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Ten draws: Everton v Leicester, Hull v Queens Park Rangers, Brighton v Birmingham, Huddersfield v Cardiff, Watford v Norwich, Leyton Orient v Oldham, Rochdale v Chesterfield, Northampton v York, Stevenage v Southend, Tranmere v Shrewsbury.
Best draws: Everton v Leicester, Brighton v Birmingham, Watford v Norwich, Northampton v York, Stevenage v Southend.
Best weekend away bets: Arsenal, West Bromwich, Bristol City, Gillingham, Mansfield, Dundee.
Best weekend home bets: Aston Villa, Manchester City, Tottenham, Blackburn, Millwall, Wolves, Sheffield United, Swindon, Carlisle, Newport.
Pick of the draws: Although Leicester, bottom of the Premier League, have lost their last three matches, they could have got something out of all of them. They are not playing as badly as their form suggests and it wouldn't surprise me if they held Everton, who have only three wins to their credit at Goodison Park and are having an indifferent season. Championship strugglers Brighton have already drawn six home games. I've a feeling that will become seven when they face Birmingham on Saturday. Birmingham are also used to stalemates, having drawn seven of their away fixtures. Watford v Norwich is one of the more attractive fixtures of the weekend. Both sides have boosted their promotion challenge with good results recently and it is hard to pick a winner. York, two points clear of the relegation zone in League Two, played superbly to beat fellow strugglers Tranmere 2-0 last Saturday and can come away from Northampton with a point. Stevenage returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Hartlepool and will probably give as good as they get against Southend, who are two points off an automatic promotion place.
Away days: Arsenal have been fragile away from the Emirates but they have a good chance to rectify that at Crystal Palace, who seem more vulnerable at Selhurst Park. West Bromwich Albion have made great strides under Tony Pulis and are strongly recommended against Sunderland, who are reeling from their fifth round FA Cup exit at the hands of League One Bradford City and in danger of slipping into the Premier League relegation zone. Bristol City, top of League One, look a banker at Colchester, whose home defeats have gone into double figures, and it is impossible to ignore on-form Gillingham's claims at bottom club Yeovil. Mansfield's chances of avoiding relegation from League Two improved when they beat high-flying Luton in midweek and another victory, this time at Oxford, shouldn't be beyond them. Dundee have moved into the top half of the Scottish Premiership and ought to account for Motherwell, who are having a terrible season.
Homes sweet homes: Aston Villa are already feeling the benefit of a change of manager and are more upbeat about avoiding relegation from the Premier League. I fancy them to get three points against inconsistent Stoke, whose confidence may have been damaged by a surprising FA Cup exit at Blackburn. Millwall, third from bottom in the Championship, won't go down without a fight and I believe they will record a rare home win against Fulham, who appear to have taken two steps back after a giant leap forward. League Two promotion challengers Wycombe have lost their way recently. They make the long journey to lowly Carlisle, who are battling hard to stay in the Football League and are worth a punt.
Ten draws: Gillingham v MK Dons, Peterborough v Rochdale, Mansfield v Northampton, Morecambe v Dagenham & Redbridge, Altrincham v Forest Green, Eastleigh v Torquay, Grimsby v Bristol Rovers, Lincoln v Chester, Ross v Motherwell, Raith v Falkirk.
Best draws: Gillingham v MK Dons, Peterborough v Rochdale, Grimsby v Bristol Rovers, Lincoln v Chester, Ross v Motherwell.
Best weekend away bets: Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Swindon, Bury, Aberdeen, Elgin.
Best weekend home bets: Bolton, Bournemouth, Chesterfield, Oldham, Hartlepool, Luton, Portsmouth, Southend, Wycombe, Dunfermline.
Pick of the draws: Gillingham are on a roll in League One, beating Sheffield United (home) and Peterborough (away) in the space of four days. They can hold MK Dons, whose promotion hopes took a knock on Monday when they lost at Bradford City. Peterborough's promotion challenge has faded mainly because they have lost seven matches at home. They will have a job making ground advantage count against Rochdale, who are particularly strong away. The Conference has several draw possibilities this weekend, especially Grimsby (4th) v Bristol Rovers (3rd). Both former League clubs are in fine form. Chester, once threatened by relegation, have pulled well away from the danger zone and are more than capable of gaining a point at Lincoln. It is hard to make a case for either Ross or Motherwell, bottom and second bottom respectively in the Scottish Premiership. They meet on Saturday and a draw is the likely outcome.
Away days: Leicester, propping up the Premier League, are due a change of fortune, having unluckily lost to Crystal Palace (home) and Arsenal (away) in the past week. They are well worth a punt at Aston Villa in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday, especially as Villa don't know where their next goal - let alone their next win - is coming from. Blackpool are doomed to relegation from the Championship and their visitors on Saturday, Nottingham Forest, will surely take advantage. League One high-flyers Swindon lost at Oldham in midweek. They will be eager to make amends and will probably do so at Scunthorpe, whose home record is unimpressive. Bury are contesting a play-off place in League Two and are recommended to prevail at Cheltenham, who are hovering just above the relegation zone. Aberdeen are giving Celtic a good run for their money in the Scottish Premiership and are a confident selection to beat Hamilton. Elgin have markedly improved in Scottish League Two and must be fancied to inflict further misery on bottom club East Stirling.
Homes sweet homes: Bolton have looked a different team since Neil Lennon was appointed manager and I believe they will surprise high-riding Watford, who can beat the best in the Championship but also lose to the worst. Hartlepool, last in League Two, are gradually closing the gap between them and the other sides threatened by relegation. They beat Northampton in midweek and I fancy them to defeat injury-hit Stevenage on Saturday. If Portsmouth start scoring some goals they will rapidly climb the League Two table because they are defensively sound. I've a hunch they will find their shooting boots against Exeter at Fratton Park.
Pools info: Coventry v Bradford City (No 3 on coupon) and Notts County v Preston (8) will be decided by the pools panel while Rangers v Hibernian (47) is void. Three of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Burnley v West Brom, Port Vale v Bradford City and Bury v Exeter.
Betting info: Four of my six away selections were correct last weekend. Chelsea, Chesterfield, Burton and Inverness were the successful teams.
Ten draws: Burnley v West Brom, Queens Park Rangers v Southampton, Tottenham v Arsenal, Leeds v Brentford, Colchester v Crewe, Port Vale v Bradford City, Scunthorpe v Oldham, Bury v Exeter, Cambridge v Wycombe, Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid.
Best draws: Burnley v West Brom, Tottenham v Arsenal, Leeds v Brentford, Port Vale v Bradford City, Bury v Exeter.
Best weekend away bets: Chelsea, Manchester United, Peterborough, Chesterfield, Burton, Inverness.
Best weekend home bets: Middlesbrough, Millwall, Norwich, Preston, Rochdale, Swindon, AFC Wimbledon, Plymouth, Portsmouth, York.
Pick of the draws: West Brom will want to make amends for their heavy home defeat against Tottenham last Saturday and can do so on Sunday at Turf Moor against Premier League newcomers Burnley, who have faltered recently. Tottenham and Arsenal, two of the in-form teams, clash at White Hart Lane in the early Saturday kick-off. Tottenham's Harry Kane is a striker to be feared and Christian Erikson is a match-winner but Arsenal's newly acquired resilience should earn them a point and it would not surprise me to see a repeat of the 1-1 draw at the Emirates last September. Leeds, with two consecutive wins, are showing signs of climbing the Championship table but they face a tough assignment against Brentford, who have already won seven times on their travels and are genuine promotion contenders. This looks one of the likeliest draws on the coupon. Bradford City's FA Cup heroics have tended to mask their under-achievement in League One, so don't be shocked if they drop points at Port Vale. Exeter, in League Two, are better away than at home and I'm taking them to hold Bury, who have climbed back into the play-off places.
Away days: I cannot visualise Premier League leaders Chelsea letting goal-shy Aston Villa off the hook. Villa, with only 11 league goals this season, are lucky there are four sides below them in the table. West Ham's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League are fading fast and I expect third-placed Manchester United to take advantage of the Hammers' deteriorating form. League One Peterborough are getting back into the groove and are backed to succeed at Fleetwood, whose Highbury Stadium is by no means a fortress. Although Chesterfield sold leading scorer Eoin Doyle to Cardiff for £1m before the transfer deadline, they may still be good enough to defeat Notts County, who have already suffered seven home losses. Burton, second in League Two, are responding to the management of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and will fancy their chances of maximum points at struggling Cheltenham. Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with seven away victories, are my tip to triumph at Partick in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
Homes sweet homes: Millwall's battle to avoid relegation from the Championship received a much-needed boost last weekend when they won at Nottingham Forest. I believe they'll gain another three points when Huddersfield come to visit. Three defeats in a row have damaged Newport's promotion challenge in League Two. Wimbledon are capable of beating most teams on their day and I've a hunch they will leave Newport pointless again. By all accounts, lowly York were desperately unlucky to lose at high-flying Southend last Saturday. Luck often evens itself out and York are well worth a punt against Dagenham & Redbridge, who are only two points better off in League Two.
Ten draws: Crystal Palace v Everton, West Bromwich v Tottenham, Reading v Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley v Port Vale, Chesterfield v Doncaster, Walsall v Gillingham, Accrington v Northampton, Burton v Bury, Newport v Shrewsbury, Motherwell v St Johnstone.
Best draws: Reading v Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley v Port Vale, Walsall v Gillingham, Burton v Bury, Newport v Shrewsbury.
Best weekend away bets: Newcastle, Brighton, Derby, Preston, Mansfield, AFC Wimbledon.
Best weekend home bets: Arsenal, Birmingham, Ipswich, Bradford City, Bristol City, Oldham, Peterborough, Exeter, Hartlepool, Luton.
Pick of the draws: Reading, 18th in the Championship, missed a trick in midweek when they failed to beat a Millwall side reduced to 10 men. They won't find it any easier against Sheffield Wednesday, who are better on their travels than at Hillsborough. Wednesday have lost only twice away from home. Barnsley and Port Vale are coming off the back of poor results in League One last weekend and deadlock is the likeliest outcome. Walsall may have reached the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final but their home form has held them back this season. Gillingham, without a manager after Peter Taylor's departure, have come alive recently to climb clear of the relegation zone and look good for at least a point on Sunday. The home form of League Two promotion challengers Burton is formidable but Bury have rediscovered their mojo with two consecutive victories and can come away with a point. Two successive heavy away defeats have hit Newport's promotion hopes, so they will want to stop the rot against second-placed Shrewsbury, who are vulnerable away.
Away days: Injuries are damaging Hull's chances of avoiding relegation from the Premier League and this is a good opportunity for Newcastle to take advantage of their plight. Brighton are responding to new manager Chris Hughton as they move nearer safety in the Championship and are firm favourites to gain maximum points at bottom team Blackpool, who conceded seven goals in the second half at Watford last Saturday. Only goal difference prevents Derby from topping the Championship. Bolstered by the arrival of Darren Bent, I fancy them to prevail at Cardiff, who meekly went out of the FA Cup last weekend. Preston, fourth in League One, have stumbled recently but they should have more than enough to triumph at bottom-of-the-table Crawley. Lowly Mansfield were unlucky not to defeat League Two leaders Wycombe last Saturday. A repeat of that display will probably see them beat Carlisle, who have dropped into the relegation zone. Another team worth a punt are AFC Wimbledon. They visit Morecambe, who are two places above them but are unconvincing at home.
Homes sweet homes: Birmingham are one of the most improved sides in the Football League. From being relegation candidates, they have risen to 11th in the Championship and they can confirm their improvement by beating Norwich, who are seven points better off. League One Oldham appear to be over their dodgy spell and I'm backing them to defeat Notts County, who don't appear to be over theirs. Hartlepool manager Ronnie Moore said their performance in a 1-1 draw at Tranmere last Saturday was the best in his short time at the club. Hartlepool, who are propping up League Two, entertain Plymouth, who seem to be going backwards and this match gets my vote as the coupon buster of the weekend.
Pools info: Bournemouth v Watford (No 14 on the coupon) and Partick v St Mirren (48) are being played on Friday and are therefore void.
Ten draws: Northampton v Newport, Oxford v Exeter, Kilmarnock v Partick, Queen of the South v Hibernian, Airdrieonians v Stranraer, Stenhousemuir v Ayr, Annan v Berwick, Montrose v Albion, Valencia v Sevilla, Inter Milan v Torino.
Best draws: Northampton v Newport, Kilmarnock v Partick, Queen of South v Hibernian, Annan v Berwick, Montrose v Albion.
Best weekend away bets: Bournemouth, Leyton Orient, Peterborough, Wycombe, Burton, Arbroath.
Best weekend home bets: Birmingham, Blackburn, Liverpool, Watford, Wolves, Fleetwood, Gillingham, Bury, Tranmere, Dumbarton.
Pick of the draws: Newport's 4-0 defeat at Cambridge last Saturday was out of character for the League Two promotion challengers and normal service should be resumed for their visit to mid-table Northampton. Kilmarnock have not drawn at home in the Scottish Premiership this season but there's a good chance they will break their duck against Partick. Neither team looks convincing. Queen of the South (4th) and Hibernian (3rd) are two in-form sides in the Scottish Championship and, as the table suggests, there is little between them. In Scottish League Two I'm taking Berwick to stay above Annan by forcing a stalemate and Montrose, who gained a creditable point at Berwick last weekend, to deny higher-placed Albion victory.
Away days: Championship leaders Bournemouth came unstuck at Leeds in midweek but they are worthy promotion contenders and well worth a punt to knock Aston Villa out of the FA Cup on Sunday. Villa's lack of goals (only 11 in the Premier League this season) is embarrassing, whereas Bournemouth are prolific scorers (57 in the Championship so far). It will be surprising if Leyton Orient fail to avoid relegation from League One and their match at vulnerable Colchester on Saturday gives them a great opportunity to climb nearer safety. Peterborough's decline into mid-table has been startling but they can recover some lost ground at Notts County, who are unreliable at home. It is hard to find fault with either Wycombe or Burton, who are respectively first and second in League Two. Wycombe's claims cannot be ignored at struggling Mansfield and Burton must be backed at York, who have won only once at home. Arbroath, who lead Scottish League Two, lost at Queen's Park last Saturday but should return to winning ways at Clyde.
Homes sweet homes: West Bromwich Albion are expected to improve under new manager Tony Pulis but they may not survive a trip to fierce rivals Birmingham in this weekend's FA Cup fourth round. Birmingham's improvement under Gary Rowett has been one of the noteworthy aspects of the season and the Championship team will be eager to claim another scalp. Another Premier League side under threat are Swansea, who have to travel to Blackburn. Swansea's confidence was badly dented by that 5-0 home thrashing handed out by Chelsea and they may be feeling worse at the final whistle on Saturday. Three goals in the final 10 minutes gave Gillingham a priceless home win over Coventry last weekend and moved them out of the League One relegation zone. I believe they'll gain another three points at the expense of inconsistent Oldham. Tranmere (22nd) are only two places higher than Hartlepool (24th) but have nine more points. Expect that margin to increase on Saturday evening.
Pools info: Cambridge v Dagenham & Redbridge (No 3 on coupon), Getafe v Celta Vigo (40) and Empoli v Udinese (45) will be decided by the pools panel. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (17) is being played on Friday and is therefore void. There were only five score draws on the coupon last weekend; I forecast three of them - the games at Leeds, Bury and Portsmouth.
Betting info: I scored four out of six with my away selections last week. The winning teams were Liverpool, Bournemouth, Bristol City and Luton.
