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

Ten draws: Burton v Brentford, Cardiff v Ipswich, Leeds v Brighton, Oxford v Scunthorpe, Southend v Walsall, Cheltenham v Cambridge, Hartlepool v Wycombe, Luton v Exeter, Stevenage v Portsmouth, Kilmarnock v Partick.

Best draws: Cardiff v Ipswich, Leeds v Brighton, Oxford v Scunthorpe, Luton v Exeter, Stevenage v Portsmouth.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Leicester, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Doncaster, Accrington.

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Everton, Bolton, Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood, Rochdale, Grimsby, Mansfield, Plymouth, Inverness.


Pick of the draws: Mick McCarthy's Ipswich are the draw specialists of the Championship - 15 in total - and I think they'll get another one at Cardiff, who are only two places and three points above them. Only goal difference stops Brighton from leading the Championship table. Normal service was resumed with their 3-0 home defeat of Derby last Friday and they have enough about them to avoid defeat at Leeds, who dropped two points in a goalless stalemate against Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road last Saturday. Scunthorpe's hopes of automatic promotion from League One were revived with a midweek home victory over Rochdale and I believe they will gain something at Oxford, whose recent results have been mixed. Luton and Exeter occupy two of the play-off places in League Two. Although Luton have ground advantage, Exeter's away record is so good - 11 wins on the road - that I'll be surprised if they come away with anything less than a draw. Stevenage v Portsmouth is possibly the best draw on the coupon. Stevenage's 1-0 loss at Blackpool in midweek was their first defeat in nine matches while Pompey have recorded two consecutive 4-0 victories, moving them into the automatic promotion slots.

Away days: I can't ignore Manchester United's claims at Middlesbrough on Sunday. Boro look certain to be relegated from the Premier League unless they start scoring. They have only 19 league goals to their credit this season. Leicester have an extra bounce in their step since Craig Shakespeare took charge and they worth backing at West Ham, even though they have yet to record an away league win this season. Championship leaders Newcastle were beaten 3-1 at home by Fulham last weekend but they usually recover well from setbacks and I'm taking them to return to winning ways at Birmingham, who have lost their last three at home. Aston Villa should improve their indifferent away form by gaining maximum points at Wigan, who have sacked their manager and lie second from bottom. League Two leaders Doncaster seem an away banker at Leyton Orient, who have sunk to the bottom and are wearing the look of doomed men. Accrington have pulled right away from the drop zone and a win at Yeovil appears well within their capabilities.

Homes sweet homes: Crystal Palace, fourth from bottom in the Premier League, will have gained great encouragement from winning 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion and will be disappointed if they don't beat Watford, who could be sucked into the relegation zone if they are not careful. Mansfield have stumbled in League Two recently but not as much as their visitors Carlisle, who have seen their hopes of automatic promotion take a dive. Two 3-0 home defeats by Portsmouth and Cambridge haven't helped their cause and Mansfield could add to their misery. It's very tight at the foot of the Scottish Premiership and I've a hunch that bottom club Inverness Caledonian Thistle will get the better of fourth-from-bottom Ross County.


Pools info: Port Vale v Shrewsbury (No 26 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.