Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 19-20

Ten draws: Burnley v West Brom, Bolton v Derby, Sunderland v Leeds, Wolves v Cardiff, Bury v Bristol Rovers, Doncaster v Blackpool, Southend v Plymouth, Accrington v Mansfield, Crawley v Cambridge, Forest Green v Yeovil.

Best draws: Sunderland v Leeds, Wolves v Cardiff, Doncaster v Blackpool, Southend v Plymouth, Accrington v Mansfield.

Best weekend away bets: Arsenal, Manchester United, Birmingham (Friday), Oxford, Ross, Ayr.

Best weekend home bets: Leicester, Liverpool, Tottenham, Bristol City, Charlton, Fleetwood, Shrewsbury, Carlisle, Aberdeen, Dunfermline.


Pick of the draws: Despite two goalless draws in their opening three matches, I expect Leeds to challenge for promotion to the top flight this season. Sunderland will present a tough test on Saturday but I believe Leeds will pass it. One of the games of the weekend is at Molineux where Wolves host Cardiff in the Championship. Both sides have maximum points from their first three fixtures but I fancy they will have to settle for a point each. In League One, Blackpool got off the mark by defeating Milton Keynes Dons 1-0 at home last weekend. I think they will build on that result by gaining a point at Doncaster, who won even more convincingly (3-1) at Blackburn. Southend came crashing back to earth when losing 5-0 at Rotherham last Saturday. In normal circumstances I would have taken Southend to beat promoted Plymouth but now I'm backing the Devon team to hold them.  Accrington surprisingly came unstuck by 3-2 at Yeovil last Saturday but they have a lot going for them and can share the spoils with Mansfield, the bookmakers' favourites for promotion from League Two.

Away days: Arsenal will want to repeat their Premier League success at Stoke last May and have the firepower to do so, as shown in their thrilling 4-3 home victory over Leicester last Friday. Manchester United looked ominously good when thrashing West Ham 4-0 at Old Trafford last Sunday and will be disappointed to come away from Swansea with anything less than three points. Burton are the only Championship team without a point after three matches. They are probably in for a long, hard season and visitors Birmingham will be optimistic about their chances on Friday evening. Oxford are the early leaders in League One and look full of goals. I'm taking them to score a few more at Scunthorpe, who are struggling to produce last season's form. In the Scottish Premiership, Ross are recommended at Motherwell, who will be without the three players sent off in a 4-1 defeat at St Johnstone last weekend, and top-of-the-table Ayr are a confident selection at Stranraer in Scottish League One.

Homes sweet homes: Tottenham will be anxious to lay their Wembley bogey this season and their home game against Chelsea on Sunday gives them a good opportunity to do so. The Premier League champions are in disarray on and off the pitch and I reckon they will be even more downcast after the weekend. Bristol City have made an encouraging start to their Championship campaign and should have too much for Millwall, who are finding life more difficult in a higher division. Unfashionable Shrewsbury have two wins from two in League One. I'm backing them to make it a hat-trick against Rochdale, who have been slow out of the blocks.