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

Ten draws: Everton v Arsenal, Newcastle v Crystal Palace, Tottenham v Chelsea, Fulham v Leeds, Bolton v Southend, Doncaster v Accrington, Oxford v Wycombe, Rotherham v Fleetwood, Mansfield v Northampton, St Johnstone v St Mirren.

Best draws: Newcastle v Crystal Palace, Fulham v Leeds, Bolton v Southend, Doncaster v Accrington, Oxford v Wycombe.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Wolves, Swansea, Wimbledon, Plymouth, Newport, Crewe.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Brighton, Manchester City, Cardiff, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Coventry, Gillingham, Bradford City, Colchester, Exeter.

Pick of the draws: Crystal Palace are more effective away than at home in the Premier League and should get something from their visit to Newcastle, who reverted to type when losing 1-0 at Burnley last Saturday. Championship promotion contenders Leeds will be kicking themselves for letting slip a 3-0 lead against Cardiff at Elland Road last weekend but they should have enough about them to gain a point at Fulham, who are brilliant one week and mediocre the next. Bolton v Southend is a battle of the no-hopers at the foot of League One and it's hard to make a case for either of them winning. Accrington's 4-1 home victory over Portsmouth was one of the best results of the weekend and they look good for at least a point at Doncaster, who are fading. Wycombe's runaway lead at the top of League One is the success story of the season but if any side can halt their surge it's Oxford, who have recovered so well from a terrible start.

Away days: Wolves, unlucky to lose at home to Tottenham last Sunday, will be eager to make amends and should do so at second-from bottom Norwich. Swansea stopped their slide in the Championship by beating Middlesbrough 3-1 at home last Saturday and will fancy their chances of a second consecutive win at Luton, who are close to the relegation zone. Although Wimbledon are only one place above Tranmere at the wrong end of League One, their form is more encouraging and I believe they'll come out on top. In League Two, Plymouth are recommended at cash-strapped Macclesfield and Newport are a confident selection at bottom club Morecambe. Crewe's best displays have come away this season and their record at struggling Stevenage is good.

Homes sweet homes: Brighton, who had much the better of their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Monday and play attractive football, can inflict the first Premier League away defeat of the season on fifth-placed Sheffield United. Manchester City cruised to victory at Arsenal last Sunday. Leicester, second in the table and unbeaten in their past nine Premier League games, will be much tougher opponents but I'm taking City to gain three more points. Preston, third, are looking down on Cardiff, 12th, in the Championship but they are not the same threat away and I believe Cardiff will follow their 3-3 draw at Leeds with victory here.

Pools info: Blackburn v Wigan (No 10 on coupon) will be assessed by the pools panel while Middlesbrough v Stoke (16) is void.

I correctly forecast six out of ten draws last weekend: Manchester United v Everton, Stoke v Reading, Wigan v Huddersfield, Sunderland v Blackpool, Leyton Orient v Bradford City and Scunthorpe v Colchester.

My pools tips and best bets for the weekend of December 28-29 will appear on Christmas Eve.