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

 Ten draws: Bournemouth v Fulham, Nottingham Forest v Wolves, Birmingham v Blackburn, Cardiff v Swansea, Norwich v Sheffield United, Cheltenham v Burton, Barrow v Gillingham, Colchester v Newport, Northampton v Stevenage, St Mirren v Livingston.

Best draws: Bournemouth v Fulham, Nottingham Forest v Wolves, Birmingham v Blackburn, Barrow v Gillingham, Northampton v Stevenage.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich, Partick, Falkirk, Stirling. 

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Barnsley, Charlton, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Dundee, Dunfermline, Queen of the South.

Pick of the draws: Fulham may not have recovered from their 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final loss at Manchester United when they were reduced to nine men. Striker Mitrovic was one of the players sent off and Fulham will probably miss him against Bournemouth, who are desperate for Premier League points. Consecutive defeats against Tottenham (3-1 away) and Newcastle (2-1 home) have seen Nottingham Forest rejoin the scrap to avoid relegation from the Premier League. They face Wolves, who are also threatened by the drop. Blackburn, fifth in the Championship, relinquished a 2-1 lead at Sheffield United to miss out on an FA Cup semi-final place. The disappointment may adversely affect them at Birmingham. Gillingham's startling improvement in League Two has given them a chance of getting something at Barrow, whose hopes of a play-off place are fading. The slipshod manner of Stevenage's 3-1 home defeat by Salford last Saturday was untypical and they will surely be more professional at Northampton, who have overtaken them in the race for automatic promotion.

Away days: It's impossible to ignore the claims of Middlesbrough, third in the Championship, at Huddersfield, even though Neil Warnock's relegation-threatened side won at Millwall on their last outing. Queens Park Rangers, now managed by Gareth Ainsworth, will never have a better chance of winning away when they visit bottom team Wigan, who look doomed. Defeats by Sheffield Wednesday at Barnsley (4-2) and Forest Green (1-0), followed by a midweek 2-2 draw at Cheltenham, have given Ipswich fresh hope of automatic promotion from League One. They can win at Derby, who are stumbling. I've gone to Scotland for my other three away tips. Partick, fourth in the Championship, should assert their superiority over struggling Cove. Falkirk, second in League One, are recommended at Clyde, who are second from last, and League Two leaders Stirling will be confident of three points at third-from-bottom Elgin. 

Homes sweet homes: Although Crystal Palace have not won this year (a run of 13 matches), they are worth backing against Leicester, who are seriously underperforming. Veteran manager Roy Hodgson is back at Selhurst Park, at least until the end of the season, and I've a hunch he'll be celebrating a Premier League victory on Saturday evening. I'm also siding with Newcastle to avenge their 2-0 League Cup final defeat by Manchester United. Eddie Howe's players are showing signs of turning the corner with wins over Wolves (2-1 home) and Nottingham Forest (2-1 away). In League One I'm tipping Charlton, in 12th place, to beat Shrewsbury, who are 10th but losing ground in their attempts to qualify for the play-offs.

Betting info: I scored five out of six away wins last weekend with Northampton, Airdrieonians, Dunfermline, Alloa and Woking.

 

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

 Ten draws: Northern Ireland v Finland, Slovakia v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gillingham v Carlisle, Swindon v Stockport, Stenhousemuir v Forfar, Boreham Wood v Eastleigh, Dorking v Maidenhead, Oldham v Solihull Moors, Wealdstone v Barnet, Yeovil v Bromley.

Best draws: Northern Ireland v Finland, Swindon v Stockport, Boreham Wood v Eastleigh, Oldham v Solihull Moors, Wealdstone v Barnet. 

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Sheffield Wednesday, Northampton, Airdrieonians (Friday), Dunfermline, Alloa, Woking.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Croatia, England, Scotland, Colchester, Ayr (Friday), Queen's Park (Friday), Stirling, Altrincham, Notts County, Wrexham.

Pick of the draws: This weekend's coupon consists of 14 European qualifying matches. The one most likely to end in stalemate is Northern Ireland, 59th in the world rankings, hosting Finland, who are 56th. League Two play-off contenders Stockport have drawn three of their past four games. There's a good chance of another deadlock when they visit Swindon, who are also in the habit of drawing. Eastleigh have climbed into the play-off places in the National League and I'm tipping them to come away with a point at Boreham Wood, who are directly below them. Solihull Moors are on the march, having won their last four matches, and look good for a point at Oldham, who have banished fears of relegation. Although Barnet have turned their season around - fifth in the table and in the FA Trophy semi-finals - they won't find it easy at Wealdstone, home of their local rivals. 

Away days: After losing 4-2 at Barnsley in midweek, Sheffield Wednesday lost the League One leadership to Plymouth but they will surely bounce straight back when they visit bottom side Forest Green on Sunday. I'm giving Northampton, fourth in League Two, the edge when they travel to inconsistent Doncaster. Airdrieonians, fresh from their 7-0 rout of Peterhead in Scottish League One, will be hot favourites at Clyde, who are second from bottom. Leaders Dunfermline should be equally confident at mid-table Montrose and Alloa, in third, will expect to prevail at Peterhead, who are last. Woking, third in the National League, are highly recommended at Maidstone, who seem doomed to relegation. 

Homes sweet homes: Lowly Colchester scored twice in the last two minutes to rescue a point at League Two leaders Leyton Orient last Saturday. That will lift their mood for the visit of mid-table Tranmere, who lost 3-1 at home to Newport last weekend. Stirling, the new Scottish League Two leaders after beating Forfar 2-0 at home in midweek, entertain the deposed Dumbarton, who crashed 5-1 at home to struggling Albion last Saturday - one of the upsets of the season. I'm backing Stirling to win this one. Altrincham, of the National League, are very good on their day and I'm backing them to defeat  Southend, who are higher in the table.

Pools info: Crewe v Bradford City (No.19 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 March 18-19

 Ten draws: Aston Villa v Bournemouth, Wolves v Leeds, Blackpool v Coventry, Reading v Hull, Swansea v Bristol City, Accrington v MK Dons, Cheltenham v Exeter, Stockport v Mansfield, Tranmere v Newport, Partick v Dundee.

Best draws: Aston Villa v Bournemouth, Blackpool v Coventry, Swansea v Bristol City, Stockport v Mansfield, Partick v Dundee.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Newcastle (Friday), Luton, Portsmouth, Charlton, Swindon, East Fife. 

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Millwall, Stoke, Watford, Ipswich, Plymouth, Leyton Orient, Airdrieonians.

Pick of the draws: Bournemouth's fight against relegation from the Premier League was strengthened by their unexpected 1-0 home victory over Liverpool last Saturday. By all accounts it was deserved and I can see them frustrating Aston Villa, who are very up and down. Lowly Blackpool's 6-1 home triumph against Queens Park Rangers in a midweek Championship fixture took everybody by surprise but I doubt they'll have similar success when they host Coventry, who are proving harder to beat. Swansea's rough patch will be tested by the visit of Bristol City, who are in better shape. I suspect that Mansfield would have at least drawn at Northampton in midweek if they had kept 11 players on the pitch. The League Two play-off contenders travel to Stockport, who are also in the hunt promotion, and I predict a point apiece. Dundee, second in the Scottish Championship, go to Partick, who are just below them and in good form. Deadlock is the most likely result.

Away days: Newcastle's 2-1 win at home to Wolves last Sunday was their first three-pointer since January. They will be keen to stay in contention for next season's Champions League and they are worth a punt at Nottingham Forest, who were out of sorts when losing 3-1 at Tottenham last weekend. No team in the Championship has won more away matches than Luton, who are into double figures. They deserve to be in the play-off positions and I believe they'll take maximum points at Sunderland on Saturday. Portsmouth's away record in League One holds up well. They travel to Bristol Rovers, whose home form is indifferent. Charlton, 4-1 winners at Morecambe in midweek, will fancy themselves at struggling Cambridge. The same can be said for mid-table Swindon, who visit Rochdale, League Two's bottom side. I reckon East Fife, of Scottish League Two, 2-1 winners at Stenhousemuir last Saturday, will gain their second consecutive away victory at the expense of relegation-threatened Bonnyrigg Rose.

Homes sweet homes: Three wins in a row have galvanised Chelsea, who aim to finish their Premier League season strongly. I recommend them against Everton, who are especially weak away from home. Stoke have surged up the Championship table after victories over Sunderland (5-1 away), Blackburn (3-2 home) and a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough in midweek. That should give them the confidence to defeat the better-placed Norwich. After their superb 2-0 win at Bolton last weekend, Ipswich are only two points behind League One runners-up Plymouth. It's time they turned some of those home draws into wins and I believe they'll do just that when they host Shrewsbury.

 

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

Ten draws: Everton v Brentford, Leicester v Chelsea, West Ham v Aston Villa, Preston v Cardiff, Queens Park Rangers v Watford, Reading v Millwall, Burton v Wycombe, Milton Keynes v Cambridge, Gillingham v Tranmere, Swindon v Carlisle.

Best draws: Everton v Brentford, Leicester v Chelsea, West Ham v Aston Villa, Preston v Cardiff, MK Dons v Cambridge.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Harrogate, Northampton.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Manchester United, Burnley, Coventry, Norwich, West Brom, Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Chesterfield, Notts County, Wrexham.

Pick of the draws: Everton's gritty 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest last Sunday suggested that relegation from the Premier League isn't a foregone conclusion but I'll be surprised if they get more than a point out of Brentford, who are impressing everybody. Two consecutive victories for Chelsea have lightened the mood at Stamford Bridge but Leicester missed enough chances to win two games at Southampton last Saturday and can deny Graham Potter's side. Relegation-threatened West Ham reverted to their bad old ways when crashing 4-0 at Brighton last weekend but shouldn't lose to Aston Villa, who are inconsistent. There's a brighter outlook for Cardiff as they pull clear of the Championship drop zone. They'll be expecting at least a point at goal-shy Preston, who regularly flop at home. MK Dons v Cambridge is a bottom-of-the-table clash in League One and I wouldn't back either to prevail.

Away days: Liverpool's 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Anfield last Sunday has put a spring in their step and they'll surely make short work of Bournemouth, who have sunk to the bottom of the Premier League. Manchester City, trying to keep pace with leaders Arsenal, are also a confident shout at Crystal Palace, who could be sucked into a battle to avoid relegation. Arsenal have recovered well from their recent wobble and I'm predicting a fifth league win in a row when they visit Fulham on Sunday. Middlesbrough have automatic promotion from the Championship in their sights and they'll tempt many punters at ailing Swansea. Harrogate's fine 2-0 midweek victory at Doncaster in League Two will put them in good heart for their trip to second bottom Crawley, who have lost their last six games. Northampton's hopes of automatic promotion will be boosted by three points at Hartlepool, who are third bottom.

Homes sweet homes: Coventry, unbeaten in their last six matches, are one of the surprising contenders for a Championship play-off place and are worth a wager against Hull. Norwich climbed into the play-off positions with a 3-2 success at Millwall last Saturday. They seem to be peaking at the right time and will probably see off Sunderland, who are going in the other direction after losing 5-1 at home to Stoke. Barnsley v Plymouth deserves top billing in League One. Barnsley, who are fourth, are in better form than second-placed Plymouth and that's why I'm going for a home win. 

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

Ten draws: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace, Huddersfield v Coventry, Millwall v Norwich, Rotherham v Queens Park Rangers, Bristol Rovers v Barnsley, Cheltenham v Fleetwood, Lincoln v Oxford, Harrogate v Gillingham, Walsall v Barrow, Ayr v Inverness.

Best draws: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace, Bristol Rovers v Barnsley, Lincoln v Oxford, Harrogate v Gillingham, Ayr v Inverness.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Burnley, Portsmouth, Mansfield, Stevenage, Edinburgh.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Southampton, Luton, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Ipswich, Plymouth, Northampton, Ross, Solihull.

Pick of the draws: Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are two Premier League mid-table sides whose main characteristic is inconsistency, so I wouldn't put money on either of them winning. No team is in better form than League One promotion contenders Barnsley, who are winning their matches handsomely. However, Bristol Rovers, who had a fine 3-0 victory at Oxford last Saturday, can check their progress. Lincoln have drawn 12 of their 15 League One home games this season. It won't surprise me if they make it 13 against Oxford. Lowly Gillingham's revival in League Two was halted in midweek by Bradford City, who won 2-0 at Priestfield Stadium. I believe Gillingham will recover sufficiently to share the spoils at Harrogate, who are immediately below them. Inverness Caledonian Thistle held promotion-seeking Dundee to a 1-1 away draw in the Scottish Championship last weekend. On Saturday they go to Ayr, who are also in promotion contention. I think the visitors could again come away with something.

Away days: Tottenham's firepower, with Harry Kane prominent, will probably be the decisive factor when they visit Wolves, who, by contrast, have scored only nine Premier League home goals this season. Burnley, the runaway Championship leaders, look an away banker at second-from-bottom Blackpool. Consecutive home wins against Cheltenham (4-0) and Bolton (3-1) in League One have lifted Portsmouth and I recommend them at struggling Cambridge. Mansfield's 5-2 home loss to Salford in League Two was one of the upsets of last weekend but I'm tipping them to bounce straight back at Wimbledon, whose hopes of reaching the play-offs are fast fading. High-flying Stevenage returned to winning ways at Wimbledon in midweek and will surely prevail at Rochdale, who seem doomed to relegation. I suspect Edinburgh, third in Scottish League One, will be too good for Kelty Hearts.

Homes sweet homes: I'm taking Southampton, bottom of the Premier League, to win at home for only the second time this season against Leicester, who may be still reeling from their home FA Cup exit against Blackburn, of the Championship, in midweek. Wigan, bottom of the Championship, will never have a better chance of three points when ailing Birmingham travel to play them on Saturday. Ross County won their bottom-of-the table clash against Dundee United last Saturday with plenty to spare and they are worth a wager against Motherwell, who are just above them in the Scottish Premiership.