may be hard-pushed to gain more than a point from the visit of Queens Park Rangers, who were unlucky to lose at home to promotion-seeking Huddersfield last Saturday. Ipswich followed last weekend's win at Aston Villa with a midweek draw at high-riding Brighton. With these results behind them, they'll be more confident of coping with Leeds, who stopped the rot with a home midweek victory over Bristol City. Port Vale, who are dangerously close to the League One drop zone, face Bristol Rovers, whose promotion challenge has faded. These are two teams seemingly in decline and stalemate appears the best option. League Two leaders Doncaster suffered a setback at Carlisle in midweek and they may encounter another against Luton, who are showing the best form of all the top sides. National League team Gateshead have eight home draws to their name this season. Don't be surprised if they make it nine when third-placed Forest Green come to play on Saturday. Both sides won well last weekend.

Away days: Manchester City have got their mojo back and look poised to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Their task on Saturday - a fifth-round visit to bang on-form Huddersfield, of the Championship, is far from easy but I'm sure they'll deal with it. Norwich are back in the promotion reckoning after a lean spell and must be fancied at relegation-troubled Burton, who are only averaging a goal a game. Bolton, third in League One, are back in business after some poor results and I'm backing them to become the first team to win at Bradford City this season. Bradford have stalled and their hopes of automatic promotion are fading. Oldham are moving away from the relegation zone and well worth a punt at Swindon, who have lost their way and dropped into the mire. National League promotion hopefuls Tranmere will be disappointed not to come away from Eastleigh with three points while Dover, in sixth place, look nailed on at bottom club North Ferriby.

Homes sweet homes: Millwall have already beaten Premier League opposition in Bournemouth and Watford at The Den in the FA Cup, so the League One outfit will relish taking on Leicester, who, as champions, have massively under-achieved this season. A place in the Cup quarter-finals is not beyond the Londoners, particularly as they have strengthened their promotion challenge. I've a hunch that Coventry, who are propping up League One, will beat Gillingham, who hardly exude confidence this season. What Coventry must stop doing is keep conceding late goals. One such deprived them of victory at AFC Wimbledon in midweek. If defeating League Two promotion favourites Plymouth 3-2 away in midweek doesn't inspire lowly Leyton Orient then nothing will. I believe they'll follow that up with victory over Kevin Nolan's struggling Notts County.