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

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, Hull v Ipswich, Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Northampton v Scunthorpe, Oldham v Rochdale, Rotherham v Shrewsbury, Yeovil v Swindon, Eastleigh v Barrow, Gateshead v Tranmere.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, Hull v Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Rotherham v Shrewsbury, Gateshead v Tranmere.

Best weekend away bets: Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn, Exeter, Carlisle, Annan.

Best weekend home bets: Burnley, Liverpool, Norwich, Sunderland, Charlton, Plymouth, Colchester, Wycombe, Dundee, Bromley.


Pick of the draws: Beleaguered Everton gained a much-needed victory over Watford, fighting back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Goodison Park, and they can build on that with a point at Crystal Palace, who prop up the Premier League and are in danger of being cast adrift. For their part, Palace will be encouraged by the way they played in a narrow defeat against Tottenham at Wembley. Ipswich are without a draw in 15 Championship games but that unusual sequence could end when they visit Hull, who will be anxious to halt their slide. Sheffield Wednesday's 2-1 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park in their last match was an eye-catching result but fourth-placed Bristol City are in even better shape and have lost only once away. League One leaders Shrewsbury were the last side in the top four divisions to lose their unbeaten record. It doesn't seem to have damaged their confidence and they look set for at least a point at free-scoring Rotherham, who have yet to draw at home. I sense that Tranmere are at last finding their feet in the National League and beating Dagenham & Redbridge 2-0 at home last Saturday should bode well. Despite Tranmere's heavy midweek defeat in their FA Cup replay against League One Peterborough, I believe they'll share the spoils at Gateshead, 3-0 winners at Maidenhead.

Away days: Chelsea's away form has kept them in the Champions League qualifying places and they are recommended at West Bromwich Albion, who have managed just two Premier League wins. Nottingham Forest's resounding 4-0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers will put them in good heart for their trip to Birmingham, who have so far failed to respond positively to Steve Cotterill's management and find themselves in the Championship relegation zone. Although Blackburn are outside the League One play-off spots, they have matches in hand. They can make up lost ground by winning at bottom club Bury, who crashed out of the FA Cup to non-League Woking in midweek. I think League Two high fliers Exeter will have too much knowhow for bottom-of-the-table Chesterfield and an improving Carlisle are well worth a punt at Grimsby. In Scottish League Two, Annan should be backed at Cowdenbeath, who are in dire straits.

Homes sweet homes: It's about time the tide turned for Sunderland and I've a hunch it will when they host Millwall on Saturday. It seems that Sunderland, bottom of the Championship, can't buy a win at the moment but they've played better recently and they'll be encouraged by the fact that Millwall have yet to triumph on their travels. League One strugglers Plymouth have arrested their slump and their  victory at promotion contenders Bradford City was one of the upsets of last weekend. I fancy them to defeat mid-table Oxford, who have gone off the boil. Dundee, bottom of the Scottish Premiership, could do with a lift and they may get it against third-from-bottom Kilmarnock, who appear equally fragile.