Pools tips and best bets for weekend of February 15-16

Ten draws: Charlton v Blackburn, Queens Park Rangers v Stoke, Accrington v Lincoln, Gillingham v Doncaster, Oxford v Sunderland, Cambridge v Bradford City, Oldham v Forest Green, Plymouth v Crewe, Walsall v Northampton, Cove v Edinburgh.

Best draws: Charlton v Blackburn, Queens Park Rangers v Stoke, Oxford v Sunderland, Cambridge v Bradford City, Cove v Edinburgh.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Wycombe, Peterborough, Coventry, Exeter, Salford, Dundee United (Friday).

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Southampton, Derby, Fulham, Leeds, Ipswich, Portsmouth, Grimsby, Swindon, Hearts.

Pick of the draws: Charlton, of the Championship, eased their relegation fears with an unexpected but deserved 1-0 away win over promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest but Blackburn, their opponents on Saturday, also had a good midweek victory (3-0 at home) against Hull and will be hard to overcome. Queens Park Rangers are struggling at the moment and Stoke, who are just clear of the drop zone, will be hoping to take advantage. League One Oxford, who gave Newcastle such a scare before bowing out of the FA Cup, face another team from the north-east, Sunderland, who have revived their promotion challenge. A point apiece looks the most likely outcome. A change of manager has seen Cambridge shoot up the League Two table with three consecutive wins but Bradford City, their opponents, are back in play-off contention and can come away with a point. Cove, the Scottish League Two leaders, have won all 11 of their home games but that sequence could be ended by Edinburgh, who are just one place and three points behind them.

Away days: Wycombe have slipped out of the League One automatic promotion places thanks to a
1-0 midweek home defeat by Fleetwood but they will surely return to winning ways at doomed Bolton. There's no stopping second-placed Peterborough (six straight wins) right now and I believe they'll continue their remarkable run by beating Fleetwood. Coventry are also bang in the promotion reckoning and must be fancied at second bottom Southend. Two successive home wins have got Exeter back on the promotion trail in League Two and they should relish a trip to cash-strapped Macclesfield. Mid-table Salford are recommended at Stevenage, who are being cast adrift at the foot of the table. Dundee United, the runaway Scottish Championship leaders, are firm favourites to prevail at lowly Alloa.

Homes sweet homes: Arsenal, who must start turning those draws into wins, have an excellent opportunity to do that on Sunday when they host Newcastle, who are flattered by their 12th position in the Premier League and were relieved to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup against Oxford. Improving Southampton were unlucky to lose to Tottenham in an FA Cup fourth-round replay and I think they'll take it out on Burnley in the early match on Saturday. Hearts v Hamilton is a bottom-of-the-table battle in the Scottish Premiership and I believe Hearts will make the most of ground advantage.

Pools info: Hull v Swansea (No 6 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.