Pools tips and best bets for games on Dec 31st, Jan 1st and Jan 2nd

Ten draws: Birmingham v Middlesbrough, Blackpool v Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United, Wigan v Hull, Peterborough v Wycombe, Doncaster v Carlisle, Hartlepool v Harrogate, Sutton v Wimbledon, Walsall v Mansfield, Halifax v Altrincham. 

Best draws: Blackpool v Sunderland, Wigan v Hull, Peterborough v Wycombe, Hartlepool v Harrogate, Walsall v Mansfield.

Best bets: Six aways: Arsenal (Saturday), Port Vale (Sunday), Notts County (Sunday), Liverpool (Monday), Burnley (Monday), Ipswich (Monday).

Best bets: Ten homes: Fulham (Saturday), Manchester City (Saturday), Newcastle (Saturday), Blackburn (Sunday), Millwall (Sunday), Plymouth (Sunday), Norwich (Monday), West Brom (Monday), Barrow (Monday), Northampton (Monday).

Pick of the draws: Blackpool's 10 men held on to take a point at Hull in their relegation dogfight in the Championship on Boxing Day. That should encourage them against Sunderland, who tend to be inconsistent. Kolo Toure, of Wigan, has had an underwhelming start to his managerial career, with three defeats out of four. He and his players need to raise their game against Hull, who are two places better off. Wycombe are on an upward curve in League One, whereas Peterborough, their hosts, seemed to have hit the wall. Posh, however, stopped the rot with a 1-1 draw at Charlton on Boxing Day and won at home in midweek. League Two strugglers Hartlepool and Harrogate both won against the odds last Monday, Hartlepool 2-1 away to Rochdale and Harrogate 3-2 at home to Grimsby. I predict this one ending with honours even. Mansfield are one of the few League Two sides to have prevented promotion favourites Stevenage from winning at home this season. That should serve them well on their visit to Walsall, who sit just below the play-off positions after beating Swindon 2-1 away.

Away days: Brighton are Arsenal's bogey team but the Premier League leaders are playing so well that I'm tipping them to prevail. Promoted Port Vale have adapted really well to League One and are firm favourites at relegation-haunted Forest Green. It seems a straight fight between Notts County and Wrexham for automatic promotion to League Two. Notts County, who are top of the National League, go to Oldham, who are third from last. Liverpool looked the real deal again when gaining maximum points at Aston Villa last Monday and I recommend backing them at Brentford. Burnley are sweeping all before them at the top of the Championship and will travel to Swansea with confidence. Mid-table Lincoln are the only League One team yet to lose at home this season but that record is surely in danger against second-placed Ipswich.

Homes sweet homes: Teams who sack their manager often get an immediate boost. That's why I'm siding with Norwich, who host their Championship play-off rivals Watford on Monday. The Canaries dispensed with the services of Dean Smith after losing 2-1 at Luton, who were down to 10 men. The threat of relegation has long receded for West Brom, who are now aiming for the play-offs. I believe they are worth a punt against Paul Ince's Reading. I've also a hunch that Northampton, third in League Two, will defeat leaders Leyton Orient, despite Orient losing only once away this season. 

Pools tips and best bets for Christmas weekend

Ten draws: Brentford v Tottenham, Leicester v Newcastle, Hull v Blackpool, Sunderland v Blackburn, Cambridge v Shrewsbury, Charlton v Peterborough, Wycombe v Bristol Rovers, Crawley v Sutton, Rochdale v Hartlepool, Tranmere v Doncaster.

Best draws: Brentford v Tottenham, Leicester v Newcastle, Sunderland v Blackburn, Wycombe v Bristol Rovers, Rochdale v Hartlepool.

Best bets: Six aways: Liverpool, West Brom, Stoke, Plymouth, Hearts, Dunfermline.

Best bets: Ten homes: Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Exeter, Ipswich, Port Vale, Gillingham, Stockport, Celtic, Edinburgh.

Pick of the draws: Tottenham will be keen to retain their Champions League spot after the month-long break for the World Cup but Brentford are no mugs, as they showed when they beat the defending Premier League champions, Manchester City, 2-1 away. The outlook is much brighter for Leicester after their early-season crisis but Newcastle, thriving under Eddie Howe's managership, are on a roll and will want to extend an unbeaten run that goes back to last August. By defeating Norwich 2-0 away, Blackburn proved they had completely recovered from their 4-1 home loss to Preston a week earlier in the Championship. They will be disappointed if they come away from Sunderland empty-handed. Bristol Rovers are on the upgrade in League One and I think they'll deny Wycombe, even though Wycombe have beaten Portsmouth and second-placed Ipswich at home recently. Hartlepool grabbed a League Two lifeline with a 2-0 victory at Crawley and can share the spoils at Rochdale, who are one place above them.

Away days: I suspect that Liverpool, in sixth position, will start to make up lost time in the Premier League by beating Aston Villa on Boxing Day. West Brom's Championship revival continued with wins at Sunderland (2-1 away) and Rotherham (3-0 home), results that should encourage them at Bristol City, who have already lost five at Ashton Gate. Like West Brom, Stoke are also climbing clear of relegation trouble and I'm tipping them for three points at Rotherham, who are floundering. Plymouth are back on top of League One and their progress is unlikely to be hindered at off-form Cambridge. Hearts, fourth in the Scottish Premiership, look a near certainty at bottom team Dundee United and it's hard to ignore the claims of Scottish League One leaders Dunfermline at Kelty Hearts.

Homes sweet homes: Crystal Palace resume their Premier League programme on Boxing Day with a London derby against Fulham. With Palace (11th) and Fulham (ninth), the sides seem well matched but I'm backing Palace to edge it. Exeter are only mid-table in League One but they will fancy their chances against Portsmouth, who appear to have lost their mojo, having suffered consecutive 2-0 defeats at Wycombe and home to MK Dons. The League Two bottom-of-the-table scrap between Gillingham and Colchester looks to have stalemate written all over it but I've a hunch that Gills will benefit from ground advantage.

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

Ten draws: Bristol City v Stoke, Coventry v Swansea, Hull v Sunderland, Luton v Millwall, Charlton v Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham v Lincoln, Peterborough v Shrewsbury, Wimbledon v Stevenage, Barrow v Swindon, Ross v St Johnstone.

Best draws: Hull v Sunderland, Luton v Millwall, Peterborough v Shrewsbury, Wimbledon v Stevenage, Ross v St Johnstone.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Watford, Accrington, Ipswich, Salford, Celtic, Dunfermline.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Norwich, West Brom, Barnsley, Derby, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford City, Hartlepool, Stockport, Dundee.

Pick of the draws: As Sunderland tend to falter against Championship teams they should be beating, there's a fair chance that Hull, who are 21st, will deny them three points on Saturday and gain their first home draw this season. Luton's poor results at home have hindered their progress and they may be frustrated again on Sunday when higher-placed Millwall are the visitors. Peterborough have slipped to sixth in League One and could drop another two points against Shrewsbury, who are punching above their weight. The goals have dried up for League Two runners-up Stevenage in their past two matches and I believe they'll have to settle for a point at improving Wimbledon. The Scottish Premiership resumes this weekend after a break for the World Cup and Ross v St Johnstone looks the likeliest stalemate of the five fixtures.

Away days: Watford, in the Championship play-off positions, will surely prevail at bottom side Huddersfield, who are in danger of being cast adrift. Accrington, League One over-achievers, usually pull something out of the bag when it's most needed and they need a good result at Port Vale to stay away from the relegation zone. Ipswich replaced Plymouth as League One leaders last Saturday after defeating Peterborough 2-1 at home. Their form away is even better than at Portman Road and they are worth backing at Wycombe. Salford, 3-0 winners at bottom team Gillingham in their previous League Two outing, look an away banker at Colchester, who are second last. Celtic, prospective Scottish Premiership champions, are expected to see off Aberdeen and Dunfermline, top of Scottish League One, should strengthen their position at Airdrieonians.

Homes sweet homes: Norwich, who boosted their Championship promotion credentials by winning 1-0 at Swansea last Saturday, can beat Blackburn, who are just above them in the play-offs but crashed 4-1 at home to Preston last weekend. West Brom, under new manager Carlos Corberan, have pulled away from the Championship drop zone and will be looking forward to hosting Rotherham, who in their last game went down 3-1 at home to Bristol City. Hartlepool climbed out of the League Two relegation zone with a 2-0 victory at Crawley last Friday - their first away win this season. That will encourage them when they play Newport, who are not the same force as last term.  

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

Ten draws: Reading v Coventry, Accrington v Portsmouth, Bristol Rovers v Port Vale, Forest Green v Cheltenham, Milton Keynes Dons v Fleetwood, Harrogate v Northampton, Swindon v Wimbledon, Boreham Wood v Southend, Halifax v Barnet, Solihull Moors v Aldershot. 

Best draws: Accrington v Portsmouth, Bristol Rovers v Port Vale, Harrogate v Northampton, Swindon v Wimbledon, Boreham Wood v Southend.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Derby, Plymouth, Wycombe, Leyton Orient, Bradford City, Stockport.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Middlesbrough, Millwall, Sheffield United, Carlisle, Crawley (Friday), Newport, Queen's Park, Chesterfield, Woking, Yeovil.

Pick of the draws: Portsmouth are a bit goal-shy, a weakness which has seen them lose ground in League One. That could hinder them at Accrington, even though the hosts lie two places above the relegation zone. Port Vale were the first side to win at leaders Plymouth this season, so they won't fear a visit to mid-table Bristol Rovers, who are inconsistent. Lowly Harrogate, of League Two, won convincingly at Rochdale last weekend, so promotion-seeking Northampton may not have things all their own way. Wimbledon have recovered well from being eliminated from the FA Cup by Chesterfield, of the National League, and look good for at least a point at Swindon. FA Cup giant-killers Boreham Wood don't inspire the same confidence in National League matches and I'm tipping them to be held by Southend.

Away days: Derby, who lie just outside the League One play-off positions, will be disappointed by anything other than victory at struggling Burton. Plymouth's 2-0 home defeat by Port Vale last weekend was an unexpected setback but they have an excellent chance of putting things right against 20th-placed Cambridge. Wycombe, 2-0 home winners over Portsmouth in their last game, will believe they can inflict Lincoln's first home defeat this season. In League Two, it's impossible to ignore the claims of leaders Leyton Orient at Crewe, who have lost their previous two fixtures. Bradford City were well beaten at  Orient last Saturday but should find ailing Gillingham less of a test on Sunday. Stockport, who thrashed bottom club Hartlepool 5-0 away last Saturday and knocked League One Charlton out of the FA Cup in midweek, will be confident of three points at Rochdale, who come off the back of a 4-1 home defeat by Harrogate.

Homes sweet homes: After a break for the World Cup a full set of Championship fixtures are back with us. Middlesbrough, now managed by Michael Carrick, have climbed well away from the drop zone and will overtake Luton if they beat them on Saturday. I'm backing them to do just that. Although Carlisle, of League Two, only drew 1-1 at home to Sutton last weekend, Barrow, their higher-placed opponents on Saturday, crashed 5-0 at Stevenage. They may take a while to recover from that, which is why I'm going for a Carlisle victory. Newport battled hard before losing at home to League One Derby in the FA Cup. They are lower than Doncaster in League Two but in better form and are well worth a punt.

Pools info: Crawley v Hartlepool (No.22 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void. Gateshead v Dagenham & Redbridge (43) has been postponed and will be assessed by the pools panel.