Pools tips and best bets for weekend of Feb 22-23

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Newcastle, Leicester v Manchester City, Southampton v Aston Villa, Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton v Luton, Wigan v Millwall, Accrington v Rotherham, Fleetwood v Portsmouth, Northampton v Exeter, Walsall v Port Vale.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Newcastle, Leicester v Manchester City, Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday, Accrington v Rotherham, Fleetwood v Portsmouth.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Cardiff, Gillingham, Coventry, Doncaster, Forest Green, Motherwell.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, Barnsley, Preston, Sunderland, Wycombe, Carlisle, Crewe, Aberdeen.

Pick of the draws: Crystal Palace and Newcastle, both in mid-table, are averaging under a goal a game in the Premier League and this fixture at Selhurst Park looks ripe for a low-scoring draw. This week's bad news will have shaken Manchester City and they'll be hard-pushed to get more than a point in the late Saturday match at Leicester. Sheffield Wednesday's startling decline in the Championship has put pressure on manager Garry Monk. They have a chance to stop the rot at Monk's old club Birmingham, who are none too convincing at home. It never pays to underestimate Accrington, who are climbing the League One table and capable of holding leaders Rotherham to a draw. Fleetwood have won their past four matches but they may have to settle for parity against Portsmouth, who are in great form themselves.

Away days: Cardiff, in touching distance of the Championship play-offs, should strengthen their case by beating Stoke, whose revival has come to an abrupt halt. Gillingham, of League One, are a side on the up and I rate their chances of victory at Lincoln, who seem to be travelling in the opposite direction. Second-placed Coventry will probably go top if, as expected, they prevail at struggling Rochdale. Doncaster will travel in confidence to Shrewsbury, for whom nothing has gone right since their heroic draw against Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup. League Two Forest Green are much better away than at home and are worth a punt at Scunthorpe, who are still adjusting to a change of manager. Despite the disappointment of a midweek Scottish Cup exit at the hands of St Mirren, Motherwell should take care of lowly Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership.

Homes sweet homes: Chelsea are not in the best frame of mind after their controversial home defeat to Manchester United on Monday but they can put that right in the early Saturday game against Tottenham, who have been weakened by long-term injuries to Kane and Son. Bottom-of-the-table Barnsley's 3-0 win at Fulham, third in the Championship, was one of the upsets of last weekend and I'm tipping them to gain another three points against Middlesbrough, who have lapsed into their old bad ways. Carlisle, 21st in League Two, will see their home fixture against Morecambe (23rd) as a good chance to move further away from the relegation zone.

Pools info: Derby v Fulham (No 15 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.