Pools tips and best bets for weekend of Nov 30-Dec 1

Ten draws: Burnley v Crystal Palace, Manchester United v Aston Villa, Norwich v Arsenal, Derby v Queens Park Rangers, Stoke v Blackburn, Wigan v Reading, Clyde v Dumbarton, Forfar v Peterhead, Elgin v Stirling, Queen's Park v Edinburgh.

Best draws: Burnley v Crystal Palace, Derby v Queens Park Rangers, Stoke v Blackburn, Clyde v Dumbarton, Queen's Park v Edinburgh.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, Burton, Dundee United, Raith.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Southampton, Tottenham, Barnsley, Brentford, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Dundee, Falkirk, Brechin.

Pick of the draws: Crystal Palace played well when narrowly defeated by Liverpool at Selhurst Park last Saturday and have had some good results away from home, including beating Manchester City last season. I'm tipping them to hold Burnley. The 4-0 home loss suffered by Queens Park Rangers at Nottingham Forest's hands in midweek was a bit misleading as they were down to 10 men after half-time. I believe they'll gain their first away draw this season at Derby, who have regressed since Frank Lampard left as manager. Consecutive wins have boosted Blackburn, who should be confident of a point at Stoke, who remain in the relegation zone of the Championship. Clyde and Dumbarton earned victories in last weekend's Scottish Cup and sit side by side in Scottish League One. There is little to choose between them. League Two Queen's Park knocked Championship side Queen of the South out of the Scottish Cup last weekend, so won't be afraid of the higher-placed Edinburgh City.

Away days: Although injuries have begun to hinder Manchester City's Premier League title challenge, it's impossible to ignore their claims at Newcastle, who reverted to type when losing at Aston Villa last Monday. Millwall gained a notable three Championship points at Swansea last Saturday and have another chance of a maximum haul at mid-table Birmingham. Sheffield Wednesday can cash in on the decline of Charlton, who have fallen into the bottom half of the table. Burton, 2-1 winners at Sunderland in midweek, look a good bet to progress at Oldham's expense in the FA Cup second round. Runaway Scottish Championship leaders Dundee United will surely win at Morton while high-flying Raith in League One should prevail at Montrose.

Homes sweet homes: If lowly Southampton play half as well as they did in their 2-2 draw at Arsenal last Saturday, they'll gain their first home win of the season against Watford, the Premier League's bottom club. Barnsley may be rooted to the foot of the Championship but they are showing plenty of spirit and could be worth a punt against improving Hull. Brechin v Stenhousemuir is a battle of the strugglers in Scottish League Two and ground advantage may be the decisive factor.

Pools info: I correctly forecast five of the draws last weekend: Sheffield United v Manchester United, Charlton v Cardiff, Carlisle v Cambridge, Cheltenham v Colchester and Walsall v Stevenage. I also had five out of six aways: Leeds, Portsmouth, Oxford, Forest Green and Rangers.


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Pools tips and best bets for weekend of Nov 23-24

Ten draws: Sheffield United v Manchester United, West Ham v Tottenham, Charlton v Cardiff, Accrington v Bolton, Shrewsbury v Bristol Rovers, Carlisle v Cambridge, Cheltenham v Colchester, Scunthorpe v Port Vale, Walsall v Stevenage, Kilmarnock v Hearts.

Best draws: Sheffield United v Manchester United, West Ham v Tottenham, Accrington v Bolton, Scunthorpe v Port Vale, Walsall v Stevenage.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Preston, Leeds, Portsmouth, Oxford, Forest Green, Rangers.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Everton, Watford, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Swansea, Wycombe, Crewe, Newport, Hibernian.

Pick of the draws: Manchester United have perked up recently but they will underestimate promoted Sheffield United at their peril on Sunday. Sheffield's climb to fifth place in the Premier League is no fluke. They are a well organised team who have conceded only nine goals and are unbeaten away. They have yet to draw at home this season but I can see this one ending all square. A change of manager usually benefits a club in the short term but I believe Tottenham, who have just appointed Jose Mourinho, will be denied victory at West Ham. This is a Spurs side who have not won away in the league since January. Beating MK Dons last Saturday at last put bottom club Bolton on a positive points total in League One. They are showing signs of reviving and should at least share the spoils at struggling Accrington. I predict deadlock when League Two Port Vale, one of the most improved teams in the top four divisions, visit Scunthorpe, who are gradually pulling clear of the relegation zone. Wooden spoonists Stevenage fought gallantly before going out of the FA Cup at Peterborough in midweek and can draw at Walsall, who are also precariously placed.

Away days: Preston, second on merit in the Championship, look a good bet to prevail at Derby, who continue to disappoint. Third-placed Leeds, with four away wins under their belt, should collect more points when they travel to Luton, who are only one position above the drop zone. Portsmouth, with games in hand, are steadily climbing League One and will be looking for a maximum haul at Rochdale, who have only two home wins. Play-off contenders Oxford must be heavily fancied at Southend, surely doomed to relegation. Although Forest Green lost the League Two leadership after being beaten 1-0 at home by Plymouth last weekend, they should return to winning ways at ailing Leyton Orient. Rangers, on level points with Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, are recommended at Hamilton.

Homes sweet homes: Watford did not look like a side battling relegation from the Premier League when they won 2-0 at Norwich two weeks ago and I think they will claim three more points against Burnley, who don't travel well. Manager Danny Cowley has transformed Huddersfield's fortunes in the Championship and I'm tipping the Yorkshiremen to have too much for Birmingham, who have already lost six away. Improving Hibernian inch closer to the top half of the Scottish Premiership and are worth a punt against the better-positioned Motherwell.

Pools info: Aston Villa v Newcastle (No 2 on coupon) will be assessed by the pools panel while Fulham v Queens Park Rangers (16) is void.

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

Ten draws: Cyprus v Scotland, Israel v Poland, Serbia v Ukraine, Gillingham v Lincoln, Exeter v Cheltenham, Northampton v Crewe, Dumbarton v Falkirk, Peterhead v Montrose, Boreham Wood v Maidenhead, Notts County v Barrow.

Best draws: Israel v Poland, Gillingham v Lincoln, Exeter v Cheltenham, Dumbarton v Falkirk, Boreham Wood v Maidenhead.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Wales, England, Mansfield, Swindon, Arbroath, Airdrieonians.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Austria, Slovenia, Blackpool, Bolton, Coventry, Rotherham, Leyton Orient, Chesterfield, Torquay, Woking.

Pick of the draws: Although Poland top their European Championship qualifying group, Israel are no mugs when they have ground advantage and I believe they'll get a point. Lincoln held League One leaders Ipswich to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup first round last Saturday, despite playing away, and they can do the same to Gillingham, who don't pose as much threat. Exeter and Cheltenham are in the League Two promotion mix and only separated by one place and one point. Deadlock is the most likely result here. Falkirk's 4-1 home defeat by Airdrieonians last Saturday had them slipping from first to fourth in Scottish League One and they could be denied victory at Dumbarton. Maidenhead, who are more effective away in the National League, are tipped to gain parity at Boreham Wood, who are frequently uncomfortable at home.

Away days: Wales need all the points they can get to qualify for next summer's European Championship finals and I can't see them slipping up at no-hopers Azerbaijan. England should complete their successful European campaign by winning at Kosovo on Sunday. In League Two, Mansfield look an away banker at Macclesfield, whose senior players are on strike. Swindon's third place is mostly down to a sound away record and they are worth a punt at mid-table Salford. Arbroath, fresh from their convincing 3-0 home win over Inverness in the Scottish Championship last weekend, are recommended at struggling Morton while in Scottish League One, Airdrieonians, who are in contention for the leadership, are a confident selection at Stranraer.

Homes sweet homes: Bolton, bottom of League One with only one home win all season, have an excellent chance to improve on that when they host MK Dons, whose form is even worse. I'm taking Leyton Orient to put their shock FA Cup first-round exit by non-League Maldon & Tiptree behind them when they play Scunthorpe. Woking halted their National League slump with a 3-1 victory at Stockport two weeks ago and I believe they'll take maximum points off their promotion rivals Halifax.

Pools info: Burton v Southend (No 20 on coupon), Colchester v Bradford City (25), Grimsby v Newport (29), Stevenage v Oldham (35) and Ayr v Dunfermline (37) will be assessed by the pools panel.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of November 9-10

Ten draws: Burnley v West Ham, Manchester United v Brighton, Newcastle v Bournemouth, Birmingham v Fulham, Hull v West Bromwich, Reading v Luton,  Dumbarton v East Fife, Falkirk v Airdrieonians, Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund, Paderborn v Augsburg.

Best draws: Burnley v West Ham, Newcastle v Bournemouth, Hull v West Bromwich, Falkirk v Airdrieonians, Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Torquay, Burton, Rangers, Ayr, Cowdenbeath.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Leicester, Leeds, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool, Sunderland, Celtic, Partick, Raith, Queen's Park.

Pick of the draws: Burnley's normally mean defence has taken a bit of a battering recently - seven goals conceded in the past two matches - and this has probably dented their confidence for Saturday's fixture against West Ham, who have also fallen into the bottom half of the Premier League. Although Newcastle played their best football of the season when beating West Ham 3-2 away last Saturday, there's no guarantee they'll do the same to Bournemouth, who are just outside the top six and have tightened defensively. Hull's 3-0 away success against Fulham was perhaps the outstanding result of last weekend and has put them in the mood to deny Championship leaders West Brom victory. Airdrieonians, of Scottish League One, have more away wins than anyone in the division, so they shouldn't fear a trip to leaders Falkirk, who are only two points above them. Fourth-placed Bayern Munich may still be feeling the effects of their 5-1 thrashing at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend and I believe Borussia Dortmund, who are second, will hold them.

Away days: I've a feeling that Manchester City will rise to the occasion at Anfield on Sunday and inflict Liverpool's first Premier League defeat of the season. City are six points behind the leaders and cannot afford to come off second best. In the first round of the FA Cup, Torquay, flying high in the National League, should account for Maidstone and League One Burton ought to have too much for Salford, of League Two. Rangers, level on points with Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, will be disappointed if they come up short at Livingston. Ayr, second in the Scottish Championship with four away wins to their name, are recommended at Queen of the South, as are Cowdenbeath, third in Scottish League Two, at Annan.

Homes sweet homes: Leicester, who are third in the Premier League on merit and scoring for fun, will relish facing Arsenal, who are notoriously brittle and haven't won away since the opening weekend of the season. Sheffield Wednesday, just outside the Championship play-off positions and improving under new manager Garry Monk, could end Swansea's unbeaten away record at Hillsborough. Bottom club Partick, who have lost all their home games in the Scottish Championship, face Morton, who have lost all their away matches. I think ground advantage will be the decisive factor here.

Pools info: Norwich v Watford (No 7 on coupon) and Dundee v Dundee United (30) are void because they are being played on Friday evening.