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

Ten draws: Huddersfield v Leicester, Newcastle v Stoke, Bristol City v Derby, Nottingham Forest v Wolves, Oldham v Shrewsbury, Portsmouth v Fleetwood, Walsall v Peterborough, Cambridge v Coventry, Crawley v Notts County, Hibernian v Motherwell.

Best draws: Huddersfield v Leicester, Newcastle v Stoke, Oldham v Shrewsbury, Portsmouth v Fleetwood, Cambridge v Coventry.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Fulham, Leeds, Northampton, Newport, Rangers (Friday).

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Brentford, Hull, Sheffield United, Blackburn, Wigan, Swindon, Aberdeen, Ayr.


Pick of the draws: Leicester have suffered from having some tough opening Premier League fixtures but they will probably find promoted Huddersfield a less fearful proposition. The Terriers were unimpressive when going down 2-0 at West Ham on Monday and had a reality check. Stoke have a victory over Arsenal and a draw against Manchester United to their credit - results that should give them a reasonable chance at Newcastle, who had a good result of their own when winning 1-0 away to Swansea last Sunday. Oldham climbed off the bottom of League One with a terrific 3-2 away win against Bristol Rovers in midweek. This followed last weekend's 2-2 draw at highly rated Fleetwood which has put them in the mood to deny leaders Shrewsbury, who have surprised everybody so far. Portsmouth, last season's League Two title winners, are struggling to adapt to a higher division and will not relish facing Fleetwood, who are among the early promotion contenders. Coventry are back in business after some disappointing early results and look good for a point against mid-table Cambridge.

Away days: Manchester City showed what they are capable of when thrashing Liverpool 5-0 at home last Saturday and I suspect they will be too strong for Watford, although the Hertfordshire club have begun the season surprisingly well, winning at Bournemouth and Southampton. Fulham were the first Championship side to take a point off Cardiff this season and they will be expecting a maximum points haul when they travel to lowly Burton. Leeds, the new Championship leaders, are a formidable force at the moment and are recommended at Millwall, who had to play most of their midweek 2-2 away draw against Queens Park Rangers with 10 men. League One Northampton have two wins from two under their new manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and I'm backing them to make it three in a row at fast-fading Southend. Newport continue to confound expectations in League Two and are worth a punt at Morecambe, who are more vulnerable at home. Rangers have two away wins from two in the Scottish Premiership and will be confident of making it a hat-trick at struggling Partick.

Homes sweet homes: Crystal Palace, bottom of the Premier League, were much the better side at Burnley last Sunday, despite suffering their fourth consecutive defeat, so don't be surprised if they take their frustration out on Southampton. Former England boss Roy Hodgson will also be anxious to start his managerial career at Selhurst Park with a win. I'm taking Palace to score their first league goals of the season and to gain three points. Brentford's lowly position in the Championship does not do them justice and I believe they will come out on top against Reading, who have yet to click this season. The Stevenage bandwagon in League Two appears to have stopped rolling and Swindon, their hosts on Saturday, can take advantage.