Ten draws: Chelsea v Brighton, Newcastle v Manchester United, West Ham v Crystal Palace, Bristol City v Norwich, Leeds v Middlesbrough, Millwall v Sunderland, Aldershot v Stockport, Gillingham v Charlton, Kilmarnock v Hearts, Motherwell v Dundee.
Best draws: Chelsea v Brighton, West Ham v Crystal Palace, Bristol City v Norwich, Aldershot v Stockport, Gillingham v Charlton.
Weekend's best football bets: Six aways: Blackburn, Reading, Barrow, Raith, Dundee United, Gateshead.
Weekend's best football bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Birmingham, Hull, Ipswich, Notts County (Friday), Blackpool, Chesterfield, Crewe.
Pick of the draws: Brighton emerged from a sticky patch with a creditable 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest last Saturday and won't have an inferiority complex playing at Chelsea. Crystal Palace's 2-1 defeat at Luton last weekend was an unexpected lapse and they will probably be better prepared for Sunday's visit to West Ham. Bristol City v Norwich is a clash between two mid-table sides in the Championship and I don't believe either will have the upper hand. Stockport's long winning run in League Two was ended by a 2-1 loss at Newport and a goalless draw at home to Salford. Despite these last two results, they'll be favourites to win their FA Cup second-round tie at non-League Aldershot but the in-form National League team could surprise them. I also rate the chances of League Two's Gillingham in taking Charlton, of League One, to a replay.
Away days: Blackburn, emphatic 3-0 winners at Stoke in the Championship last Saturday, will be confident of another away success at rock bottom Sheffield Wednesday. Two consecutive victories have lifted crisis club Reading off the foot of League One. They'll be feeling much better about themselves and will fancy their chances of making the FA Cup third round at National League Eastleigh. A 2-0 midweek home victory over Walsall has lifted Barrow into the automatic promotion places in League Two. They are in fine form and have no reason to fear a visit to Maidstone, of the National League South. Scottish Championship high-flyers Raith are recommended at Inverness, as are leaders Dundee United, playing Morton, who prop up the table. Gateshead's away record is better than their home form in the National League and they will start favourites at Woking, who are dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Homes sweet homes: There has never been an FA Cup weekend without an upset and I'm predicting three in the second round. Promotion-chasing and high-scoring Notts County, of League Two, to see off League One Shrewsbury on Friday; runaway National League leaders Chesterfield to knock out Leyton Orient on Sunday and Crewe, League Two promotion contenders, to get the better of Bristol Rovers, who sit mid-table in League One.
Pools info: Match No.35 on the coupon - an FA Cup second-round tie - should read Sutton v Horsham and not Sutton v Barnsley.
0 comments:
Post a Comment