Pools tips and best bets for weekend of October 28-29

Ten draws: Bournemouth v Chelsea, Burton v Ipswich, Hull v Nottingham Forest, Bristol Rovers v MK Dons, Bury v Doncaster, Fleetwood v Oxford, Portsmouth v Bradford City, Wigan v Blackburn, Colchester v Crewe, Boreham Wood v Bromley.

Best draws: Bournemouth v Chelsea, Burton v Ipswich, Fleetwood v Oxford, Portsmouth v Bradford City, Boreham Wood v Bromley.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester City, Aston Villa, Wolves, Carlisle, Aldershot, Dunfermline.

Best weekend home bets: Arsenal, Cardiff, Fulham, Preston, Charlton, Peterborough, Plymouth, Accrington, Port Vale, Woking.


Pick of the draws: Chelsea were far from convincing when beating Watford at Stamford Bridge last Saturday and it wouldn't surprise me if they dropped points at Bournemouth, who eased their relegation worries by winning at Stoke last weekend and defeating Middlesbrough in the League Cup in midweek. Burton, are third from bottom and with the worst goal difference (-19) of any team in the Championship. Yet they could get something from the visit of Ipswich, who, after a great start to the season, have slumped to 10th in the table and were beaten by their bitter rivals Norwich at Portman Road last Sunday. Fleetwood are not quite the League One force they were last season and they may not get the better of Oxford, who lie just outside the play-off places. Portsmouth will be anxious to recover from two successive away defeats but third-placed Bradford City are expected to provide tough opposition and are particularly strong away from home. Only one place separates Boreham Wood from Bromley in the upper reaches of the National League and deadlock is the likeliest outcome.

Away days: Manchester City, five points clear at the top of the Premier League and scoring for fun, look an away banker at West Bromwich Albion, who have notched only seven goals so far and are slipping towards the relegation zone. Aston Villa's early-season problems in the Championship appear to be in the past. They have climbed into the play-off positions and I'm backing them to beat their struggling neighbours Birmingham at St Andrew's on Sunday. Leaders Wolves are on a roll and their momentum will surge with maximum points at Queens Park Rangers. League Two Carlisle already have four away wins to their credit and they will be disappointed not to make it five at Chesterfield, who are in danger of being cast adrift at the bottom. Aldershot are a confident selection at Barrow, who have sunk into the National League relegation zone while Dunfermline, second in the Scottish Championship, should return with three points from Inverness.

Homes sweet homes: It's no more than a hunch that I'm going for mid-table Peterborough to end the unbeaten run of League One leaders Shrewsbury on Saturday. Although Shrewsbury's astonishing rise has been the success story of the season, this remarkable sequence has to end sometime and the Posh are capable of beating most sides on their day. Beleaguered Plymouth were mightily relieved to win at Wimbledon last weekend and three more points against inconsistent Rochdale are well within their reach. Port Vale's three consecutive victories under new manager Neil Aspin have seen them move away from the League Two drop zone and they won't fear the visit of higher-placed Swindon.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of October 21-22

Ten draws: Everton v Arsenal, Stoke v Bournemouth, Ipswich v Norwich, Millwall v Birmingham, Blackpool v Wigan, MK Dons v Oldham, Scunthorpe v Peterborough, Morecambe v Grimsby, Swindon v Wycombe, Dagenham & Redbridge v Wrexham.

Best draws: Everton v Arsenal, Stoke v Bournemouth, Ipswich v Norwich, Millwall v Birmingham, Swindon v Wycombe.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Hull, Lincoln, Luton, Tranmere, Ayr.

Best weekend home bets: Manchester City, Swansea, Derby, Middlesbrough, Wolves, Doncaster, Coventry, Stevenage, Dover, Rangers.


Pick of the draws: Everton, sitting just above the Premier League relegation zone, have been one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far. However, Arsenal, their opponents at Goodison Park on Sunday, are especially brittle away from home and a draw between two mediocre sides seems the likeliest outcome. Bournemouth, second from bottom, have lost all four of their away games in the league but I fancy them to get something from their visit to Stoke, who are on the slide. Ipswich have been overtaken by fierce rivals Norwich in the Championship and the two meet at Portman Road on Sunday. Norwich are in undeniably better form and can come away with a point. I expect Birmingham to climb the table after the appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager. They had a morale-boosting home win over promotion contenders Cardiff last Friday and they can hold Millwall at the New Den. Wycombe maintained their unbeaten away record in League Two with a thrilling 3-3 draw at Carlisle in midweek and I believe that run will continue at Swindon.

Away days: Manchester United, second in the Premier League and undefeated, are highly recommended at Huddersfield, where the goals have dried up after a bright start to the season. Hull's 10 men were unlucky to concede a late equaliser at Norwich in the Championship last Saturday and I think they'll take their frustration out on Barnsley. Promoted Lincoln are on the cusp of the League Two play-off places following their fine 1-0 win at Swindon in midweek. What they did to Swindon they can do to mid-table hosts Cheltenham. New leaders Luton, 11 goals in their past two matches, must be backed at Crawley, who are hopeless at home, and in the National League the underachieving Tranmere can surprise Aldershot. Ayr, second in Scottish League One, ought to make short work of bottom club Forfar.

Homes sweet homes: Swansea gained their first home victory in the Premier League by beating Huddersfield 2-0 last weekend. I believe they'll follow that up with a further three points against Leicester, whose poor start to the season has left them in the drop zone and without a manager. Derby's 2-0 defeat of their fierce rivals Nottingham Forest in the Championship last Sunday will have improved their mood considerably and I'm taking them to beat Sheffield Wednesday, who may struggle to recover from going down 2-1 to bottom club Bolton. Although Middlesbrough have been a bit of a letdown, they are capable of beating anybody in this division and I've a feeling they'll put high-flying Cardiff to the sword. Doncaster's home record in League One is nothing special but they should have enough in the tank to see off Walsall.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of October 14-15

Ten draws: Burnley v West Ham, Norwich v Hull, Wolves v Aston Villa, Bristol Rovers v Oxford, Northampton v Wimbledon, Oldham v Blackburn, Forest Green v Newport, Port Vale v Cheltenham, Yeovil v Crewe, Ross v Hearts.

Best draws: Norwich v Hull, Wolves v Aston Villa, Bristol Rovers v Oxford, Oldham v Blackburn, Forest Green v Newport.

Best weekend away bets: Chelsea, Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford City, Coventry, St Mirren.

Best weekend home bets: Manchester City, Swansea, Tottenham, Brentford, Leeds, Fleetwood, Peterborough, Wigan, Luton, Partick.


Pick of the draws: By thrashing Birmingham 6-1 at home in the Championship two weeks ago, Hull, unimpressive before then, may have turned a corner. A repeat of that display should be good enough to earn them a point at Norwich, who have had some good results themselves recently. Although Wolves are in one of the two automatic promotion slots, they face a resurgent Aston Villa side at Molineux and could be denied a home victory. Bristol Rovers have yet to draw in League One this season but that could end on Saturday when they entertain Oxford. Both teams are in fine form and were convincing winners last weekend - Rovers 6-0 at Northampton, Oxford 3-0 at home to Wimbledon. There's every chance they could cancel each other out. A few weeks ago Oldham v Blackburn would have looked an away banker but Oldham's improvement under caretaker manager Richie Wellens has been astonishing. They have moved clear of the relegation zone and look set to continue their rise. League newcomers Forest Green climbed out of the League Two relegation zone with a well merited point at high-flyers Notts County last Saturday. They won't find things easy against in-form Newport but I believe they'll collect another point.

Away days: Chelsea have a perfect Premier League record away from home and I can't see that changing when they visit Crystal Palace, whose plight - bottom of the table with no points or goals -becomes more desperate by the week. Even the fixture list seems to be conspiring against Palace. Watford are not Arsenal's favourite opponents but the north Londoners have recovered well from that 4-0 mauling at Anfield in August and, lying fifth, now have as many points as Chelsea. They will be looking for three more at Vicarage Road. Sheffield Wednesday gave a statement of intent by beating Leeds 3-0 at Hillsborough just before the international break. That result should serve them well at the Championship's bottom club Bolton, who have the worst record of anybody in the Football League. League One promotion contenders Bradford City are away day specialists with four wins and two draws from six matches on the road. They are a confident bet at Bury, who appear to be in for a long hard winter. Coventry's parsimonious defence - only six goals conceded from 12 League Two fixtures - may be the decisive factor in their visit to Accrington. In the Scottish Championship I predict leaders St Mirren will recover from last weekend's surprising home defeat by Raith in the Irn-Bru Cup by defeating Dumbarton.

Homes sweet homes: Swansea have lost all three of their Premier League home games but I've a hunch they'll end that hoodoo against Huddersfield, who seem to have hit a wall after their whirlwind start to the season and are struggling to score. Brentford, 19th in the Championship, have played better than their results suggest, which is why I believe they'll beat mid-table London rivals Millwall and register their first home win of the campaign. In the Scottish Premiership I'm taking home advantage to count when Partick, second from bottom, host fellow strugglers Kilmarnock, who prop up the rest.


Pools info: Birmingham v Cardiff (match No 10 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of October 7-8

Ten draws: Slovenia v Scotland, Cyprus v Greece, MK Dons v Bradford City, Northampton v Bristol Rovers, Plymouth v Fleetwood, Scunthorpe v Wigan, Cambridge v Wycombe, Morecambe v Crawley, Barrow v Leyton Orient, Boreham Wood v Halifax.

Best draws: Slovenia v Scotland, MK Dons v Bradford City, Plymouth v Fleetwood, Cambridge v Wycombe, Morecambe v Crawley.

Best weekend away bets: Portsmouth, Shrewsbury, Coventry, Mansfield, Hartlepool, Queen of  South.

Best weekend home bets: Oxford, Rochdale, Cheltenham, Lincoln, Notts County, Port Vale, Maidstone, Wrexham, Inverness, St Mirren.


Pick of the draws: I suspect Scotland need to win in Slovenia to have a realistic chance of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals but I believe they'll fall short. Gordon Strachan's players have perked up recently but it looks a case of too little too late. Bradford City are League One promotion contenders for the second season in a row and unbeaten away but they may have to settle for a point at MK Dons, who appear to be on the upgrade. Bottom club Plymouth face another out-of-form side in Fleetwood at Home Park, where they should at least halt their run of home defeats. Three consecutive have enabled Wycombe to climb into the League Two play-off places and I expect their progress to continue at mid-table Cambridge. Morecambe are notoriously brittle at home and will probably struggle to get more than a point out of Crawley.

Away days: Although Portsmouth are inconsistent in League One, it will be a surprise if they don't obtain maximum points at lowly Gillingham on Sunday. Leaders Shrewsbury have been the success story of the season with just four points dropped from their first 11 matches. They are in the mood to take on all-comers and are expected to add Walsall to their list of victims on Saturday. Relegated Coventry are eager to return to League One at the first attempt and will be confident of victory at Barnet, who have already lost three at home this season. Mansfield gained a morale-boosting win over League Two leaders Notts County last weekend and should have no reason to be apprehensive about a visit to Colchester. Hartlepool are climbing the National League after a dreadful start and are recommended at struggling Solihull Moors. Queen of South ought to asset their superiority over Scottish League Two Montrose in the fourth round of the Irn-Bru Cup.

Homes sweet homes: Rochdale are at last showing signs of life in League One and are worth a punt against the better-placed Rotherham, who are weak away from home with four losses from five games. Cheltenham have moved swiftly away from the League Two relegation zone with some impressive displays and are looking forward to the visit of erratic Swindon. Although Port Vale are in desperate trouble near the foot of the table I'm backing them to record their first home win of the season against Grimsby, who tend to blow hot and cold.

Pools info: Blackpool v Blackburn (No 16 on coupon), Charlton v Peterborough (17) and Oldham v Bury (22) have been postponed and will be judged by the pools panel.

Betting info: For the second weekend in a row I scored five from six with my away selections. Tottenham, Wolves, Norwich, Accrington and Rangers all obliged.