Pools tips and best bets for weekend of January 1-3

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v West Ham, Everton v Brighton, Coventry v Luton, Reading v Derby (Monday), Shrewsbury v Sheffield Wednesday, Harrogate v Port Vale, Rochdale v Mansfield, Salford v Tranmere, Sutton v Exeter, Walsall v Newport.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v West Ham, Reading v Derby, Shrewsbury v Sheffield Wednesday, Rochdale v Mansfield, Salford v Tranmere.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Fulham, Airdrieonians, Montrose, Cove, Forfar.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Blackpool, Bournemouth (Monday), Nottingham Forest (Monday), Stoke (Monday), West Brom, Ipswich, MK Dons, Oxford, Hartlepool.

Pick of the draws: West Ham halted their slide with a fine 4-1 victory at Watford but Crystal Palace also won well in midweek and have lost only once at home in the Premier League this season. Although Derby's points deduction dooms them to relegation from the Championship, they are showing great spirit, as seen in their 1-0 home win over promotion favourites West Brom and 2-1 away victory at Stoke. I'm tipping them to avoid defeat at Reading, who have also been hit by a points deduction. Lowly Shrewsbury's 3-0 triumph at Fleetwood in League One on Boxing Day will encourage them against Sheffield Wednesday, who crashed 5-0 at Sunderland in midweek. Rochdale, mid-table in League Two, have already drawn five at home this season and I think they'll make it six against a fast-improving Mansfield. Tranmere have climbed into the automatic promotion positions and look good for at least a point at Salford.

Away days: In what looks a poor weekend for potential away wins, Tottenham, unbeaten in their past seven outings, have as good a chance of any at Watford, who have lost five in a row. Fulham lost the leadership of the Championship after a 1-0 home defeat by Sheffield United but I expect them to bounce back by winning at Swansea. Scottish League One should provide three of my six aways. Third-placed Airdrie seem too strong for struggling Dumbarton, likewise Montrose, who visit bottom side East Fife. Cove, who top the table, are recommended at Peterhead. In Scottish League Two, look no further than second-placed Forfar, who will start warm favourites at second-from-bottom Elgin.

Homes sweet homes: Chelsea, with two consecutive away victories behind them, are worth backing against Liverpool, who lost ground in the Premier League title race by losing 1-0 at Leicester in midweek. In the Championship, Blackpool were winning at Huddersfield until they went down to 10 men. I believe they'll put that disappointment behind them when they host Hull. In League One, Ipswich appear to have stopped the rot and will probably take maximum points against visiting Lincoln.

Weekend pools info: the following games have been postponed and will be assessed by the pools panel: Plymouth v Wimbledon (coupon No.27), Sunderland v Fleetwood (30), Celtic v Rangers (44), Dundee v Dundee Utd (45), Hibernian v Hearts (46), Livingston v St Johnstone (47), Ross v Aberdeen (48), St Mirren v Motherwell (49).

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of December 26-27

Ten draws: Brighton v Brentford, Huddersfield v Blackpool, Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers v Bournemouth, Accrington v Rotherham, Wimbledon v Charlton, Gillingham v Ipswich, Lincoln v MK Dons, Colchester v Leyton Orient, Oldham v Scunthorpe.

Best draws: Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest, Accrington v Rotherham, Gillingham v Ipswich, Colchester v Leyton Orient, Oldham v Scunthorpe.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Arsenal, Blackburn, Sheffield United, Wigan, Celtic, Kelty Hearts.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Fulham, Peterborough, Bolton, Sheffield Wednesday, Stevenage, Tranmere.

Pick of the draws: Manager Steve Cooper has done a remarkable job at Nottingham Forest, who are now just outside the Championship play-off positions. However, Middlesbrough, their hosts on Sunday, are also on the rise and will probably share the points. League One leaders Rotherham look formidable but mid-table Accrington aren't afraid of anybody and will battle to the last. Lowly Gillingham desperately need a break and may get one against Ipswich, who lose to League Two Barrow in the FA Cup one week and hold League One promotion favourites Sunderland the next. Leyton Orient's away form in League Two is letting them down but they should get something at struggling Colchester. Oldham and Scunthorpe, who play each other, fill the relegation spots and will possibly cancel each other out.

Away days: Arsenal, nine goals in their past three Premier League games, are ending 2021 in style and will travel to bottom club Norwich with confidence. Blackburn look credible promotion contenders in the Championship and I believe they'll make Hull suffer. Sheffield United won 1-0 away at leaders Fulham on Monday and I expect their surge up the table to continue after they've played Preston. Wigan, second in League One, are strong favourites to beat bottom club Crewe, as are Celtic, who visit St Johnstone, last in the Scottish Premiership. Kelty Hearts, clear leaders in Scottish League Two, are recommended at Annan. 

Homes sweet homes: Aston Villa have a new lease of life under Steven Gerrard's managership and are worth a punt against Chelsea, whose Premier League title challenge is fading. Peterborough, third from bottom of the Championship, will leapfrog their opponents Reading if they win and I'm tipping them to do that. Stevenage, who are struggling in League Two, played well despite losing at Salford last weekend and can defeat Crawley.

Pools info: The matches at Barnsley (No.9 on coupon), Cardiff (10), Bradford (33), Bristol Rovers (34), Exeter (36), Newport (38) and Northampton (39) have all been postponed and will be assessed by the pools panel.

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

Ten draws: Watford v Crystal Palace, Bristol City v Huddersfield, Coventry v Stoke, Reading v Luton, Wimbledon v Portsmouth, Cambridge v Rotherham, Plymouth v Charlton, Carlisle v Bradford City, Colchester v Hartlepool, Tranmere v Leyton Orient.

Best draws: Watford v Crystal Palace, Wimbledon v Portsmouth, Cambridge v Rotherham, Plymouth v Charlton, Colchester v Hartlepool.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Leicester, Brentford, Chelsea, Wycombe, Crewe, Newport.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Aston Villa, West Ham, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers, Oxford, Northampton, Port Vale, Sutton, Arbroath.

Pick of the draws: Crystal Palace looked very good when beating Everton 3-1 at Selhurst Park last Sunday but if Watford play as well as they did when unluckily losing at home to Chelsea, they can take a point. Portsmouth are gradually climbing the League One table but you must never underestimate Wimbledon, who held promotion-chasing Wycombe to a 2-2 draw last Saturday. Rotherham deserve to top the table but may not have things all their own way at Cambridge, who have adapted well to a higher division. Charlton continue to make rapid progress and a point at Plymouth is well within their capabilities. Hartlepool, who are mid-table in League Two, have scored only six away goals, which should encourage Colchester, their lower-placed hosts.

Away days: Leicester, emphatic 4-0 winners over Newcastle last Sunday, look a good bet to triumph at ailing Everton. Brentford are giving a good account of themselves in the top flight and are recommended to beat injury-ravaged Southampton. Chelsea will be eager to keep pace with Premier League leaders Manchester City and should prevail at Wolves, who are experiencing a goal drought. Wycombe, fourth in League One, are the form selection against out-of-sorts Bolton. Crewe, at the bottom, haven't won away all season but they'll never have a better chance at Gillingham, who are only two points better off. Fast improving Newport, fourth in League Two, will travel to Rochdale with confidence.

Homes sweet homes: Oxford, who have moved into the League One play-off positions, are worth a wager against second-placed Wigan, even though the latter are outstanding away. Port Vale, who are third in League Two, entertain Exeter, who are fifth, and I'm tipping them to make the most of ground advantage. Sutton, in their first season in the Football League, seem in better shape than Harrogate, who have slipped recently. 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of December 11-12

 Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, Birmingham v Cardiff, Luton v Fulham, Stoke v Middlesbrough, Accrington v Bolton, Doncaster v Shrewsbury, MK Dons v Oxford, Newport v Port Vale, Walsall v Colchester, Ross v Dundee.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, Luton v Fulham, Stoke v Middlesbrough, Doncaster v Shrewsbury, MK Dons v Oxford.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: West Ham, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Swindon, Northampton, Forest Green.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, West Brom, Fleetwood, Portsmouth, Rotherham, Sunderland, Wigan, Hartlepool, Leyton Orient, Stevenage.

Pick of the draws: Everton ended their dismal losing run by beating Arsenal on Monday and will be in a better frame of mind for the visit to Crystal Palace, who have slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League. I believe Championship leaders Fulham won't have things all their own way at Luton, who gained a notable 3-0 victory at Blackpool last weekend and are a match for anybody on their day. Middlesbrough are a more formidable proposition now that Chris Wilder is manager and it won't surprise me if they come away from Stoke with a point. Although Doncaster have fallen to the foot of League One, they should get something from the visit of Shrewsbury, who have yet to win away. MK Dons and Oxford are both in the hunt for promotion and both playing well. This looks one of the likeliest draws on the coupon.

Away days: As West Ham have defeated Liverpool and Chelsea recently, they will be confident of three points at Burnley, who are third from last in the Premier League. Manchester United, eager to impress their new manager, look a sure thing at bottom club Norwich. Nottingham Forest's fine away record in the Championship gives them a fair chance of success at Swansea, who have disappointed. League Two high-flyers Swindon lost away for the first time this season in midweek but I'm tipping them to bounce back straight away at Barrow. Second-placed Northampton, 2-1 winners at Exeter in midweek, are worth a punt at Harrogate, whose home form is indifferent, while it's impossible to ignore the claims of runaway leaders Forest Green, who go to lowly Oldham.

Homes sweet homes: Fleetwood are my tip to win the battle of the League One strugglers. They host  Gillingham, who crashed 5-1 at Rotherham in midweek and are sinking like a stone. Sunderland's 5-0 home victory over Morecambe in midweek may give them the edge over promotion rivals Plymouth. Stevenage v Carlisle is a potential "six-pointer" at the wrong end of League Two. I think Stevenage have made a good managerial appointment in Paul Tisdale and I fancy them to come out on top.

Pools info: there were eight draws on last weekend's coupon and I correctly forecast five of them: the games at Leeds, Southampton, Barnsley, Reading and Aldershot. I also got three of my five best draws correct: Southampton 1 Brighton 1, Barnsley 1 Huddersfield 1 and Reading 1 Hull 1.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of December 4-5

Ten draws: Leeds v Brentford, Southampton v Brighton, Barnsley v Huddersfield, Cardiff v Sheffield United, Reading v Hull, Doncaster v Mansfield, Leyton Orient v Tranmere, St Johnstone v Ross, Aldershot v Altrincham, Dagenham & Redbridge v Grimsby.

Best draws: Southampton v Brighton, Barnsley v Huddersfield, Reading v Hull, Doncaster v Mansfield, Dagenham & Redbridge v Grimsby.

Best weekend bets: Six aways: Shrewsbury, Halifax, Swindon, Celtic, Forfar, Stirling.

Best weekend bets: Ten homes: Manchester United, Newcastle, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Burton, Portsmouth, Yeovil, Barnet, Bromley.

Pick of the draws: Brighton haven't won for nine matches but Southampton, their hosts, are also in a bit of a rut, having lost 2-1 at Norwich and 4-0 at Liverpool. Barnsley, second from bottom in the Championship, are having a terrible season but at least they kept a clean sheet at Peterborough last weekend and I've a feeling they'll take a point off Huddersfield, whose progress has stalled. Reading's points deduction has left them just above the drop zone and they face a Hull side who have won their past four games. It's the FA Cup second round this weekend and as Mansfield, from League Two, won at Sunderland in the previous round, they won't fear a journey to League One Doncaster, who are battling relegation. Because Grimsby have slipped from top to fourth in the National League, they won't relish a trip to Dagenham & Redbridge.

Away days: Shrewsbury, without an away win in League One this season, are tipped to break their duck in the FA Cup when they visit lowly Carlisle, of League Two, on Saturday. Halifax, among the front-runners in the National League, should have too much knowhow for Kidderminster, who are a division below them. Swindon's superb away record in League Two - seven wins and no defeats - will surely work to their advantage at Walsall. Celtic appear to have turned a corner in the Scottish Premiership and are recommended at Dundee United. Forfar and Stirling, from Scottish League Two, ought to confirm their superiority over Albion and Cowdenbeath respectively.

Homes sweet homes: Newcastle are bottom and still without a win in the Premier League but their 10 men did well to take a point off Norwich in midweek and I've a hunch they'll gain three points at the expense of Burnley on Saturday. Sunderland's magnificent home form (seven wins out of eight) is the main reason I believe they'll beat Oxford in a League One clash. Non-League Yeovil are worth backing against struggling Stevenage from League Two in the FA Cup. Yeovil have a grand cup fighting tradition and gained a notable 2-0 victory at Wrexham in the National League in midweek. 

Pools info: Three of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Norwich 0 Wolves 0, Bolton 2 Cheltenham 2 and Sheffield Wednesday 2 Wycombe 2.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of November 27-28

 Ten draws: Norwich v Wolves, Hull v Millwall, Luton v Cardiff, Bolton v Cheltenham, Cambridge v Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe, Crawley v Mansfield, Northampton v Leyton Orient, Rochdale v Exeter, Dundee v Motherwell.

Best draws: Norwich v Wolves, Luton v Cardiff, Bolton v Cheltenham, Cambridge v Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe.

Best weekend bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Portsmouth, Charlton, Walsall, Dundee United, Stockport.

Best weekend bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Peterborough, Burton, Forest Green, Sutton, Altrincham, Yeovil.

Pick of the draws: Consecutive victories over Brentford (2-1 away) and Southampton (2-1 at home) have moved Norwich off the bottom of the Premier League. It won't be easy when they host in-form Wolves on Saturday but morale has improved and they can nick a point. Luton are still punching above their weight in the Championship but Cardiff have already won three away matches and are tricky opposition these days. Bolton arrested their slide in League One by beating Doncaster 3-0 at home in midweek but opponents Cheltenham have adapted well to a higher division and cannot be discounted. Promotion hopefuls Sunderland don't relish playing away. They were held 1-1 by relegation-haunted Shrewsbury in midweek and I think Cambridge will also frustrate them. A marvellous 3-0 win at League One leaders Plymouth in midweek has revived Wycombe's promotion hopes and they will be a good test for Sheffield Wednesday, who defeated Accrington on Saturday and Milton Keynes Dons in midweek.

Away days: Tottenham, under new manager Antonio Conte, recovered well from a poor first-half display to beat Leeds at home last weekend. They will want to capitalise with another three points at lowly Burnley on Sunday. Portsmouth, thanks to wins over Wimbledon (2-1 home) and Lincoln (3-0 away), suddenly have a League One play-off place in their sights and they are strongly recommended at struggling Gillingham. Charlton, once relegation candidates, are the most improved side in the division and will rate their chances at Shrewsbury. In League Two, mid-table Walsall are tipped to beat second-from-bottom Carlisle. Dundee United, fourth in the Scottish Premiership, will surely be too strong for bottom club Ross while Stockport are on a roll in the National League and will travel to Wealdstone with confidence.

Homes sweet homes: Brentford stopped a run of Premier League defeats with an entertaining 3-3 draw at Newcastle last Saturday. I believe they'll go one better on Sunday against an off-form and injury-plagued Everton. Crystal Palace, more attacking these days, are not flattered by their 10th placing and they are worth a bet against Aston Villa, who only made sure of a home victory over Brighton in the closing minutes. Although Peterborough are precariously placed in the Championship, they are not doing as badly as Barnsley, their visitors on Saturday, and I think ground advantage will tip the balance.

Pools info: Five of my ten draws were correct last weekend: Burnley 3 Crystal Palace 3; Newcastle 3 Brentford 3; Bristol City 1 Blackburn 1; Swansea 1 Blackpool 1 and Bradford City 1 Northampton 1.

Betting info: I scored nine out of ten home wins last weekend when Norwich, Tottenham, Fulham, Hull, Stoke, Rotherham, Exeter, Mansfield and Raith all won.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of November 20-21

 Ten draws: Burnley v Crystal Palace, Newcastle v Brentford, Bristol City v Blackburn, Swansea v Blackpool, Accrington v Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton v Plymouth, Fleetwood v Morecambe, Wycombe v Bolton, Bradford City v Northampton, Newport v Swindon.

Best draws: Burnley v Crystal Palace, Accrington v Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton v Plymouth, Bradford City v Northampton, Newport v Swindon.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester United, West Ham, Cardiff, Lincoln, Halifax, Notts County.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Norwich, Tottenham, Fulham, Hull, Stoke, Rotherham, Exeter, Mansfield, Raith, Wrexham.

Pick of the draws: The outlook for Crystal Palace, who are responding to Patrick Vieira's methods, appears bright but Burnley, unbeaten in their past three matches, look capable of climbing out of trouble and they can take a point at Turf Moor. It's hard to know what Accrington, mid-table in League One, will do next as their form greatly fluctuates. They were well beaten at home by leaders Plymouth last Saturday but may do better against Sheffield Wednesday, who went out of the FA Cup to Plymouth in midweek. Plymouth are setting a hot pace in League One but Charlton's recent rise, including 1-0 away wins at Sunderland and Burton, has been just as significant and I won't be surprised if they avoid defeat. Bradford City and Northampton, who suffered FA Cup replay defeats in midweek, are well matched in League Two and it's difficult to separate them. Swindon's away record (six wins and two draws from eight games) is exceptional but a change of manager has put a spring in Newport's stride and I can see this one ending all square.

Away days: Manchester United's shortcomings have been well documented but they should still have too much in the tank for Watford, who sit just above the relegation zone. West Ham's third placing in the Premier League is no fluke and they are unbeaten away. I believe that record will be intact after they visit Wolves on Saturday. I'm taking a chance on Cardiff, who have halted their slide in the Championship, to upset the better-placed Preston. Lincoln are tipped to assert their superiority over struggling Doncaster in League One and Halifax and Notts County, both promotion contenders in the National League, are recommended at Dover and Eastleigh respectively.

Homes sweet homes: This will be Dean Smith's first match as Norwich manager and I've a hunch they will give him the three points that he and the team desperately need for Premier League survival. Norwich's opponents are Southampton. Hull, in the Championship relegation zone, can cause a surprise against Birmingham, who are inconsistent. Mansfield seem to have turned a corner in League Two and are a confident selection to defeat bottom side Scunthorpe.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of November 13-14

Ten draws: Croatia v Russia, Spain v Sweden, Scunthorpe v Salford, Walsall v Harrogate, Hamilton v Raith, Albion v Stirling, Stenhousemuir v Annan, Altrincham v Boreham Wood, Notts County v Solihull Moors, Wealdstone v Barnet.

Best draws: Spain v Sweden, Scunthorpe v Salford, Altrincham v Boreham Wood, Notts County v Solihull Moors, Wealdstone v Barnet.

Best weekend bets: Six aways: Portsmouth, Northampton, Kilmarnock, Airdrieonians, Grimsby, Wrexham.

Best weekend bets: Ten homes: Greece, North Macedonia, Portugal, Exeter, Tranmere, Inverness, Cove, Queen's Park, Chesterfield, Southend.

Pick of the draws: Sweden are usually obdurate opponents. They are top of their World Cup qualifying group and I believe they'll stay there after playing second-placed Spain on Sunday. Scunthorpe, bottom of League Two, may get an immediate lift from appointing Keith Hill as manager and I'm taking them to nick a point off Salford, who are underperforming. Boreham Wood are deservedly top of the National League but their progress may be checked by Altrincham, who don't give much away at home. Notts County and Solihull Moors, who face each other on Saturday, forced FA Cup first-round replays against higher-graded opposition. Notts County drew 1-1 at League Two Rochdale and Solihull did even better with a goalless draw at League One leaders Wigan. Wealdstone recently beat high-riding Grimsby while Barnet, their visitors, have pulled away from danger thanks to consecutive victories over Stockport (2-1, away) and Aldershot (2-1, home). The smart money is on a draw here. 

Away days: Although Portsmouth have done nothing exceptional this season, Wycombe, their League One hosts, seem to be faltering, which is why mid-table Pompey may be worth a punt. I expect Northampton, third in League Two, to maintain their winning form at Bristol Rovers. Despite losing at home to Partick last weekend, Kilmarnock, who lead the Scottish Championship, are a confident selection at Morton, as are Scottish League One table-toppers Airdrieonians at bottom club East Fife. In the National League I'm convinced Grimsby will return to winning ways against ailing Aldershot and Wrexham, 5-0 winners at Aldershot in midweek, will be disappointed not to come away from lowly King's Lynn with maximum points.

Homes sweet homes: I'm going for Portugal, no doubt inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, to defeat Serbia and  overtake them at the top of their World Cup qualifying group. Tranmere are two places lower than Sutton, their visitors, in League Two, so ground advantage may be the important factor here. Southend, relegated to the National League at the end of last season, are struggling in their new surroundings but I feel they will turn the corner, starting against Woking on Saturday.

Pools info: Swindon v Crawley (match No.23 on coupon) has been postponed because of international call-ups and will be assessed by the pools panel. 

 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of November 6-7

Ten draws: West Ham v Liverpool, Blackburn v Sheffield United, Blackpool v Queens Park Rangers, Luton v Stoke, Bradford City v Exeter, Fleetwood v Burton, King's Lynn v Walsall, Morecambe v Newport, Rochdale v Notts County, Hearts v Dundee United.

Best draws: West Ham v Liverpool, Blackburn v Sheffield United, Fleetwood v Burton, King's Lynn v Walsall, Rochdale v Notts County.

Best bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Leicester, Fulham, Doncaster, Shrewsbury, Kelty Hearts.

Best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Brighton, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Ipswich, Milton Keynes Dons, Northampton, Port Vale, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan.

Pick of the draws: Liverpool dropped two points at home to Brighton last weekend and I won't be surprised if they are again denied victory on Sunday when they visit West Ham. The Hammers are in the Champions League positions on merit and were further boosted by winning 4-1 at Aston Villa last Sunday. Sheffield United responded to losing 1-0 at home to Blackpool last Saturday with a hard-earned Championship point at Nottingham Forest in midweek and I think they'll come away from Blackburn with something. It's the FA Cup first round proper at the weekend and it's anyone's guess how Fleetwood, of League One, will react. They fought back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at home to promotion contenders Wycombe last Saturday, then saw a 2-0 lead turned into a 3-2 home defeat against leaders Wigan in midweek. I believe they'll hold their own against Burton in 90 minutes. King's Lynn are struggling in the National League but may raise their game against Football League opponents, such as League Two Walsall. Notts County, fresh from beating National League promotion favourites Grimsby 1-0 away, won't fear a trip to Rochdale, mid-table in League Two.

Away days: I believe Tottenham will get an instant lift from the managerial appointment of Antonio Conte and leave Goodison Park on Sunday with maximum points. Everton's injury problems have coincided with a loss of form. Although beaten 2-0 at home by Arsenal last Saturday, Leicester made enough chances to have won and I expect them to prevail at Leeds, who have disappointed. Free-scoring Fulham, 14 goals in their past three Championship matches, are a confident selection at lowly Peterborough. Go with Doncaster, second from bottom of League One, to triumph at Scunthorpe, bottom of League Two, in the FA Cup and Shrewsbury, also languishing in League One, should at least see off the challenge of non-League Stratford. Kelty Hearts, who top Scottish League Two, will surely be too good for struggling Cowdenbeath.

Homes sweet homes: The FA Cup is never short of surprises and it's worth a punt on Northampton, third in League Two and bang in form, to knock out Cambridge, mid-table in League One. There's also a good chance of Port Vale, second in League Two, upsetting League One Accrington. Sheffield Wednesday will be on cloud nine after defeating Sunderland 3-0 at home in midweek and will be in the mood to eliminate high-flying Plymouth.

Betting info: I scored five out of five with my away selections last weekend with Chelsea, Coventry, Bournemouth, Port Vale and Stockport. Hibernian, my sixth selection, had their match at Ross postponed.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of October 30-31

 Ten draws: Aston Villa v West Ham, Tottenham v Manchester United, Watford v Southampton, Preston v Luton, Sheffield United v Blackpool, Cambridge v Wimbledon, Cheltenham v Sheffield Wednesday, Gillingham v Accrington, Bradford City v Forest Green, St Mirren v Dundee.

Best draws: Watford v Southampton, Sheffield United v Blackpool, Cambridge v Wimbledon, Bradford City v Forest Green, St Mirren v Dundee.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Chelsea, Coventry, Bournemouth, Port Vale, Hibernian, Stockport.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Liverpool, Manchester City, Bristol City, Derby, Stoke, Charlton, Rotherham, Harrogate, Newport, Boreham Wood.

Pick of the draws: What is one to make of Claudio Ranieri's Watford? They followed a 5-0 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool by winning 5-2 away at Everton. Such extremes could be balanced by a mundane draw and that's what I think they'll get against Southampton, who gave a good account of themselves in their midweek League Cup loss at Chelsea. Few people thought that promoted Blackpool would be higher than relegated Sheffield United at this stage in the Championship. However, Blackpool's away record stands up well and they can leave Bramall Road with a point. Cambridge, of League One, will be anxious to get back on track after crashing 4-1 at Shrewsbury last Saturday but mid-table Wimbledon won't make it easy for them. Forest Green, five points clear at the top of League Two, may be happy to settle for a draw at Bradford City, who achieved one of the best results of the weekend, beating Swindon 3-1 away. Lowly Dundee's recent Scottish Premiership results include a 2-1 home victory over Aberdeen and a 1-1 draw at high-flying Hearts. Don't be surprised if they share the spoils at St Mirren.

Away days: Newcastle have yet to win in the Premier League this season and I can't see that sequence ending against Chelsea, the formidable leaders. Coventry, in the Championship play-off positions on merit, are a credit to their manager Mark Robins and must be fancied against relegation-fearing Hull. Bournemouth, the clear Championship leaders, are the only unbeaten side in the Football League and will approach their match at Reading with confidence. It's inadvisable to bet against Port Vale these days and the League Two's second-placed team travel to Crawley. Despite recent setbacks in the Scottish Premiership, Hibernian are recommended at bottom club Ross. Ditto mid-table Stockport, who visit  Dover, who look doomed, in the National League on Saturday.

Homes sweet homes: Derby, bottom of the Championship, have had some good results lately but it's time to turn those draws into wins. They have an excellent opportunity to do that against Blackburn, who are erratic. Charlton are showing signs of escaping the League One relegation zone. Their 1-0 win at promotion contenders Sunderland last weekend was one of the upsets of the season and I'm tipping them to gain another three points when they host Doncaster, who are just below them. Fifth-placed Rotherham were very impressive when winning 3-0 at Milton Keynes Dons last Saturday and can get the better of Sunderland.

Pools tips and best bets for the weekend of October 23-24

Ten draws: West Ham v Tottenham, Blackpool v Preston, Nottingham Forest v Fulham, Wimbledon v Wigan, Doncaster v Cheltenham, Shrewsbury v Cambridge, Bristol Rovers v Newport, Hartlepool v Harrogate, Rochdale v Sutton, Aberdeen v Hibernian.

Best draws: West Ham v Tottenham, Nottingham Forest v Fulham, Wimbledon v Wigan, Hartlepool v Harrogate, Rochdale v Sutton.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Wolves, Swansea, Plymouth, Livingston, Rangers.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal (Friday), Crystal Palace, Everton, Bournemouth, Coventry, Accrington, Ipswich, Sunderland, Wycombe, Walsall.

Pick of the draws: West Ham were worthy 1-0 winners at Everton last weekend but Tottenham have recovered well from their dispiriting 3-1 Premier League defeat at Arsenal and can take a point from this London derby on Sunday. The appointment of Steve Cooper to manage Nottingham Forest seems an inspired one. Since he's been in charge, Forest have shot up the Championship table. Victories over Blackpool (home) last Saturday and Bristol City (away) in midweek have put them in the mood to face high-flying Fulham. Wimbledon, in League One, are showing that familiar fighting spirit and I reckon they'll hold promotion contenders Wigan. Hartlepool have adapted well to League Two after last season's promotion and won't be overawed by the visit of Harrogate, who have stumbled recently. Although Sutton's climb up the division was halted by a midweek home loss to Swindon, they should get something from their trip to Rochdale.

Away days: Manchester City, 5-1 winners at Club Bruges in the Champions League, look full of menace and goals and it's hard to see Brighton halting their progress. Wolves are still on a high after fighting back from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 away last Saturday. They've already won three Premier League away matches and a fourth, at Leeds on Saturday, is a real possibility. Swansea's 3-0 home win over Cardiff last Sunday was their best display this season and I fancy them to prevail at goal-shy Birmingham. Plymouth's first place in League One is no fluke and they are highly recommended at Morecambe. In the Scottish Premiership, Livingston's 3-0 win at St Johnstone last Saturday was impressive and they'll be confident of success at bottom club Ross. Leaders Rangers will be annoyed at failing to beat Hearts at home last weekend. Expect them to take it out on St Mirren on Sunday.

Homes sweet homes: Arsenal will be smarting at being held to a home draw by Crystal Palace last Monday and will be eager to make amends against Aston Villa, who are one place below them in the Premier League. Accrington, of League One, had another good result in midweek, defeating Charlton 3-2 away. They will probably relish playing Portsmouth, for whom the wheels have come off. Pompey have conceded eight goals in their past two fixtures. League Two Walsall, having taken four points from their last two away games against Leyton Orient (0-0) and Oldham (3-1), will be approaching their match v Barrow with confidence.

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

Ten draws: Leicester v Manchester United, Blackburn v Coventry, Nottingham Forest v Blackpool, Sheffield United v Stoke, Bolton v Wigan, Cheltenham v Accrington, Lincoln v Charlton, Crawley v Sutton, Oldham v Stevenage, Dundee v Aberdeen.

Best draws: Leicester v Manchester United, Nottingham Forest v Blackpool, Sheffield United v Stoke, Lincoln v Charlton, Crawley v Sutton.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Liverpool, Wycombe, Tranmere, Harrogate, Forest Green, Kilmarnock.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Manchester City, Newcastle, Huddersfield, Reading, West Bromwich Albion (Friday), Oxford, Leyton Orient, Swindon, Rangers, Inverness.

Pick of the draws: Leicester have underperformed so far this season but Manchester United look the most vulnerable of the top four Premier League sides and I can see this one ending all square. Nottingham Forest, although improving, have still to win at home in the Championship. They could have a further wait after playing Blackpool, who are adapting well to a higher division. Relegated Sheffield United are not doing as well as expected whereas Stoke, their opponents, have exceeded expectations and look good for a point at Bramall Lane. Charlton's low position in League One is probably a false one and they are showing signs of stirring. They defeated Fleetwood away last time out and can share the spoils with Lincoln. Sutton's rise from a dismal start in League Two has been remarkable. They beat high-riding Port Vale in a 4-3 thriller last Saturday and I think they'll avoid defeat at Crawley.

Away days: Away wins could be plentiful this weekend and Liverpool, who have rediscovered their mojo, are a confident selection at Watford, who may be in for a long, hard winter. Wycombe, relegated last season, fancy their chances of making an instant return to the Championship and will surely confirm their superiority over Doncaster, who are bottom of League One. Tranmere, fifth in League Two, are recommended at ailing Carlisle. Second-placed Harrogate, who scored six last weekend, will start firm favourites at lowly Colchester and leaders Forest Green, beaten 2-0 at home by Swindon last Saturday, will be anxious to return to winning ways at bottom club Scunthorpe. In the Scottish Championship, Kilmarnock, who lie second, will expect to return from bottom club Dunfermline with three points.

Homes sweet homes: I've a hunch that the Saudi takeover will inspire struggling Newcastle to raise their game on Sunday and their fans to turn up the volume. I believe mid-table Tottenham will be the victims. Plymouth may be top of League One but Oxford are capable of beating anybody on their day and are worth a wager. Hearts, second in the Scottish Premiership, have done remarkably well on their return to the top flight but I'm tipping leaders Rangers, their hosts on Saturday, to make ground advantage count.

Betting info: I scored nine home wins out of ten last weekend with Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Mexico, Bristol Rovers, Harrogate, Altrincham, Halifax and Stockport all prevailing. 

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

Ten draws: Faroe Islands v Austria, Finland v Ukraine, Hungary v Albania, Chile v Paraguay, Hartlepool v Northampton, Newport v Bradford City, Sutton v Port Vale, Walsall v Salford, Woking v Grimsby, Yeovil v Notts County.

Best draws: Faroe Islands v Austria, Hungary v Albania, Sutton v Port Vale, Walsall v Salford, Woking v Grimsby.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: England, Ecuador, Canada, Leyton Orient, Barnet, Chesterfield.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Mexico, Bristol Rovers, Harrogate, Mansfield, Altrincham, Halifax, Stockport.

Pick of the draws: Austria have fallen away to such an extent in their World Cup qualifying group that I reckon the unfancied Faroe Islands will share the spoils with them. Hungary were so bad when beaten 4-0 at home by England that I believe they'll struggle to defeat Albania, who lie second in Group I. In League Two there is no more improved side than newcomers Sutton and I'm taking them to hold third-placed Port Vale, who scored twice in added time to beat Leyton Orient 3-2 last Saturday. Walsall's creditable 2-2 draw at Exeter last weekend was matched by Salford's 2-0 win at Colchester and this clash looks like ending with honours even. Grimsby, nine goals in their past two games, are setting a hot pace at the top of the National League but Woking's recent results have been just as good and I can see this one finishing all square.

Away days: Manager Gareth Southgate will be hugely disappointed not to take three points from England's trip to fifth-placed Andorra on Saturday. Ecuador, fourth in their South American qualifying group, will start firm favourites against Venezuela, who are bottom, while Canada, second in their group, are expected to assert their superiority over lowly Jamaica. I think League Two promotion contenders Leyton Orient will shake off the disappointment of their last-gasp loss at Port Vale and gain maximum points at Barrow. In the National League, Barnet will never have a better chance to record their first away win of the season against bottom club Dover and high-flying Chesterfield look a sound proposition at struggling Southend.

Homes sweet homes: Scotland have recovered well from an unimpressive start in European Group F and I'm tipping them to get the better of  Israel, who are just below them and one point worse off. Bristol Rovers have little going for them at the wrong end of League Two but perhaps Carlisle, their visitors on Saturday, and one place above them, are in even worse form. Mansfield, third from last, are another team terribly out of sorts but my feeling is that they'll make ground advantage count against Oldham, who are second from bottom.

Pools info: I scored eight out of ten homes last weekend thanks to Chelsea, Wolves, Bolton, Wycombe, Newport, Dundee United, Rangers and Grimsby.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of October 2-3

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Leicester, West Ham v Brentford, Blackpool v Blackburn, Cardiff v Reading, Peterborough v Bristol City, Accrington v Ipswich, Lincoln v Plymouth, Bristol Rovers v Swindon, Port Vale v Leyton Orient, Aberdeen v Celtic.

Best draws: Blackpool v Blackburn, Accrington v Ipswich, Bristol Rovers v Swindon, Port Vale v Leyton Orient, Aberdeen v Celtic.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Milton Keynes Dons, Forest Green, Inverness, Forfar.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Burnley, Chelsea, Wolves, Bolton, Wycombe, Exeter, Newport, Dundee United, Rangers, Grimsby.

Pick of the draws: A 1-0 home win over Barnsley and a 1-1 midweek draw at Hull have moved Blackpool well clear of the Championship relegation zone and has probably made them more confident of matching Blackburn, who hit Cardiff for five last Saturday but lost at Huddersfield in midweek. League One Accrington have suffered recent heavy defeats against Wigan (4-1 at home) and Oxford (5-1 away) and will be wary of playing Ipswich, who are improving after a dreadful start to the season. Indeed, Ipswich beat Doncaster 6-0 at home in midweek. Bristol Rovers, of League Two, gained a much needed victory at Walsall last Saturday, which should put them in a better frame of mind for the visit of Swindon, who are erratic. Leyton Orient's home goalless draw against Mansfield last weekend was a rare blip this season and I think they'll recover by sharing the points at Port Vale, who are also promotion contenders. The Scottish Premiership pits Aberdeen against Celtic on Sunday. Both have been disappointing so far and I predict a stalemate.

Away days: Middlesbrough's eye-catching 2-0 midweek home triumph over Sheffield United in the Championship will make them favourites to prevail at second from bottom Hull. Rotherham are proving formidable opponents in League One and are recommended at Cheltenham, who crashed 5-0 at Sunderland in midweek. Milton Keynes Dons, who are third, will surely have too much for hapless Doncaster, who prop up the table. League Two leaders Forest Green, held to a home goalless draw by Tranmere last Saturday, will be eager to return to winning ways at Carlisle, who may be still reeling from being beaten 4-0 by Football League debutants Sutton. Scottish Championship leaders Inverness seem a sound proposition at struggling Dunfermline, as do Forfar, of Scottish League Two, at lowly Stenhousemuir. 

Homes sweet homes: Burnley and Norwich, who meet at Turf Moor on Saturday, have yet to win a Premier League fixture this season but Burnley are playing better than Norwich. By all accounts they were unlucky not to prevail in their 2-2 draw at Leicester last Saturday and I'm tipping them to break their duck this weekend. Wolves have lost all three league games at Molineux so far but I believe they'll stop the rot against beleaguered Newcastle. Rangers, who lead the Scottish Premiership, host Hibernian, who are second, on Sunday. Ground advantage could be the telling factor here. 

 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of September 25-26

Ten draws: Leeds v West Ham, Blackburn v Cardiff, Cambridge v Fleetwood, Charlton v Portsmouth, Milton Keynes Dons v Wycombe, Crawley v Bradford City, Hartlepool v Exeter, Sutton v Carlisle, St Mirren v Aberdeen, Raith v Partick.

Best draws: Leeds v West Ham, Blackburn v Cardiff, Cambridge v Fleetwood, Charlton v Portsmouth, Sutton v Carlisle.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Liverpool, Fulham, Wimbledon, Northampton, Port Vale, Rangers. 

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Everton, Leicester, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Plymouth, Harrogate, Rochdale, Motherwell.

Pick of the draws: After five matches Leeds, who sit just above the relegation zone, are still waiting for their first Premier League win. That wait could be extended by West Ham, who are in the top half and playing better football. Blackburn have drawn half of their eight Championship games and I can see them sharing the points again when they host Cardiff. Fleetwood, from League One, have beaten Rotherham 4-2 away and drawn 2-2 at home with second-placed Sunderland in their past two fixtures. They go to Cambridge, who also excelled when winning 2-1 at Portsmouth last Saturday and deadlock is the likeliest result. Both Charlton and Portsmouth, who meet on Saturday, are well out of sorts and neither will be confident of maximum points. Carlisle, from League Two, fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to Scunthorpe and will expect to leave Sutton with at least a share of the spoils.

Away days: Although Brentford are adapting very well to the Premier League, at the moment it's impossible to bet against free-scoring Liverpool, who are expected to leave London with another three points. Fulham, second in the Championship, surprisingly lost 2-1 at home to Reading last Saturday but I'm backing them to return to winning ways at Bristol City. League One Wimbledon are just outside the play-off places and will fancy their chances at lowly Shrewsbury. Northampton, League Two promotion contenders, are entitled to feel confident at Salford, who are underachieving, while Port Vale, having defeated high-flying Harrogate 2-0 at home last weekend, won't have any qualms about travelling to Scunthorpe, who lie second from bottom. Steven Gerrard's Rangers, although not entirely convincing lately, should still have more than enough for Dundee, who prop up the Scottish Premiership.

Homes sweet homes: Blackpool climbed out of the Championship relegation zone with a 2-1 victory at Middlesbrough last Saturday and I believe they'll make it two wins in a row against Barnsley, who have yet to get going this season. Bottom club Nottingham Forest, having sacked manager Chris Hughton, won for the first time in eight games, prevailing 2-0 at in-form Huddersfield. As a result they will approach their home fixture with Millwall in a much more positive frame of mind. Ipswich, precariously placed in League One, also won for the first time this season, scoring the only goal of the game at Lincoln last weekend, and they are worth a punt against Sheffield Wednesday, who are sliding down the table.

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

Ten draws: Brighton v Leicester, Cardiff v Bournemouth, Luton v Swansea, Middlesbrough v Blackpool, Preston v West Brom, Accrington v Wigan, Fleetwood v Sunderland, Mansfield v Rochdale, Port Vale v Harrogate, Tranmere v Salford.

Best draws: Brighton v Leicester, Luton v Swansea, Accrington v Wigan, Fleetwood v Sunderland, Port Vale v Harrogate.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Arsenal, Chelsea, Birmingham, Leyton Orient, Hearts, Inverness.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Liverpool, Manchester City, Norwich, Fulham, Bolton, Doncaster, Portsmouth, Exeter, Grimsby, Hibernian.

Pick of the draws: Four matches into the Premier League season, Brighton are in the European places on merit. Leicester are one of the 14 teams below them but they gave Manchester City a hard game at the King Power last weekend and can come away with a point on Sunday. I believe that Swansea's 20th placing in the Championship is a false one. By all accounts they were unlucky not to defeat Hull at home last Saturday and are equipped to hold Luton to a draw. Accrington (sixth) v Wigan (second) is a fascinating contest in League One, seemingly balanced on a knife-edge. Accrington gave leaders Sunderland a run for their money before losing 2-1 last weekend while Wigan continued their rise in defeating Doncaster by the same score. Sunderland have clicked into gear recently but Fleetwood, their hosts, won't roll over, as was evident when they won 4-2 at Rotherham last Saturday. Although Port Vale, who lie 11th, have done better on their travels in League Two, they are capable of denying victory to second-placed Harrogate. 

Away days: Much to their relief, Arsenal scored their first goal and secured their first points of 2021-22 with a narrow home win over Norwich. Now that they have broken their losing habit they can also open their away account at Burnley, who are languishing in 18th position. Although Chelsea were flattered by the three-goal margin of victory over Aston Villa last Saturday, they will probably be too strong for Tottenham, who were brought back to earth with a bump by Crystal Palace, who beat them 3-0. Erratic Birmingham have more going for them in the Championship than lowly Peterborough, who have conceded nine goals in their past two matches. Meanwhile, League Two promotion contenders Leyton Orient should justify favouritism against struggling Bristol Rovers. Hearts, third in the Scottish Premiership, have my backing at Ross, who are last but one. In the Scottish Championship, leaders Inverness are expected to confirm their superiority over bottom club Dunfermline.

Homes sweet homes: I've a hunch that Norwich will gain their first Premier League win of the season at the expense of Watford, who are sliding towards the danger zone. Doncaster, bottom of League One, have only one point from their opening six games but they played much better in defeat at Wigan last Saturday and can record their first win of the campaign against Morecambe. Portsmouth will be anxious to halt their slide into mid-table and I think they'll do just that when they host Cambridge, who suffered a heavy home defeat last weekend.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of September 11-12

 Ten draws: Brentford v Brighton, Southampton v West Ham, Blackburn v Luton, Bristol City v Preston, Ipswich v Bolton, Milton Keynes Dons v Portsmouth, Rochdale v Tranmere, Sutton v Stevenage, Hearts v Hibernian, Inverness v Partick.

Best draws: Blackburn v Luton, Milton Keynes Dons v Portsmouth, Rochdale v Tranmere, Hearts v Hibernian, Inverness v Partick.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Wolves, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Wimbledon, Carlisle, Mansfield.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Manchester United, Bournemouth, Swansea, West Bromwich, Charlton, Wigan, Leyton Orient, Swindon, Dundee.

Pick of the draws: Luton, who lie 12th in the Championship, are in the habit of punching above their weight and can deny Blackburn, who are 10th, three points. Although Portsmouth have recently faltered on their travels, they will be disappointed not to take something from their League One encounter at Milton Keynes Dons. Rochdale and Tranmere, who sit side by side, mid-table, in League Two, both recorded victories against the odds last weekend, Rochdale winning 3-2 at Port Vale and Tranmere defeating Hartlepool 1-0 at home. I predict they'll have to settle for a point apiece this weekend. Hibernian, the surprise Scottish Premiership leaders, will be fully extended by Hearts, their fierce Edinburgh rivals, who are second. Inverness, who host Partick, are the top two in the Scottish Championship and stalemate is the likeliest result.

Away days: Wolves are somehow pointless after their opening three Premier League games, having played well each time. I've a feeling their luck will change at Watford on Saturday. Championship leaders Fulham are fancied to make an instant return to the top flight and will start firm favourites at lowly Blackpool. Queens Park Rangers, in third place, are also on a roll and will travel to Reading with confidence. You  underestimate Wimbledon at your peril and the Londoners will be aiming for another three points when they visit Morecambe in League One. Carlisle, 2-1 home winners over Salford last Saturday, should have nothing to fear at struggling Crawley. Nigel Clough's Mansfield will be anxious to halt their slide and are well worth a punt at Walsall.

Homes sweet homes: Swansea have made a subdued start to the season in the Championship but can begin to make amends by beating Hull, who are just above them. Charlton have yet to get going in League One but maximum points shouldn't be too much to ask against promoted Cheltenham. Promoted Dundee may be in for a season of struggle in the Scottish Premiership but they are doing better than Livingston, who are rock bottom, and are expected to prevail.

Pools info: Five of my ten draws were correct last weekend as well as three of my five best draws, namely Exeter v Forest Green (0-0), Stevenage v Swindon (1-1) and Switzerland v Italy (0-0).

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of September 4-5

Ten draws: Bristol Rovers v Crawley, Exeter v Forest Green, Stevenage v Swindon, Albania v Hungary, Belarus v Wales, Iceland v North Macedonia, Israel v Austria, Slovakia v Croatia, Switzerland v Italy, El Salvador v Honduras.

Best draws: Bristol Rovers v Crawley, Exeter v Forest Green, Stevenage v Swindon, Israel v Austria, Switzerland v Italy.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Oxford, Milton Keynes Dons, Salford, Hartlepool, Wrexham, Partick. 

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Bradford City, Colchester, Oldham, Port Vale, Belgium, Germany, Scotland, Altrincham, Chesterfield, Notts County.

Pick of the draws: Bristol Rovers v Crawley is a clash between two out-of form sides who are near the foot of League Two. Bristol Rovers could not beat 10-man Barrow last Saturday and Crawley crashed 6-1 at Charlton in the midweek Papa John's Trophy. Exeter gained a creditable point at Harrogate last weekend and could take another from the visit of leaders Forest Green, who surprisingly lost 2-0 at home to Port Vale. Relegated Swindon have climbed into the promotion places and will look to stay there at Stevenage, who have stumbled recently. It's World Cup qualifying weekend and Israel v Austria, third and fourth respectively in Group F, looks one of the best bets on the coupon. Italy, the European champions, won't have things all their own way at Switzerland, who did so well in this year's tournament. 

Away days: Oxford, third in League One, have hit their stride after a sluggish start and will fancy their chances at Wimbledon. Milton Keynes Dons have recovered well from the shock of losing their manager, Russell Martin, to Swansea and I believe they'll come away from Cheltenham with three points. League Two Salford made short work of beating Newport 3-0 last Saturday and can further improve their position with victory at Carlisle. Hartlepool are exceeding expectations on their return to the Football League. They lie fifth in League Two and can prevail at Tranmere. National League Wrexham, with all that money behind them, will expect a maximum haul at troubled Southend while in the Scottish Challenge Cup, Partick, of Scottish League One, should assert their authority over Stranraer from League Two.

Homes sweet homes: Oldham moved off the bottom of League Two by defeating newcomers Sutton with two late goals last Saturday. They were also victorious in the midweek Papa John's Trophy and I think they'll make it a hat-trick of wins against Barrow. Germany will be smarting after their early Euros exit and I reckon they'll take it out on Armenia, who lead Group J with maximum points. Scotland will be eager to make a good impression after their disappointment at the Euros and will be too strong for Moldova.

Weekend pools info: Bolton v Burton (No.3 on coupon), Crewe v Morecambe (5), Doncaster v Cambridge (6), Fleetwood v Wigan (7), Gillingham v Charlton (8) and Lincoln v Rotherham (9) will be assessed by the pools panel.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 28-29

 Ten draws: Brighton v Everton, Liverpool v Chelsea, Barnsley v Birmingham, Huddersfield v Reading, Luton v Sheffield United, Preston v Swansea, Cambridge v Bolton, Leyton Orient v Bradford City, Swindon v Mansfield, St Mirren v St Johnstone.

Best draws: Brighton v Everton, Liverpool v Chelsea, Luton v Sheffield United, Cambridge v Bolton, Swindon v Mansfield.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Gillingham, Stevenage, Annan, Kelty Hearts. Ten homes: Aston Villa, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham, Ipswich, Oxford, Forest Green, Harrogate, Sutton, Montrose.

Pick of the draws: Brighton have begun the campaign with three successive wins - two in the Premier League and one in the League Cup. However, Everton, who have also started well under Rafa Benitez, are probably the toughest opponents they've faced so far and I'm tipping this one to finish all square. Neither Liverpool, who are third, and Chelsea, who are second, have conceded a league goal this season and it wouldn't surprise me if the game at Anfield on Saturday was scoreless. The teams both have six points and an identical goal difference. Luton's devastating 5-0 defeat at home to Birmingham in last weekend's Championship must have affected their confidence and I can see lowly Sheffield United nicking a point. Bolton are attempting consecutive promotions but may have to settle for a draw at Cambridge, who are adapting well to the higher division of League One. Swindon and Mansfield, who meet in League Two, are early promotion contenders and I don't think either will give ground on Saturday.

Away days: Leeds to gain their first maximum haul of the season when they visit Burnley, who have yet to get off the mark in the Premier League this season. Sheffield Wednesday's climb to the top of League One is no fluke and they can strengthen their position by beating promoted Morecambe. Although Gillingham have not really got out of first gear in League One, they should have enough to defeat bottom club Shrewsbury, who are pointless. Stevenage, sixth in League Two, have more going for them than hosts Walsall, who are next to bottom. In Scottish League Two, Annan look stronger than their opponents, Cowdenbeath, and Kelty Hearts, the surprise leaders, are recommended at struggling Stenhousemuir.

Homes sweet homes: There are signs that Aston Villa may be better without Jack Grealish in the Premier League and I believe they'll inflict Brentford's first defeat of the season. I can't imagine that Ipswich will stay in the lower half of League One for long. They are better than early results suggest and are worth a punt against Wimbledon. Sutton's low placing in League Two is misleading as they have yet to play at home. All that changes on Saturday when they host bottom club Oldham, who seem in no fit state to prevent a home victory.

Pools info: Five of my ten draws last weekend were correct, with the matches at Crystal Palace, Leeds, Derby, Carlisle and Hearts ending level. 

 

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

Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Brentford, Leeds v Everton, Wolves v Tottenham, Derby v Middlesbrough, Preston v Peterborough, Crewe v Accrington, Fleetwood v Cheltenham, Carlisle v Leyton Orient, Tranmere v Newport, Hearts v Aberdeen.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Brentford, Wolves v Tottenham, Preston v Peterborough, Crewe v Accrington, Carlisle v Leyton Orient.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Chelsea, Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, Portsmouth, Bradford City, Rangers.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Brighton, Manchester City, Cardiff, Fulham, Sheffield United, Charlton, Gillingham, Wycombe, Hartlepool, Stevenage.

Pick of the draws: Brentford's Premier League debut got off to a flying start when they beat Arsenal at home last Friday but they will surely be less dominant against Crystal Palace, who will be anxious to put some points on the board after losing their opening game 3-0 at Chelsea. Tottenham thrived without Harry Kane against the reigning champions Manchester City last Sunday and Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo won't want to be beaten by his old club. Although Wolves lost 1-0 at Leicester, they had their chances and look capable of sharing the spoils. Preston prop up the Championship after three consecutive losses but they should gain their first point of the season against promoted Peterborough. Accrington continue to confound expectations in League One and will expect at least a draw at Crewe, who have been weakened by illness. In League Two, Carlisle and Leyton Orient had convincing results against Swindon (2-1 away) and Exeter (3-0 home) respectively last weekend and it's hard to separate them.

Away days: Chelsea at Arsenal on Sunday has the feel of an away banker. Already this season Chelsea have added the Super Cup to their Champions League trophy whereas Arsenal are in disarray. It's hard to believe now but the Gunners did the double over Chelsea last season and they will have to match those displays to salvage even a point. Manchester United, early leaders of the Premier League after thrashing Leeds 5-1 at home last Saturday, are strongly fancied at Southampton, who lost 3-1at Everton. West Bromwich Albion's attempts at an instant return to the Premier League were strengthened by a 4-0 midweek home victory over Sheffield United, so hosts Blackburn have been warned. Leaders Portsmouth, yet to concede a goal in League One, are recommended at second-from-bottom Doncaster and League Two high-flyers Bradford City, 4-1 home winners over Stevenage in midweek, are worth a punt at Mansfield, who are just below them. In the Scottish Premiership, Rangers will be disappointed by anything less than a maximum haul at Ross on Sunday.

Homes sweet homes: I'm taking Brighton, deserved 2-1 winners at Burnley last weekend, to burst the bubble of promoted Watford, who edged Aston Villa. Charlton's low placing after three matches without a win in League One is surprising and I think they'll break their duck against visiting Wigan. Gillingham's 10 men battled back for a point in a 1-1 draw at Wimbledon in midweek and that sort of spirit will probably serve them well against promoted Morecambe.

Pools info: I scored eight out of ten with my home selections last weekend. Chelsea, Everton, Leicester, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion, Burton, Sheffield Wednesday and Barrow all obliged.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 14-15

Ten draws: Burnley v Brighton, Newcastle v West Ham, Barnsley v Coventry, Swansea v Sheffield United, Morecambe v Shrewsbury, Plymouth v Gillingham, Wigan v Rotherham, Bristol Rovers v Stevenage, Port Vale v Tranmere, Sutton v Salford.

Best draws: Burnley v Brighton, Newcastle v West Ham, Plymouth v Gillingham, Wigan v Rotherham, Sutton v Salford.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Fulham, Sunderland, Forest Green, Aberdeen.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Everton, Leicester, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich, Wimbledon, Burton, Sheffield Wednesday, Barrow, Swindon.

Pick of the draws: Burnley and Brighton were among the Premier League strugglers last season but managed to survive. I can see a similar outcome this campaign. I'll be surprised if West Ham match last season's position of sixth but they are more than capable of taking a point off Newcastle on Sunday. League One Plymouth made amends for a disappointing opening weekend by scoring four without reply at Peterborough in the League Cup on Tuesday. I suspect they won't find it quite as easy against Gillingham, who held high-flyers Lincoln to a 1-1 draw last Saturday. Rotherham's 2-0 margin of victory against Plymouth last Saturday sent them to the top of the League One table but hosts Wigan won't give much away. In League Two, Sutton's home fixture against Salford has been switched to the latter's ground as Sutton are having problems with their artificial surface. Despite this disadvantage I believe Sutton, who were unlucky to lose their first two matches, will earn a draw.

Away days: Liverpool are firm favourites to start the 2021-22 campaign with victory at promoted Norwich, who could scarcely have had a harder opening fixture. Aston Villa appear to have made some shrewd summer signings and will be optimistic about beating Watford, who have rejoined the top flight. Fulham, back in the Championship, should have had more than a point to show for their efforts at home to Middlesbrough last Sunday and I think they'll make Huddersfield pay. Sunderland, with two consecutive victories behind them, should make it three at MK Dons and in League Two, Forest Green are fancied at Walsall, who have yet to score. It's League Cup weekend in Scotland and Premiership club Aberdeen are recommended at Championship team Raith.

Homes sweet homes: Wimbledon to gain their third win in eight days when they host promoted Bolton. Wimbledon's previous victims were Doncaster (League One) and Charlton (League Cup), both away. Unfashionable Burton, of League One, don't fear anybody now, which is why I'm tipping them to defeat underperforming Ipswich. In League Two, Barrow look to have the edge over newcomers Hartlepool, who went down 1-0 at home to 10-man Crewe in the midweek League Cup. 

Pools info: Crawley v Harrogate (No.36 on coupon) has been postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Harrogate and the match will be assessed by the pools panel. Sutton v Salford (41) will be played at Salford's ground.

More pools info: I forecast the following five draws last weekend: Bristol City 1 Blackpool 1; Derby 1 Huddersfield 1; Gillingham 1 Lincoln 1; Carlisle 0 Colchester 0 and St Johnstone 1 Motherwell 1. Three of my five best draws were also correct: the matches at Bristol City, Derby and Gillingham.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 7-8

Ten draws: Bristol City v Blackpool, Derby v Huddersfield, Doncaster v Wimbledon, Gillingham v Lincoln, Shrewsbury v Burton, Carlisle v Colchester, Hartlepool v Crawley, Scunthorpe v Swindon, St Johnstone v Motherwell, Dunfermline v Partick.

Best draws: Bristol City v Blackpool, Derby v Huddersfield, Gillingham v Lincoln, Shrewsbury v Burton, Hartlepool v Crawley.

Best weekend bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Oxford, Portsmouth, Newport, Hearts, Kilmarnock.

Best weekend bets: Ten homes: Fulham, Preston, Bolton, Ipswich, Sunderland, Wycombe, Forest Green, Mansfield, Hamilton, Dumbarton.

Pick of the draws: Blackpool, promoted via the play-offs to the Championship last season, will have more momentum than Bristol City, who ended the 2020-21 campaign on a downer. A point is the least the Seasiders can expect. Derby and Huddersfield, who meet on Saturday, were two of last season's underachievers and it's hard to be optimistic about their chances this time. Lincoln, of League One, who came so close to going up last season, have a tricky opening assignment at Gillingham, who on their day are a match for anybody. Manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink worked wonders to turn things around at Burton last season and he won't fear a trip to Shrewsbury. Hartlepool, happy to be returning to the Football League, can share the League Two spoils with Crawley.

Away days: I expect Premier League champions Manchester City to carry on where they left off last season by winning the Community Shield against Leicester on Saturday. With a bit of luck they may even have new signing Tony Grealish playing for them. Oxford, League One high-flyers, should prevail at newly promoted Cambridge and Portsmouth will fancy their chances of opening with a victory at Fleetwood. Lady Luck deserted Newport in last season's League Two play-off final against Morecambe and they appear to have a less taxing task at Oldham. Last Sunday's 2-1 home win over Celtic will have given promoted Hearts plenty of belief and could give them the edge over St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership. Relegated Kilmarnock, who began their Scottish Championship campaign by beating Ayr 2-0 at home on Monday, look good for another three points at Queen of the South.

Homes sweet homes: Bolton, newly promoted to League One, are well worth backing against Milton Keynes Dons, who are reeling from the loss of their manager, Russell Martin, to Swansea. Although relegated at the end, Wycombe did themselves proud in the Championship last season and their opening fixture back in League One should bring them maximum points against Accrington. Mansfield, of League Two, are confident of improving on last season's 16th placing and I'm tipping them to defeat Bristol Rovers, who finished bottom of League One in 2020-21. 

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

Ten draws: Swansea v Barnsley, Sunderland v Lincoln, Forest Green v Newport, Altrincham v Yeovil, Chesterfield v Dagenham & Redbridge, Celta Vigo v Real Betis, Granada v Getafe, Atalanta v AC Milan, Cagliari v Genoa, Sassuolo v Lazio.

Best draws: Forest Green v Newport, Altrincham v Yeovil, Chesterfield v Dagenham & Redbridge, Atalanta v AC Milan, Sassuolo v Lazio.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Chelsea, Newcastle, Hibernian, Bromley, Halifax, Solihull.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Leeds, Leicester, Sheffield United, Morecambe, Eastleigh, Notts County, Stockport, Torquay, Wrexham.

Pick of the draws: Newport hold a 2-0 lead from their League Two semi-final play-off against Forest Green and because they are the side on form I can't see them relinquishing it in the second leg on Sunday. Neither Altrincham nor Yeovil have much to play for in the National League and I think that will be reflected in stalemate on Saturday. Fast-climbing Dagenham & Redbridge have drawn 1-1 at Stockport and beaten Halifax 3-0 in the past two weeks, so they have no reason to fear a trip to Chesterfield. Inter Milan may be runaway winners of the Italian League but Atalanta are in contention to finish runners-up. A point against high-flying AC Milan will improve their chances. Mid-table Sassuolo, who won 3-1 at Parma last weekend, can deny the better-placed Lazio victory.

Away days: Three points from their final Premier League fixture on Sunday will guarantee Chelsea Champions League football next season and they'll be confident of getting them at Aston Villa. Newcastle have improved markedly in recent weeks and are worth backing at Fulham, who are resigned to relegation. Hibernian look in better shape than St Johnstone for the Scottish Cup final on Saturday and I'm taking them to win in 90 minutes. Bromley, who are fighting hard to move into the National League play-off positions, are recommended at Aldershot and Halifax are expected to confirm their superiority over Maidenhead. Solihull are a confident selection at struggling Wealdstone.

Homes sweet homes: Nothing less than victory will do for FA Cup winners Leicester in their quest for Champions League qualification. Tottenham are on a downer after losing at home to Aston Villa in midweek and I feel that the presence of home supporters will lift Leicester. Sheffield United, who are doomed to relegation, surprised everybody when they won 1-0 at Everton with a spirited display last Sunday. I wouldn't put it past them to surprise Burnley either and I suggest they are worth a punt. Eastleigh seem to be timing their late run to perfection in the National League and another three points look there for the taking against Boreham Wood.

Pools info: Levante v Cadiz (No.26 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.

I scored five out of six aways last weekend with Manchester City, Liverpool, Hartlepool, Wrexham and Sutton.

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

Ten draws: Burnley v Leeds, Tottenham v Wolves, Hamilton v Kilmarnock, St Mirren v Dundee United, Getafe v Levante, Villarreal v Sevilla, Juventus v Inter Milan, Roma v Lazio, Udinese v Sampdoria, Borussia Monchengladbach v Stuttgart.

Best draws: Burnley v Leeds, Tottenham v Wolves, St Mirren v Dundee United, Villarreal v Sevilla, Juventus v Inter Milan.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City (Friday), Liverpool, Celtic, Hartlepool, Wrexham, Sutton.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Crystal Palace, Everton, Southampton, Motherwell, Rangers, Chesterfield, Dagenham & Redbridge, Eastleigh, Notts County, Solihull.

Pick of the draws: Leeds beat Tottenham convincingly at Elland Road last Saturday and look on course for a point at Burnley, who also had a good result, winning 2-0 at Fulham to send the London club down to the Championship. Tottenham's chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League have almost vanished. As a result, they are by no means certain to defeat Wolves, who fought back from a goal behind to overcome Brighton at Molineux last Sunday. St Mirren and Dundee United, who play each other in the Scottish Premiership, may be unable to shake off the disappointment of losing the Scottish Cup semi-finals and a stalemate is predicted. Against expectations, Villarreal have reached the Europa League final but they will be tested  against Sevilla, who are two places higher at fourth in the Spanish League. Inter Milan, the Italian League champions, won't have things all their own way at Juventus, who lie fifth.

Away days: Manchester City were confirmed as Premier League champions in midweek and will surely celebrate the achievement by taking three points at Newcastle. Liverpool seem to have their mojo back and will be hot favourites at relegated West Brom on Sunday. Celtic were among the goals in the Scottish Premiership in midweek, beating St Johnstone 4-0 at home, and I can see them outscoring Hibernian on Saturday. Hartlepool are in National League promotion contention and worth backing at Aldershot. The same can be said for Wrexham, who travel to play Boreham Wood, and it's hard to see leaders Sutton slipping up at Maidenhead.

Homes sweet homes: Although Crystal Palace are unreliable at Selhurst Park, they may be worth a wager against Aston Villa, who seem to be ending the season with a whimper. Dagenham & Redbridge are bang in form in the National League and worth a shout against higher-placed Halifax. Notts County have clicked at just the right time to surge into the play-off positions and are tipped to get the better of Bromley.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of May 8-9

Ten draws: Aston Villa v Manchester United, Wolves v Brighton, Coventry v Millwall, Nottingham Forest v Preston, Queens Park Rangers v Luton, Watford v Swansea, Doncaster v Peterborough, Ipswich v Fleetwood, Crawley v Bolton, Halifax v Boreham Wood.

Best draws: Wolves v Brighton, Nottingham Forest v Preston, Watford v Swansea, Ipswich v Fleetwood, Crawley v Bolton.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Brentford, Forest Green, Newport, Eastleigh, Solihull.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Liverpool, West Ham, Derby, Middlesbrough, Reading, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Exeter, Morecambe, Tranmere.

Pick of the draws: Brighton virtually ensured their Premier League safety with a merited 2-0 home win over Leeds last Saturday and they seem on course for at least a point against Wolves, whose previous home match ended in a 4-0 defeat by Burnley. Preston, mid-table in the Championship, raised their game when they beat Barnsley 2-0 at home last weekend. If they play half as well on Saturday they will surely avoid defeat at Nottingham Forest, who are ending the season tamely. As Watford have already been promoted to the top flight, they may be distracted against Swansea, who will contest the Championship play-offs. Ipswich's lack of goal threat in League One keeps them vulnerable and gives Fleetwood a good chance of sharing the spoils. A win on Saturday will clinch Bolton's promotion to League One but they may be denied by Crawley, who appear to have arrested their slide.

Away days: Tottenham, with an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League and 4-0 home winners over Sheffield United last Sunday, have more to play for than their hosts, Leeds, who are becalmed in mid-table. Brentford, third in the Championship, will probably relish a trip to Bristol City, who are badly out of sorts. Forest Green have moved back into the League Two play-off positions and are tipped to stay there after their match at Oldham, who are poor at home. Newport are also in the play-off mix and are strongly fancied at relegated Southend. In the National League, Eastleigh are recommended at off-form Altrincham and Solihull will start firm favourites at lowly King's Lynn. 

Homes sweet homes: West Ham, still in pursuit of a Champions League place, deserved their 2-1 victory at Burnley on Monday and will fancy themselves against Everton, even though the Merseysiders are playing better away from home. Three points will keep Derby up in their final Championship fixture of the season on Saturday and I believe they'll get them against Sheffield Wednesday, for whom anything less than a win will send them down. Reading's promotion challenge has petered out but they will be eager to end the season on a positive note and will approach their game against struggling Huddersfield with confidence.

Pools info: I scored five draws out of ten last weekend and three of my five best draws were correct. The three were: Luton 1 Middlesbrough 1, Accrington 1 Charlton 1 and Peterborough 3 Lincoln 3.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of May 1-2

Ten draws: Brighton v Leeds, Manchester United v Liverpool, Huddersfield v Coventry, Luton v Middlesbrough, Preston v Barnsley, Stoke v Queens Park Rangers, Accrington v Charlton, Fleetwood v MK Dons, Peterborough v Lincoln, Rangers v Celtic.

Best draws: Brighton v Leeds, Luton v Middlesbrough, Preston v Barnsley, Accrington v Charlton, Peterborough v Lincoln.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Blackburn, Bournemouth, Crewe, Ipswich, Salford.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Tottenham, Birmingham, Norwich, Hull, Barrow, Bradford City, Stevenage, Dundee United, St Mirren.

Pick of the draws: Brighton's main problem in the Premier League this season has been a lack of firepower. If they can rectify that on their home ground on Saturday, they should get something from the visit of Leeds, who often follow a good display with an indifferent one. Middlesbrough are in better heart after Championship victories over Rotherham (2-1, away) and Sheffield Wednesday (3-1, home). Luton, their hosts, fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Bristol City last Sunday and are also in good spirits. Now that Barnsley have qualified for the Championship play-offs they may be tempted to take their foot off the gas, which will benefit Preston. Accrington are the League One party-poopers, having held promotion-seeking Sunderland and Portsmouth to 3-3 draws in the past week. They are well equipped to deny Charlton, who are also challenging for the play-offs. Peterborough need a point to be certain of automatic promotion and I think they'll get it against Lincoln, who are third.

Away days: Manchester City's League Cup final win over Tottenham last Sunday was more convincing than the 1-0 score indicated and I can't see Crystal Palace causing the prospective Premier League champions too many problems. Blackburn hit Huddersfield for five in their Championship fixture last weekend and another win on Saturday could send Rotherham down. Bournemouth's seven-match winning league run was ended by Brentford last Saturday but I expect them to beat bottom club Wycombe with something to spare. Crewe thoroughly deserved their League One point at Charlton in midweek and will probably find relegated Bristol Rovers more accommodating opponents. Although Ipswich haven't scored for six games, they will surely end that sequence at Swindon, whose relegation has been confirmed. Three consecutive wins have revived Salford's hopes of promotion from League Two and I'm tipping them for a fourth straight success when they visit struggling Colchester.

Homes sweet homes: Manager Lee Bowyer has done a remarkable job in improving Birmingham's fortunes. The fear of relegation from the Championship is now a distant memory and they are worth a punt against the higher-placed Cardiff. Barrow's League Two status is safe after their unexpected 2-0 victory at Forest Green in midweek and another win on Saturday will condemn Southend, their opponents, to the drop. Stevenage's shock 1-0 success at second-placed Cambridge last weekend was the talk of the lower leagues and I believe they'll also see off Crawley.

Pools info (1): Burnley v West Ham (No.2 on coupon) and West Brom v Wolves (10) will be assessed by the pools panel. Southampton v Leicester (8) is void.

Pools info (2): Four of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Nottingham Forest 1 Stoke 1; Ipswich 0 Wimbledon 0; Wigan 1 Burton 1 and Crawley 0 Forest Green 0.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 24-25

 Ten draws: West Ham v Chelsea, Blackburn v Huddersfield, Nottingham Forest v Stoke, Reading v Swansea, Ipswich v Wimbledon, Wigan v Burton, Crawley v Forest Green, Morecambe v Bolton, Salford v Mansfield, Dundee v Raith.

Best draws: West Ham v Chelsea, Nottingham Forest v Stoke, Ipswich v Wimbledon, Wigan v Burton, Crawley v Forest Green.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: West Brom, Brighton, Luton, Leyton Orient, Queen of the South, Stockport.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Leeds, Barnsley, Cardiff, Watford, Charlton, Gillingham, Oldham, Port Vale, Aldershot, Hartlepool.

Pick of the draws: Chelsea dropped precious Premier League points in a home goalless draw against Brighton in midweek and they won't find it easy to make up lost ground at West Ham, who are enjoying their best season in years and contesting a place in next season's Champions League. The goals have dried up for Nottingham Forest in their past three Championship games but they face a Stoke side who are also goal-shy and I'm expecting a dour stalemate. With 14 goals in their past four outings, Wimbledon are pulling clear of the League One drop zone and have no reason to fear Ipswich, who are stuck in mid-table and have gone five matches without scoring. Wins over Crewe (2-0, home) and Shrewsbury (2-1, away) see Wigan also moving away from danger but Burton, their visitors, should not be underestimated. Forest Green, sixth in League Two, may not get the victory they need at Crawley, who beat promotion favourites Cheltenham 1-0 at home last Friday.

Away days: If relegation-threatened West Brom show some of the form that defeated Chelsea 5-2 away and Southampton 3-0 at home in their past two Premier League fixtures they have a good chance of maximum points at Aston Villa. West Brom have already won at Wolves this season and are worth a punt here. Brighton are edging closer to safety and will be disappointed with anything less than victory at Sheffield United, whose relegation has been confirmed. Luton gained a morale-boosting Championship win over fierce rivals Watford last weekend and are fancied to come away from Bristol City with three points. Leyton Orient are still in League Two play-off contention and are warmly recommended at Southend, who look doomed. In the Scottish Championship, Queen of the South are worth backing at struggling Ayr and National League promotion contenders Stockport should prevail at Boreham Wood.

Homes sweet homes: At first glance Leeds v Manchester United seems to favour the high-flying visitors, who won the corresponding fixture 6-2 at Old Trafford, but Leeds triumphed 2-1 at Manchester City while down to 10 men and held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Monday. I'm taking them to cause an upset. Charlton, having demolished Plymouth 6-0 away in midweek, will be in the mood to play Peterborough, who are second in League One. That crushing victory enabled Charlton to climb into the play-off places and I'm tipping them to win again. Port Vale, steadily climbing League Two, should continue their rise with maximum points against Bradford City.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 17-18

Ten draws: Luton v Watford, Norwich v Bournemouth, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Blackpool v Sunderland, Bristol Rovers v Lincoln, Rochdale v Accrington, Shrewsbury v Doncaster, Carlisle v Port Vale, Leyton Orient v Barrow, Cove v Falkirk.

Best draws: Luton v Watford, Norwich v Bournemouth, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Rochdale v Accrington, Carlisle v Port Vale.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Barnsley, Portsmouth, Walsall, Bolton, Raith, Hartlepool.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Manchester United, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Swansea, Burton, Charlton, Exeter, Forest Green, Morecambe.

Pick of the draws: Although Watford are strong favourites for an instant return to the Premier League, they make the short trip to Luton, their fierce rivals from just up the M1. Luton aren't having a bad season themselves and I've a hunch they'll rise to the occasion and deny Watford victory. If there's one team who can halt Norwich's charge to the Championship title it's Bournemouth, who have won their past four league matches to move into the play-off positions and can snatch a point. Consecutive defeats to Queens Park Rangers (4-1, away) and Swansea (2-0, home) have virtually doomed Sheffield Wednesday to League One football next season. They come up against another side on the slide in Bristol City and a Hillsborough stalemate is the likeliest outcome. It's hard to know what to make of Accrington. Recent results include a fine 2-1 win at Oxford and thrashings by Peterborough (7-0, away) and Wimbledon (5-1, home). You can't rely on them to beat bottom club Rochdale, who are fighting for their League One lives. Port Vale continue to climb the League Two table and won't fear a trip to Carlisle. 

Away days: Barnsley have scarcely put a foot wrong in the Championship since going out of the FA Cup to Chelsea and should strengthen their promotion challenge by defeating ailing Coventry on Sunday. I believe high-riding Portsmouth will recover from their recent blip in League One and beat the inconsistent MK Dons. Successive wins by Walsall have banished any thoughts of relegation from League Two and I'm tipping them for a hat-trick of victories when they travel to Colchester. Bolton, who are third and bang in form, look a banker at seemingly doomed Grimsby. Raith, second in the Scottish Championship, will surely prevail at bottom club Alloa while National League leaders Hartlepool will start firm favourites at Wealdstone.

Homes sweet homes: Burton continued their remarkable rise in League One by winning 3-0 at Doncaster in midweek. It wouldn't surprise me if they handed out similar treatment to Plymouth. Charlton's 2-1 triumph at Sunderland last Saturday has put them right back in the promotion hunt and they are in the mood for three more points against Ipswich on Saturday. Morecambe deserve to be contesting automatic promotion from League Two and are expected to see off Oldham.

Weekend info: Blackburn v Derby (No.6 on coupon), Peterborough v Northampton (25) and Crawley v Cheltenham (31) are being played on Friday and are therefore void.

On the ball: Three of my five best draws were correct last Saturday and I had five out of six away wins.

 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 10-11

Ten draws: Burnley v Newcastle, West Ham v Leicester, Preston v Brentford, Crewe v Oxford, Gillingham v Shrewsbury, Lincoln v Blackpool, Northampton v Bristol Rovers, Barrow v Carlisle, Port Vale v Morecambe, St Johnstone v Aberdeen.

Best draws: Burnley v Newcastle, West Ham v Leicester, Lincoln v Blackpool, Northampton v Bristol Rovers, Barrow v Carlisle.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Chelsea, Arsenal, Norwich, Hull, Peterborough, Tranmere.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Liverpool, Manchester City, Bournemouth, Wycombe, Accrington, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bolton, Southend, Dundee.

Pick of the draws: Newcastle's battling 2-2 home draw against Tottenham last Sunday will have boosted their confidence as they try to avoid relegation from the Premier League. They can bring a point back from Burnley, who on the same day lost 3-2 at Southampton after leading 2-0. West Ham's fourth place in the table is merited and makes them London's top team. The reason Leicester are above them is down to their fine away record and I can see this one ending all square. Lincoln's promotion challenge in League One has been hindered by the coronavirus but they return to action this weekend. Blackpool, their opponents, have climbed into the play-off positions after convincing home wins over Peterborough (3-1) and Gillingham (4-1) and I think they'll gain a point here. There's a relegation clash between Northampton and Bristol Rovers in the same division, which will probably end in stalemate. Barrow, pulling away from trouble in League Two, face Carlisle, who have arrested their slump.

Away days: Chelsea's heavy home defeat by lowly West Bromwich Albion last Saturday was one of the shocks of the Premier League season but I believe they'll recover sufficiently to get the better of Crystal Palace. Arsenal's appalling display when losing 3-0 at home to Liverpool last Saturday is still fresh in the memory. They have an excellent chance to make amends against doomed Sheffield United on Sunday. If other results go their way, runaway Championship leaders Norwich can clinch promotion to the top flight on Saturday. Having thrashed Huddersfield 7-0 at home in midweek, the Canaries will fancy their chances at Derby. League One leaders Hull will go one step nearer promotion with victory at Plymouth while second-placed Peterborough will expect to return from struggling Swindon with three points. Tranmere, third in League Two and seeking to make a quick return to League One, will travel to Scunthorpe with confidence.

Homes sweet homes: Consecutive victories over Blackburn (1-0, home) and Rotherham (3-0, away) suggest that bottom club Wycombe have not given up hope of staying in the Championship. They are well worth a punt against Luton, who have nothing to play for except pride. Sunderland, stronger since Lee Johnson became manager, now have automatic promotion from League One in their sights and should have too much for Charlton. Southend, second from last in League Two, have raised their game lately and they are worth backing against Crawley, who are out of sorts.

Pools info: Hearts v Alloa (No.47 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 3-5

 Ten draws: Aston Villa v Fulham, Leicester v Manchester City, Coventry v Bristol City, Stoke v Millwall, Burton v Swindon, MK Dons v Crewe, Shrewsbury v Plymouth, Colchester v Barrow, Newport v Bolton, Stevenage v Bradford City.

Best draws: Leicester v Manchester City, Coventry v Bristol City, Stoke v Millwall, Shrewsbury v Plymouth, Newport v Bolton.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Brentford, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Cheltenham.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Leeds, Manchester United, Reading, Rotherham, Swansea, Hull, Oxford, Peterborough, Leyton Orient.

Pick of the draws: If any team can temporarily halt Manchester City's surge to the Premier League title, it's Leicester, who are in great form themselves and battling for a place in next season's Champions League. Remember also that Leicester won't go into this fixture with an inferiority complex as they won 5-2 at City earlier in the campaign. Goal-shy Coventry take on inconsistent Bristol City in the Championship. Neither inspire much confidence at the moment and a point apiece is the most likely outcome. Stoke v Millwall is a mid-table clash between two draw specialists and it's hard to separate them. Plymouth, of League One, deserved their 2-2 draw at fast-improving Blackpool last Saturday and can take another point at Shrewsbury, who are one place below them. Bolton are the form team of League Two and chasing automatic promotion. They won't fear a trip to Newport, who have fallen away.

Away days: Tottenham stopped their mini-slump with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa and are highly recommended at Newcastle, who are in desperate straits in their struggle to stay in the Premier League. Championship high-flyers Brentford travel to mediocre Huddersfield with confidence while their fellow play-off contenders Bournemouth will be anxious to make up for lost ground by beating Blackburn. Cardiff, who are also in the play-off mix, will surely triumph at second-from-bottom Sheffield Wednesday. League One Portsmouth should justify favouritism at relegation-haunted Wigan. Cheltenham, second in League Two, will fancy themselves at bottom club Grimsby.

Homes sweet homes: Rotherham are in the Championship drop zone but have games in hand and will be optimistic about escaping relegation. I think they'll follow up their fine 2-0 away victory at Bristol City by defeating Wycombe, who are bottom. Peterborough v Sunderland is Easter Monday's match of the day in League One. Sunderland are on a roll but Peterborough's 7-0 home thrashing of Accrington last weekend was hugely impressive and I believe they'll edge this one in the three-way fight to gain automatic promotion. Consecutive wins against Newport (1-0 away), Carlisle (1-0 away) and Oldham (2-1 home) have lightened the mood at Leyton Orient and I'm tipping them to make it four in a row against lowly Walsall. 

Pools info: please note that 38 of the 49 matches on the coupon are being played on Easter Monday.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 27-28

 Ten draws: MK Dons v Doncaster, Carlisle v Cambridge, Colchester v Bradford City, Leyton Orient v Oldham, Morecambe v Cheltenham, Dundee v Dunfermline, Belarus v Estonia, Czech Republic v Belgium, Israel v Scotland, Norway v Turkey.

Best draws: MK Dons v Doncaster, Colchester v Bradford City, Leyton Orient v Oldham, Morecambe v Cheltenham, Czech Republic v Belgium.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Sunderland, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Ayr, Falkirk, Torquay.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Blackpool, Hull, Grimsby, Harrogate, Stevenage, Hearts, Chesterfield, Austria, Croatia, Denmark.

Pick of the draws: MK Dons, who have won their past three matches in League One, face promotion contenders Doncaster, who came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Gillingham last Saturday. This looks one of the best three-pointers on the coupon. Bradford City's revival in League Two has stalled and they may have to settle for a share of the spoils at Colchester, who badly need to arrest their slump. Successive away wins at Newport and Carlisle, both by 1-0, have put a spring in Leyton Orient's step but Oldham's 2-1 midweek victory over Exeter should not be overlooked and they can gain a point at Brisbane Road. Leaders Cheltenham cannot afford to be complacent at Morecambe, who thoroughly merit their play-off place. The World Cup qualifying fixtures take place this weekend and I'm backing the Czechs to raise their game and hold Belgium at home.

Away days: Sunderland, who are right in the League One promotion mix, will start firm favourites at Bristol Rovers, who are just above the relegation zone and have lost their past three matches. I'm believe Danny Cowley's appointment as manager will spark a Portsmouth revival. They played well in beating Ipswich 2-1 at home last weekend and I think they'll have the measure of Shrewsbury. Paul Cook's appointment as manager should also benefit Ipswich, who will probably have too much for lowly Wigan. Ayr look a sound proposition at bottom club Alloa in the Scottish Championship, as do leaders Falkirk at Forfar in Scottish League One. Promotion-seeking Torquay seem to be over their stumble in the National League, having won their past two fixtures, and I fancy them at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Homes sweet homes: Grimsby, bottom of League Two, grabbed a lifeline by winning 1-0 at Barrow in midweek. That should put them in a better frame of mind against Walsall, who are on a downward spiral, and the Mariners are well worth a punt. The steady rise of Stevenage has banished thoughts of relegation to the National League. Having seen off Carlisle 3-1 at home last Saturday, I believe they will do something similar to Barrow. Fast improving Chesterfield have won back-to-back away games at Barnet (2-0) and Aldershot (1-0) in the National League and look a good bet against ailing Weymouth.

Pools info: Burton v Fleetwood (No.4 on coupon), Charlton v Crewe (5), Rochdale v Swindon (9) and Newport v Scunthorpe (19) have been postponed because of international calls and will be assessed by the pools panel.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 20-21

Ten draws: Aston Villa v Tottenham, West Ham v Arsenal, Preston v Luton, Swansea v Cardiff, Plymouth v Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth v Ipswich, Barrow v Crawley, Cheltenham v Salford, Harrogate v Morecambe, Hamilton v St Mirren.

Best draws: Aston Villa v Tottenham, West Ham v Arsenal, Plymouth v Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth v Ipswich, Cheltenham v Salford.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Charlton, MK Dons, Hull, Hearts.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leicester, Brighton, Barnsley, Norwich, Watford, Fleetwood, Bolton, Newport.

Pick of the draws: Tottenham let themselves down when losing at Arsenal in the north London derby last Sunday. They are capable of better and should at least gain a draw against Aston Villa, who are less effective without the injured Jack Grealish. West Ham, who lie fifth, are the surprise package in this season's Premier League but as Arsenal recently won 3-1 at third-placed Leicester they'll be disappointed to go away with nothing. Bristol Rovers, close to the League One relegation zone, shouldn't fear a journey to Plymouth, who have suffered five straight defeats. One-time promotion favourites Portsmouth have dropped to 10th and face Ipswich, who have climbed above them. Pompey's failings in front of goal led to the departure of manager Kenny Jackett last weekend and they again drew a blank in midweek, this time at Peterborough. Cheltenham's 2-0 home defeat by relegation-threatened Barrow was one of the midweek upsets. On Saturday the League Two leaders play Salford, who don't concede many goals.

Away days: The quadruple is still on for Manchester City, who are tipped to beat an out-of-sorts Everton in 90 minutes on Saturday and reach the FA Cup semi-finals. It's been a better week for Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough, who have won home matches against Stoke (3-0) and Preston (2-0). I've a hunch they'll make it three victories in a row at Millwall and improve their chances of a Championship play-off place. I don't believe the resignation of manager Lee Bowyer will hamper Charlton's League One promotion push too much and I'm backing them at Wimbledon, who are at the other end of the table. The future is looking brighter at MK Dons after consecutive home wins against Accrington and Plymouth. They are worth a punt at Burton, despite the wonderful  job that Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is doing there. Leaders Hull are strongly fancied to prevail at Shrewsbury and Hearts, the clear leaders of the Scottish Championship, are expected to come away from Arbroath with maximum points.

Homes sweet homes: Bournemouth's convincing 3-0 midweek triumph over Championship rivals Swansea has put them in the right mood to face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. Southampton's Premier League form has dipped alarmingly and I'm taking the underdogs to go through. Leicester have never won the FA Cup but they won't have a better chance than this season. Although they entertain formidable opponents in Manchester United on Sunday, I believe they'll be equal to the task. Brighton may have only one point more than Newcastle in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League but Graham Potter's side are in far better shape and should record a rare home win. 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 13-14

 Ten draws: Manchester United v West Ham, Birmingham v Bristol City, Derby v Millwall, Nottingham Forest v Reading, Blackpool v Fleetwood, MK Dons v Accrington, Crawley v Mansfield, Forest Green v Harrogate, Morecambe v Newport, Yeovil v Woking.

Best draws: Derby v Millwall, Nottingham Forest v Reading, Blackpool v Fleetwood, Crawley v Mansfield, Morecambe v Newport.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Manchester City, Norwich, Preston, Cambridge, Bolton.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Leicester, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Charlton, Ipswich, Lincoln, Exeter, Bromley, Hartlepool, Wrexham.

Pick of the draws: Wayne Rooney's Derby are making hard work of climbing the Championship table and they could have chosen easier opponents than Millwall, who seldom accept defeat easily. Consecutive defeats to Luton (home) and Watford (away) have dampened Nottingham Forest's optimism and they will probably be grateful for a point against Reading, whose sights are on the Premier League. Fleetwood, in League One, make the short trip to Blackpool on the back of three successive victories but Blackpool, three places above them, are also playing well. Crawley's lean spell in League Two looks to be over after wins against Tranmere (away) and Salford (home) but Mansfield, their opponents, beat leaders Cheltenham 3-1 at home in midweek and can gain a point. I've a feeling that Morecambe and Newport, two of the division's high-flyers, will cancel each other out.

Away days: Tottenham's Gareth Bale and Harry Kane are running into form at just the wrong time for Arsenal, who host the north London derby on Sunday. Spurs won the reverse fixture at their ground 2-0 last December and they must be quietly confident of completing the double over their fierce rivals. Fulham have recently defeated Everton (2-0) and Liverpool (1-0) away in their spirited fight to avoid relegation. They won't roll over against Manchester City but I still fancy the prospective Premier League champions. Norwich, the runaway Championship leaders, seem an away banker at Sheffield Wednesday, who are staring relegation in the face. Mid-table Preston are recommended at Wycombe, who are rooted to the bottom. Cambridge wasted the opportunity to top League Two when they were beaten 2-1 at Bolton in midweek but I think they'll make amends at Oldham. Bolton are one of the most improved sides in the Football League and will approach their visit to struggling Port Vale with confidence.

Homes sweet homes: Barnsley's seven-match winning run was ended in midweek when Derby held them to a goalless draw at Oakwell. The Yorkshire side may face another setback at Bournemouth, who host them on Saturday. The Cherries lost ground in the race for the play-offs when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Preston last weekend but I'm tipping them to bounce straight back. Second-placed Watford provide formidable opposition for hosts Cardiff but the Welsh side are going so well that it would be a brave man who bets against them. Exeter, eighth in League Two, are scoring freely again and they are worth backing against leaders Cheltenham, who surprisingly lost at Mansfield in midweek and have conceded five goals in their past two games.