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

 Ten draws: Manchester United v Manchester City, West Ham v Everton, Sunderland v Norwich, Blackpool v Peterborough, Burton v Leyton Orient, Cambridge v Carlisle, Charlton v Bolton, Port Vale v Cheltenham, Notts County v Wrexham, Livingston v Dundee.

Best draws: West Ham v Everton, Blackpool v Peterborough, Cambridge v Carlisle, Charlton v Bolton, Notts County v Wrexham.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Burnley, Leicester, Portsmouth, Crewe, Bradford City, Airdrieonians.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Ipswich, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, Morecambe, Stockport.

Pick of the draws: An improving Everton side may have got something at Liverpool last Saturday if they had not been reduced to 10 men towards the end of the first half. They will probably be disappointed not to return with something from Sunday's visit to West Ham, who were well beaten at Aston Villa last weekend. Blackpool, who have climbed into the League One play-off positions, will be tested by Peterborough, who are one place above them and won 1-0 at Port Vale in midweek. Cambridge made amends for losing at bottom team Cheltenham last Saturday by holders leaders Portsmouth to a goalless draw at home in midweek but they are still not certain to beat Carlisle, who are managing to stay out of the relegation zone. Charlton's handsome 4-0 home victory over Reading last Saturday was followed by a 3-1 midweek defeat at Lincoln. Charlton host fourth-placed Bolton, who are in slightly better form, including beating Wycombe 4-2 away in midweek. Second meets third in League Two, with Notts County taking on Wrexham. Both won in midweek and I'm expecting a high-scoring stalemate.

Away days: All of Burnley's four Premier League points this season have come away from home, which may serve them well at second-from-bottom Bournemouth, who have yet to win a league game so far. Championship leaders Leicester have dropped just three points from 13 matches and already look certs for promotion. They must be fancied to succeed at struggling Queens Park Rangers. A goalless draw at Cambridge in midweek was a rare setback for Portsmouth, who lead League One by four points, and I don't expect them to show lowly Reading any mercy. Crewe, the League Two's highest scorers, will start favourites at Harrogate, whose home record is dismal, while I believe Bradford City will triumph at Sutton, who prop up the table. Airdrieonians, fourth in the Scottish Championship, are recommended at ailing Inverness, who have yet to win at home. 

Homes sweet homes: Sheffield Wednesday, rock bottom of the Championship, will never have a better chance of ending their winless run of 13 games when they host second-from-last Rotherham on Sunday. In League One, MK Dons shocked Bradford City in midweek by defeating them 4-1 at home and will aim to continue climbing the table against the better-placed Swindon. Recent League Two results show Morecambe to be on the upgrade and I predict they'll edge out Wimbledon.

Betting info: Seven of my eight home selections were correct last weekend. The successful seven were Manchester City, Newcastle, Blackburn, Watford, Charlton, Portsmouth and Stockport. The other two matches from my original ten homes were postponed.

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

Ten draws: Carlisle v Leyton Orient, Forest Green v Colchester, Milton Keynes Dons v Barrow, Notts County v Mansfield, Hungary v Serbia, Ukraine v North Macedonia, Falkirk v Queen's Park, Queen of the South v Arbroath, Burgos v Villarreal B, Sporting Gijon v Real Zaragoza.

Best draws: Forest Green v Colchester, MK Dons v Barrow, Notts County v Mansfield, Ukraine v North Macedonia, Falkirk v Queen's Park.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Stockport, Croatia, Hamilton, Dundee United, Rochdale, Maidenhead.

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Crewe, Doncaster, Swindon, Wrexham, Czech Republic, Italy, Morton, Raith, Bromley, York.

Pick of the draws: Forest Green, bottom of League Two, have lost all six of their home matches so far. They are due to end that dismal sequence against Colchester, who are only three points and three places ahead of them. From being the league's early pace-setters, MK Dons have slumped to the bottom half of the table. They'll have a job beating Barrow, who keep defying expectations. Although leaders Notts County have maximum points from five home games, I believe they'll be held by fifth-placed Mansfield, who have improved defensively. I think North Macedonia will be tricky opponents for Ukraine in Saturday's European Championship qualifying fixture. In the fourth round of the SPFL Trust Trophy, I'm taking Falkirk, who top Scottish League One, to share the spoils with Queen's Park, who are sliding down the Scottish Championship.

Away days: The Stockport express refuses to be derailed and it won't surprise me if they are top of League Two after Saturday's results as I expect them to beat Harrogate. Croatia will surely make their superiority count against Wales in Group D of the European Championship qualifying. Hamilton, of Scottish League One, look an away banker at non-League East Kilbride in the SPFL Trust Trophy, as do Scottish Championship leaders Dundee United, who visit Peterhead, of Scottish League Two. In the FA Cup fourth qualifying round, Rochdale, in the upper half of the National League, are worth backing at Hereford, of the National League North, while Maidenhead should progress to the first round proper at the expense of Weston-super-Mare, of the National League South.

Homes sweet homes: Doncaster, 20th in League Two, played well when losing narrowly at Stockport last Saturday and are worth a wager against 23rd-placed Sutton, even though the visitors beat Walsall 4-0 last weekend. In a SPFL Trust Trophy tie, Morton, who prop up the Scottish Championship, should still have too much for Kelty Hearts, who are a division below them. Bromley are flying high in the National League after a hesitant start to the season and will be confident of seeing off their NL rivals Wealdstone in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round. 

Pools info: Morecambe v Crawley (No.9 on coupon) is postponed because of international call-ups and will be assessed by the pools panel. I correctly predicted five draws last weekend: Brighton v Liverpool, Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest, Wolves v Aston Villa, Barrow v Notts County and Tranmere v Grimsby. 

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

Ten draws: Brighton v Liverpool, Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest, Wolves v Aston Villa, Plymouth v Swansea, Exeter v Barnsley, Fleetwood v Wycombe, Barrow v Notts County, Colchester v Morecambe, Newport v Harrogate, Tranmere v Grimsby.

Best draws: Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest, Wolves v Aston Villa, Plymouth v Swansea, Fleetwood v Wycombe, Colchester v Morecambe.

Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Newcastle, Huddersfield, Derby, Northampton, Walsall, Partick. 

Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Ipswich, Leicester, Southampton, Bolton, Charlton, Portsmouth, Stevenage, Accrington, Aberdeen, Solihull.

Pick of the draws: Unlike last season, the chances of Nottingham Forest being involved in a Premier League relegation scrap are remote and I won't be surprised if they come away from Crystal Palace with a point. Wolves and Aston Villa, who play on Sunday, both had morale-boosting home wins last weekend - Wolves beating leaders Manchester City 2-1 and Aston Villa thrashing Brighton 6-1. It will be hard separating them at Molineux. Three consecutive victories over Sheffield Wednesday (home), Millwall (away) and Norwich (home) have lifted the morale of Championship club Swansea and they can hold Plymouth, who blow hot one week and cold the next. Wins against Leyton Orient (home) and Cheltenham (away) have given Fleetwood new hope near the bottom of League One and I believe they'll get something from the visit of mid-table Wycombe. It's been a mixed few days for Colchester, who beat the League Two pace-setters Notts County 5-4 at home last Saturday and then lost 2-1 at Newport in midweek. They face Morecambe, who are due an away draw.

Away days: West Ham are hard to beat on their own ground but a rejuvenated Newcastle are in the mood to gain another three points on Sunday. Huddersfield manager Darren Moore will be eager to get one over his old club, Sheffield Wednesday, who inexplicably sacked him after leading them to promotion to the Championship last season. Wednesday, who are rock bottom with no wins and only two points, must be regretting that decision as they have just sacked Moore's successor, Xisco Munoz. Derby recorded their fifth League One away success in midweek, beating Blackpool 3-1. They travel to 24th-placed Cheltenham on Saturday and will surely make it six. Northampton, who are on a current high, will feel confident of taking maximum points at Shrewsbury, who are on the slide. You have to fancy Walsall's chances at Sutton, who have not won since the opening weekend of the League Two season while Partick, 3-0 victors in the Scottish Championship last weekend, will start favourites at struggling Inverness.

Homes sweet homes: Charlton continue to climb League One after their convincing 4-1 home win over Exeter last Saturday and I reckon they'll add Blackpool to their list of recent victims. Stevenage have slipped to fifth following defeats by Oxford United (3-1, home) last Saturday and Bolton (3-2, away) in midweek. They need to steady the ship and I think they'll do just that when they host second-from-bottom Wigan. Aberdeen have hardly set the world alight in the Scottish Premiership this season but they should still be too good for lowly St Johnstone.

Betting info: I scored five out of six away wins last weekend with Arsenal, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Stockport and Hearts.