Ten draws: Manchester City v Brighton, Coventry v Sunderland, Millwall v Stoke, Preston v Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United, Accrington v Gillingham, Carlisle v Wimbledon, Newport v Harrogate, Notts County v Chesterfield, St Johnstone v Aberdeen.
Five best draws: Manchester City v Brighton, Preston v Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United, Accrington v Gillingham, St Johnstone v Aberdeen.
Weekend football's best bets: Six aways: Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Burnley, Livingston, York. Ten homes: Bournemouth, Southampton, Blackburn, West Bromwich, Blackpool, Huddersfield, Wycombe, Bradford City, Arbroath, Gateshead.
Pick of the draws: Premier League sides are no longer frightened by Manchester City and Brighton's recent form - six successive victories - suggests they are a good bet to avoid defeat at the Etihad on Saturday. No Championship team have drawn more matches than Preston's 17 this season. It won't surprise me if that figure climbs to 18 after they've played Portsmouth, whose morale was boosted by beating Leeds 1-0 at home last Sunday. Normally, I would side with Sheffield United, automatic promotion contenders, to defeat mid-table and fierce rivals Sheffield Wednesday but Wednesday had a fine 3-2 midweek victory at Norwich and may be more up for this one. John Coleman, manager of League Two Gillingham, is returning to his old club, Accrington, who defeated Newport 5-0 at home in midweek. However, Gillingham, who upset high-flying Bradford City 1-0 at home last weekend, are in better shape than Newport and can come away with a point. St Johnstone may be bottom of the Scottish Premiership but, against all the odds, have reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals. I think this will inspire them to hold fourth-placed Aberdeen.
Away days: I've a hunch that Newcastle will win their first domestic trophy since 1955 when they play the runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Although Newcastle have been weakened by injuries to key players, Liverpool will find it hard to recover from their midweek Champions League exit by Paris Saint-Germain. Fatigue could also be a factor, considering that Liverpool were taken to extra time before losing the penalty shoot-out. Nottingham Forest, third in the Premier League, are a confident selection at third-from-bottom Ipswich, who have not won this year. Leeds will want to get last Sunday's Championship defeat at Portsmouth out of their system and should do that at Queens Park Rangers, while Burnley's now famous defence ought to see them through at Swansea. I don't foresee any problems for Livingston at bottom club Airdrieonians in the Scottish Championship and second-placed York can cash in on Yeovil's slump in the National League.
Homes sweet homes: Southampton, rock-bottom of the Premier League and doomed to relegation, can upset the form book by taking maximum points off Wolves, who will still be without Matheus Cuena, their best player, who is serving a four-match suspension. Too many home draws have hindered Blackpool's progress in League One but they won 2-1 in midweek against lowly Cambridge and I believe they'll get another three points against Leyton Orient, who have lost their last five matches. In League One's top-of-the-table clash between Wycombe and Wrexham, my money is on the underrated hosts, who continue to play with a swagger.
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