Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 18-19

Ten draws: Newcastle v Tottenham, Stoke v Southampton, Charlton v Leeds, Colchester v Scunthorpe, Gillingham v Rochdale, Accrington v Stevenage, Morecambe v Burton, Portsmouth v Bury, Aldershot v Chester FC, Dover v Bristol Rovers.

Best draws: Newcastle v Tottenham, Stoke v Southampton, Gillingham v Rochdale, Portsmouth v Bury, Aldershot v Chester.

Best weekend away bets: Fulham, Derby, Chesterfield, Southend, East Fife, Woking.

Best weekend home bets: Crystal Palace, Leicester, Manchester City, Brentford, Watford, Doncaster, MK Dons, Swindon, Tranmere, Wrexham.


Pick of the draws: If Newcastle thought they were safe from relegation they could be in for a nasty shock. But although they are in free-fall, they could obtain a point from the visit of Tottenham, who appear to be running out of steam as the season enters its final furlong. Stoke seem set to finish in the top half of the Premier League and will give Southampton something to think about. The Saints, however, give very little away these days and have the best defensive record in the division. This looks one of the best draws on the coupon. League One Gillingham are ending the season on a high but their opponents, Rochdale, have won eight away matches and are capable of nicking a point. Bury are making a late charge for automatic promotion from League Two but Portsmouth at Fratton Park are usually a tricky proposition, even when they are without a manager, and I'm expecting a stalemate. In the Conference, Aldershot's indifferent home form will encourage Chester to come away with something.

Away days: Fulham should banish any lingering relegation fears with victory at rock bottom Blackpool, who will be playing League One football next season. Promotion-seeking Derby look as if they have stopped their alarming slide in the nick of time and I fancy them to gain three Championship points at Huddersfield. League One Chesterfield are bang in form. They scored six without reply against Colchester in midweek and I believe they will follow that up by beating Oldham. High-riding Southend have won their last four games in League Two and I'm taking them to make it five against Exeter, whose hopes of a play-off place are fading. East Fife beat the Scottish League Two leaders Albion last weekend. If they play as well at Annan, they ought to come away with maximum points. Woking will probably have to win both their remaining games to reach the Conference play-offs. They will surely have too much for Nuneaton, who are already doomed to relegation.

Homes sweet homes: Leicester, with two consecutive Premier League wins behind them, can at last see an escape route from relegation and they will fancy their chances of a third victory in a row when they host Swansea. Doncaster, of League One, are one of the least predictable teams in the top four divisions but on their day they are a match for anybody. Although their home record may discourage you, they are well worth a punt against Fleetwood, whose play-off hopes have almost disappeared. These are desperate times for Tranmere, who are bottom of League Two and worryingly out of form. However, they can do themselves a power of good by defeating mediocre Oxford. 

Pools info: Norwich v Middlesbrough (match No 12 on coupon) is being played on Friday and is therefore void. Five of my forecast 10 draws were correct last weekend - the matches at West Ham, Derby, Barnsley, Doncaster and Cambridge.

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

Ten draws: West Brom v Leicester, West Ham v Stoke, Bolton v Norwich, Derby v Brentford, Barnsley v Chesterfield, Doncaster v Rochdale, Scunthorpe v Crawley, Cambridge v Accrington, Kilmarnock v Aberdeen, Partick v Motherwell.

Best draws: West Ham v Stoke, Bolton v Norwich, Barnsley v Chesterfield, Scunthorpe v Crawley, Kilmarnock v Aberdeen.

Best weekend away bets: Arsenal, Wolves, Watford, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Fleetwood.

Best weekend home bets: Liverpool, Southampton, Swansea, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Gillingham, Preston, Luton, Plymouth, Wycombe.

Pick of the draws: West Ham's season is finishing with a whimper and even with home advantage they will struggle to beat Stoke, who gave Premier League champions-elect Chelsea a really hard game at Stamford Bridge last Saturday. Norwich are gunning for automatic promotion to the Premier League but their progress may be checked by Bolton, who have done much better since Neil Lennon was appointed manager. A 3-0 away victory over Cardiff on Easter Monday shows what they are capable of. Four wins in a row have moved Chesterfield into the League One play-off places but they may have to settle for a point at Barnsley, who have exceeded expectations this season. Crawley are showing the spirit needed to avoid relegation and a point at Scunthorpe, who are also in danger, will do their cause no harm. Aberdeen dropped a couple of crucial points at home to Partick in the Scottish Premiership last weekend. Their pursuit of leaders Celtic looks forlorn and I won't be surprised if they slip up at Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Away days: It would take a brave man to bet against Arsenal right now. The Gunners boast 10 wins from their last 11 Premier League matches and must be fancied at Burnley, whose struggle to avoid relegation will probably go down to the last weekend of the season. Wolves are another team on a roll. They won both their Easter games to move into the Championship play-off places and they should have too much for mid-table Birmingham. Free-scoring Watford look a sound bet at Millwall, who are seven points from safety with only six matches remaining. There's a relegation "six-pointer" at Gresty Road where Leyton Orient visit Crewe in League One. The Londoners ought to be backed against a team who can't buy a goal at the moment. MK Dons have kept their automatic promotion hopes alive with victories over Swindon (3-0 away) and Scunthorpe (2-0 at home) and they are a confident selection at Port Vale, who have lost six in a row. Fleetwood have come into the promotion reckoning and are worth a punt at Walsall, who seem to have lost momentum after their defeat by Bristol City in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final at Wembley.

Homes sweet homes: Gillingham, who can beat the best on their day, are worth supporting against cup specialists Bradford City, whose chances of promotion to the Championship are receding. There's a top-of-the-table League One clash at Deepdale where second-placed Preston host runaway leaders Bristol City. I've a hunch that ground advantage will count in this one and I'm taking Preston to cut City's lead at the top. Luton ended a barren run in League Two by beating Tranmere away on Easter Monday. That result has revived their promotion hopes and I believe they will defeat leaders Burton on Saturday. 

Pools Info: Liverpool v Newcastle (match No 2 on coupon) is on Monday and will be adjudged by the pools panel. Brighton v Bournemouth (13) is being played on Friday and is therefore void. Three of my five best draw selections were correct last weekend - Reading v Cardiff, Hamilton v St Johnstone and Arbroath v Annan. Five of my 10 draws were also correct.

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

Ten draws: Everton v Southampton, Reading v Cardiff, Barnsley v Sheffield United, Hamilton v St Johnstone, Kilmarnock v Motherwell, Falkirk v Raith, Peterhead v Dunfermline, Arbroath v Annan, Elgin v East Stirling, Wrexham v Alfreton.

Best draws: Reading v Cardiff, Barnsley v Sheffield United, Hamilton v St Johnstone, Falkirk v Raith, Arbroath v Annan.

Best weekend away bets: Newcastle, Brentford, Chesterfield, Dumbarton, Forfar, East Fife.

Best weekend home bets: Leicester, Swansea, Bolton, Derby, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Port Vale, Aberdeen, Morton, Stranraer.


Pick of the draws: Cardiff have already drawn eight of their away matches in the Championship and I can see them making it nine at Reading, who, apart from their run to the FA Cup semi-finals, have underachieved this season. Barnsley's League One transformation from relegation possibles to play-off probables has been remarkable but their opponents on Saturday, Sheffield United, are formidable when they play their "A" game and can come away with a point. Hamilton, of the Scottish Premiership, are in steady decline and will struggle to overcome St Johnstone. Although Falkirk have climbed to fourth in the Scottish Championship, they are not guaranteed victory over Raith, who have perked up recently and beat second-placed Hibernian last Saturday. Two out-of-form sides, Arbroath and Annan, meet in Scottish League Two on Saturday and I wouldn't like to pick a winner.

Away days: If Newcastle play as well at Sunderland as they did in the second half of their recent Premier League home game against Arsenal, they will be rewarded with three points. Sunderland's home form (just two wins all season) has been wretched and they will have to improve significantly if they are to avoid relegation. Brentford's promotion challenge in the Championship owes much to a terrific away record. They have won nine games on their travels and I believe nine will become 10 after they've played Fulham, who have suffered eight defeats on their own ground. Chesterfield have jumped into the League One play-off positions after 1-0 wins over Walsall and Bradford City. They will surely prevail at bottom club Yeovil, where hopes of avoiding relegation are fading fast. Dumbarton, in the Scottish Championship, are a good bet to triumph at lowly Cowdenbeath while Forfar, third in Scottish League One, will fancy their chances at second-from-bottom Stenhousemuir. East Fife, fourth in Scottish League Two, are worth a punt at Clyde, who are especially weak at home.

Homes sweet homes: Leicester's situation at the foot of the Premier League looks almost hopeless but they are not going down without a fight and I fancy them to upset West Ham on Saturday. Leicester are also due a bit of luck, having been short of it in their 4-3 defeat at Tottenham last weekend. Bear in mind, too, that West Ham have tailed off badly in the second half of the season. Derby's hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League have been dealt a heavy blow recently but I'm taking Steve McLaren's players to bounce back with victory over second-placed Watford. Another Championship team, Leeds, look as though they are enjoying their football again, so don't be surprised if they leapfrog Saturday's opponents, Blackburn, after they've played them in the afternoon. Also, Blackburn may be distracted by next week's FA Cup home quarter-final replay against Liverpool.

Pools info: Crystal Palace v Manchester City (No 4 on coupon) has been moved to Monday and will be judged by the pools panel. St Mirren v Celtic (21) and Einar v Rayo Vallecano (46) are void.

Betting info: Many of the weekend matches will be played on Good Friday rather than Saturday.

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

Ten draws: Crawley v Gillingham, MK Dons v Doncaster, Mansfield v York, Northampton v Luton, Oxford v Carlisle, Raith v Hibernian, Dunfermline v Morton, Peterhead v Stranraer, Berwick v Queen's Park, Azerbaijan v Malta.

Best draws: Crawley v Gillingham, Mansfield v York, Northampton v Luton, Raith v Hibernian, Berwick v Queen's Park.

Best weekend away bets: Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon, Falkirk, Brechin, Grimsby, Iceland.

Best weekend home bets: Chesterfield, Leyton Orient, Peterborough, Rochdale, Hartlepool, Forfar, Albion, East Fife, East Stirling, Israel.


Pick of the draws: Excellent recent results have moved Crawley out of the League One relegation zone. On Saturday they host Gillingham, who have also shown considerable improvement since Christmas and this looks like one of the best three-pointers on the coupon. York, battling against relegation from League Two, have drawn more often (17) than any other team from the top four divisions. I believe they will add to that tally at Mansfield, who are not completely free from relegation worries themselves. Luton's hopes of automatic promotion have almost disappeared and it's mostly down to a barren run away from home. However, they can partially make amends at Northampton, who allowed 10-man Bury to beat them last weekend. Hibernian are well placed to claim the runners-up spot in the Scottish Championship but they could stumble at Raith, who have won two consecutive home games, including a 3-0 midweek defeat of Queen of the South. Queen's Park's hopes of automatic promotion from Scottish League Two are fading and I can't see them getting much joy from their visit to Berwick.

Away days:  Wycombe's midweek victory at Luton was their 11th on the road in League Two this season and boosted their chances of automatic promotion. They will probably make it 12 at Dagenham & Redbridge, who are especially vulnerable at home. Struggling Tranmere have lost form at just the wrong time and I'll be surprised if visitors Wimbledon show them any mercy. Falkirk should have too much for Dumbarton in the Scottish Championship and I'm taking Brechin to prevail at second-from-bottom Ayr in Scottish League One. Grimsby are making a late charge for the Conference title and are strongly fancied to triumph at lowly Welling. This weekend sees the return of the European Championship qualifiers and improving Iceland are worth supporting at Kazakhstan.

Homes sweet homes: Leyton Orient's home form in League One has let them down this season, so Saturday's fixture against Port Vale looks a must-win if they hope to avoid relegation. I think they will rise to the occasion against a team who have little to play for except pride. Hartlepool seemed doomed a few weeks ago but League Two's bottom club have staged a remarkable comeback, winning their past three games. They are now only two points from safety. I've a hunch their situation will improve further after they've hosted Cambridge on Saturday. East Stirling have perked up in Scottish League Two and are well worth a wager against better-placed Arbroath, who have completely gone off the boil. 


Pools info: Colchester v Swindon (No 4 on coupon) will be decided by the pools panel.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 21-22

Ten draws: Liverpool v Manchester United, Stoke v Crystal Palace, Cardiff v Birmingham, Charlton v Reading, Peterborough v Chesterfield, AFC Wimbledon v Portsmouth, Accrington v York, Plymouth v Newport, Partick v Inverness, Ross v Kilmarnock.

Best draws: Liverpool v Manchester United, Charlton v Reading, Peterborough v Chesterfield, Plymouth v Newport, Ross v Kilmarnock.

Best weekend away bets: Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Leeds, Preston, Aberdeen.

Best weekend home bets: Aston Villa, Tottenham, Brentford, Coventry, MK Dons, Rochdale, Bury, Carlisle, Shrewsbury, Hibernian.


Pick of the draws: A few weeks ago I would have tipped Liverpool to beat Manchester United but United upped their game when defeating Tottenham 3-0 in the Premier League at Old Trafford last Sunday and a repeat of that performance should be enough to get them a draw at Anfield. Liverpool, by all accounts, were lucky to win at Swansea last Monday. Now that Reading have reached the FA Cup semi-finals, they can fully concentrate on the Championship for the next few weeks. They made short work of Bradford City last Monday and, at their best, are easily capable of coming away from Charlton with a point. Peterborough and Chesterfield, who meet on Saturday, are fiercely contesting League One play-off positions. Chesterfield roared back into the race with a convincing 3-0 victory over Gillingham in midweek and I'm backing them to deny Peterborough. In League Two, Newport appear to have recovered from their indifferent spell and I believe they will share the spoils at Plymouth.  Ross are showing the most improved form of the teams threatened by relegation from the Scottish Premiership. They have not drawn at home in the league this season but I've a hunch they will salvage something from their match against Kilmarnock.

Away days: Manchester City's recent lapses have left the way clear for Chelsea to claim the Premier League title. Although Chelsea are looking less assured these days, they should have more than enough to see off Hull. Arsenal must recover quickly from their gallant Champions League exit against Monaco and I think they will do so at Newcastle, who have little to play for except pride. Everton are anxious to improve on their unexpectedly low placing and they have a great opportunity to do just that at Queens Park Rangers, who seem resigned to relegation. Leeds, mid-table in the Championship, are surely a banker at rock-bottom Blackpool, who are already preparing for life in League One next season. High-riding Preston are on a charge into the Championship, scoring loads of goals and conceding very few. They are well worth a punt at sixth-placed Barnsley. Aberdeen are Celtic's only challengers for the Scottish Premiership title and I'm tipping them to maintain the pressure by winning at Dundee.

Homes sweet homes: Aston Villa's confidence has soared since Tim Sherwood took over as manager and they will believe they can defeat Swansea. Reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and thrashing Sunderland 4-0 away in the Premier League last Saturday have transformed the mood in the club. Coventry are bubbling again after two consecutive away victories over Chesterfield and Fleetwood. I reckon they will climb further clear of the League One relegation zone by beating Doncaster. Carlisle are battling to avoid the drop from League Two but their 2-0 midweek win at Northampton should have done wonders for their morale and I'm tipping them to prevail over Morecambe.

Pools Info: Wolves v Derby (No 22 on coupon) and Motherwell v Hamilton (45) are being played on Friday and are therefore void. Luton v Wycombe (37) is being played next Tuesday and will be judged by the pools panel.

Three of my five best draw selections were correct last weekend: Leeds v Nottingham Forest, Cambridge v Stevenage and Oxford v Plymouth.