Pools tips and best bets for weekend of May 8-9

Ten draws: Aston Villa v Manchester United, Wolves v Brighton, Coventry v Millwall, Nottingham Forest v Preston, Queens Park Rangers v Luton, Watford v Swansea, Doncaster v Peterborough, Ipswich v Fleetwood, Crawley v Bolton, Halifax v Boreham Wood.

Best draws: Wolves v Brighton, Nottingham Forest v Preston, Watford v Swansea, Ipswich v Fleetwood, Crawley v Bolton.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Tottenham, Brentford, Forest Green, Newport, Eastleigh, Solihull.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Liverpool, West Ham, Derby, Middlesbrough, Reading, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Exeter, Morecambe, Tranmere.

Pick of the draws: Brighton virtually ensured their Premier League safety with a merited 2-0 home win over Leeds last Saturday and they seem on course for at least a point against Wolves, whose previous home match ended in a 4-0 defeat by Burnley. Preston, mid-table in the Championship, raised their game when they beat Barnsley 2-0 at home last weekend. If they play half as well on Saturday they will surely avoid defeat at Nottingham Forest, who are ending the season tamely. As Watford have already been promoted to the top flight, they may be distracted against Swansea, who will contest the Championship play-offs. Ipswich's lack of goal threat in League One keeps them vulnerable and gives Fleetwood a good chance of sharing the spoils. A win on Saturday will clinch Bolton's promotion to League One but they may be denied by Crawley, who appear to have arrested their slide.

Away days: Tottenham, with an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League and 4-0 home winners over Sheffield United last Sunday, have more to play for than their hosts, Leeds, who are becalmed in mid-table. Brentford, third in the Championship, will probably relish a trip to Bristol City, who are badly out of sorts. Forest Green have moved back into the League Two play-off positions and are tipped to stay there after their match at Oldham, who are poor at home. Newport are also in the play-off mix and are strongly fancied at relegated Southend. In the National League, Eastleigh are recommended at off-form Altrincham and Solihull will start firm favourites at lowly King's Lynn. 

Homes sweet homes: West Ham, still in pursuit of a Champions League place, deserved their 2-1 victory at Burnley on Monday and will fancy themselves against Everton, even though the Merseysiders are playing better away from home. Three points will keep Derby up in their final Championship fixture of the season on Saturday and I believe they'll get them against Sheffield Wednesday, for whom anything less than a win will send them down. Reading's promotion challenge has petered out but they will be eager to end the season on a positive note and will approach their game against struggling Huddersfield with confidence.

Pools info: I scored five draws out of ten last weekend and three of my five best draws were correct. The three were: Luton 1 Middlesbrough 1, Accrington 1 Charlton 1 and Peterborough 3 Lincoln 3.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of May 1-2

Ten draws: Brighton v Leeds, Manchester United v Liverpool, Huddersfield v Coventry, Luton v Middlesbrough, Preston v Barnsley, Stoke v Queens Park Rangers, Accrington v Charlton, Fleetwood v MK Dons, Peterborough v Lincoln, Rangers v Celtic.

Best draws: Brighton v Leeds, Luton v Middlesbrough, Preston v Barnsley, Accrington v Charlton, Peterborough v Lincoln.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Manchester City, Blackburn, Bournemouth, Crewe, Ipswich, Salford.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Chelsea, Tottenham, Birmingham, Norwich, Hull, Barrow, Bradford City, Stevenage, Dundee United, St Mirren.

Pick of the draws: Brighton's main problem in the Premier League this season has been a lack of firepower. If they can rectify that on their home ground on Saturday, they should get something from the visit of Leeds, who often follow a good display with an indifferent one. Middlesbrough are in better heart after Championship victories over Rotherham (2-1, away) and Sheffield Wednesday (3-1, home). Luton, their hosts, fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Bristol City last Sunday and are also in good spirits. Now that Barnsley have qualified for the Championship play-offs they may be tempted to take their foot off the gas, which will benefit Preston. Accrington are the League One party-poopers, having held promotion-seeking Sunderland and Portsmouth to 3-3 draws in the past week. They are well equipped to deny Charlton, who are also challenging for the play-offs. Peterborough need a point to be certain of automatic promotion and I think they'll get it against Lincoln, who are third.

Away days: Manchester City's League Cup final win over Tottenham last Sunday was more convincing than the 1-0 score indicated and I can't see Crystal Palace causing the prospective Premier League champions too many problems. Blackburn hit Huddersfield for five in their Championship fixture last weekend and another win on Saturday could send Rotherham down. Bournemouth's seven-match winning league run was ended by Brentford last Saturday but I expect them to beat bottom club Wycombe with something to spare. Crewe thoroughly deserved their League One point at Charlton in midweek and will probably find relegated Bristol Rovers more accommodating opponents. Although Ipswich haven't scored for six games, they will surely end that sequence at Swindon, whose relegation has been confirmed. Three consecutive wins have revived Salford's hopes of promotion from League Two and I'm tipping them for a fourth straight success when they visit struggling Colchester.

Homes sweet homes: Manager Lee Bowyer has done a remarkable job in improving Birmingham's fortunes. The fear of relegation from the Championship is now a distant memory and they are worth a punt against the higher-placed Cardiff. Barrow's League Two status is safe after their unexpected 2-0 victory at Forest Green in midweek and another win on Saturday will condemn Southend, their opponents, to the drop. Stevenage's shock 1-0 success at second-placed Cambridge last weekend was the talk of the lower leagues and I believe they'll also see off Crawley.

Pools info (1): Burnley v West Ham (No.2 on coupon) and West Brom v Wolves (10) will be assessed by the pools panel. Southampton v Leicester (8) is void.

Pools info (2): Four of my five best draws were correct last weekend: Nottingham Forest 1 Stoke 1; Ipswich 0 Wimbledon 0; Wigan 1 Burton 1 and Crawley 0 Forest Green 0.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 24-25

 Ten draws: West Ham v Chelsea, Blackburn v Huddersfield, Nottingham Forest v Stoke, Reading v Swansea, Ipswich v Wimbledon, Wigan v Burton, Crawley v Forest Green, Morecambe v Bolton, Salford v Mansfield, Dundee v Raith.

Best draws: West Ham v Chelsea, Nottingham Forest v Stoke, Ipswich v Wimbledon, Wigan v Burton, Crawley v Forest Green.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: West Brom, Brighton, Luton, Leyton Orient, Queen of the South, Stockport.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Leeds, Barnsley, Cardiff, Watford, Charlton, Gillingham, Oldham, Port Vale, Aldershot, Hartlepool.

Pick of the draws: Chelsea dropped precious Premier League points in a home goalless draw against Brighton in midweek and they won't find it easy to make up lost ground at West Ham, who are enjoying their best season in years and contesting a place in next season's Champions League. The goals have dried up for Nottingham Forest in their past three Championship games but they face a Stoke side who are also goal-shy and I'm expecting a dour stalemate. With 14 goals in their past four outings, Wimbledon are pulling clear of the League One drop zone and have no reason to fear Ipswich, who are stuck in mid-table and have gone five matches without scoring. Wins over Crewe (2-0, home) and Shrewsbury (2-1, away) see Wigan also moving away from danger but Burton, their visitors, should not be underestimated. Forest Green, sixth in League Two, may not get the victory they need at Crawley, who beat promotion favourites Cheltenham 1-0 at home last Friday.

Away days: If relegation-threatened West Brom show some of the form that defeated Chelsea 5-2 away and Southampton 3-0 at home in their past two Premier League fixtures they have a good chance of maximum points at Aston Villa. West Brom have already won at Wolves this season and are worth a punt here. Brighton are edging closer to safety and will be disappointed with anything less than victory at Sheffield United, whose relegation has been confirmed. Luton gained a morale-boosting Championship win over fierce rivals Watford last weekend and are fancied to come away from Bristol City with three points. Leyton Orient are still in League Two play-off contention and are warmly recommended at Southend, who look doomed. In the Scottish Championship, Queen of the South are worth backing at struggling Ayr and National League promotion contenders Stockport should prevail at Boreham Wood.

Homes sweet homes: At first glance Leeds v Manchester United seems to favour the high-flying visitors, who won the corresponding fixture 6-2 at Old Trafford, but Leeds triumphed 2-1 at Manchester City while down to 10 men and held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Monday. I'm taking them to cause an upset. Charlton, having demolished Plymouth 6-0 away in midweek, will be in the mood to play Peterborough, who are second in League One. That crushing victory enabled Charlton to climb into the play-off places and I'm tipping them to win again. Port Vale, steadily climbing League Two, should continue their rise with maximum points against Bradford City.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 17-18

Ten draws: Luton v Watford, Norwich v Bournemouth, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Blackpool v Sunderland, Bristol Rovers v Lincoln, Rochdale v Accrington, Shrewsbury v Doncaster, Carlisle v Port Vale, Leyton Orient v Barrow, Cove v Falkirk.

Best draws: Luton v Watford, Norwich v Bournemouth, Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City, Rochdale v Accrington, Carlisle v Port Vale.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Barnsley, Portsmouth, Walsall, Bolton, Raith, Hartlepool.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Arsenal, Manchester United, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Swansea, Burton, Charlton, Exeter, Forest Green, Morecambe.

Pick of the draws: Although Watford are strong favourites for an instant return to the Premier League, they make the short trip to Luton, their fierce rivals from just up the M1. Luton aren't having a bad season themselves and I've a hunch they'll rise to the occasion and deny Watford victory. If there's one team who can halt Norwich's charge to the Championship title it's Bournemouth, who have won their past four league matches to move into the play-off positions and can snatch a point. Consecutive defeats to Queens Park Rangers (4-1, away) and Swansea (2-0, home) have virtually doomed Sheffield Wednesday to League One football next season. They come up against another side on the slide in Bristol City and a Hillsborough stalemate is the likeliest outcome. It's hard to know what to make of Accrington. Recent results include a fine 2-1 win at Oxford and thrashings by Peterborough (7-0, away) and Wimbledon (5-1, home). You can't rely on them to beat bottom club Rochdale, who are fighting for their League One lives. Port Vale continue to climb the League Two table and won't fear a trip to Carlisle. 

Away days: Barnsley have scarcely put a foot wrong in the Championship since going out of the FA Cup to Chelsea and should strengthen their promotion challenge by defeating ailing Coventry on Sunday. I believe high-riding Portsmouth will recover from their recent blip in League One and beat the inconsistent MK Dons. Successive wins by Walsall have banished any thoughts of relegation from League Two and I'm tipping them for a hat-trick of victories when they travel to Colchester. Bolton, who are third and bang in form, look a banker at seemingly doomed Grimsby. Raith, second in the Scottish Championship, will surely prevail at bottom club Alloa while National League leaders Hartlepool will start firm favourites at Wealdstone.

Homes sweet homes: Burton continued their remarkable rise in League One by winning 3-0 at Doncaster in midweek. It wouldn't surprise me if they handed out similar treatment to Plymouth. Charlton's 2-1 triumph at Sunderland last Saturday has put them right back in the promotion hunt and they are in the mood for three more points against Ipswich on Saturday. Morecambe deserve to be contesting automatic promotion from League Two and are expected to see off Oldham.

Weekend info: Blackburn v Derby (No.6 on coupon), Peterborough v Northampton (25) and Crawley v Cheltenham (31) are being played on Friday and are therefore void.

On the ball: Three of my five best draws were correct last Saturday and I had five out of six away wins.

 

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of April 10-11

Ten draws: Burnley v Newcastle, West Ham v Leicester, Preston v Brentford, Crewe v Oxford, Gillingham v Shrewsbury, Lincoln v Blackpool, Northampton v Bristol Rovers, Barrow v Carlisle, Port Vale v Morecambe, St Johnstone v Aberdeen.

Best draws: Burnley v Newcastle, West Ham v Leicester, Lincoln v Blackpool, Northampton v Bristol Rovers, Barrow v Carlisle.

Weekend's best bets: Six aways: Chelsea, Arsenal, Norwich, Hull, Peterborough, Tranmere.

Weekend's best bets: Ten homes: Liverpool, Manchester City, Bournemouth, Wycombe, Accrington, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bolton, Southend, Dundee.

Pick of the draws: Newcastle's battling 2-2 home draw against Tottenham last Sunday will have boosted their confidence as they try to avoid relegation from the Premier League. They can bring a point back from Burnley, who on the same day lost 3-2 at Southampton after leading 2-0. West Ham's fourth place in the table is merited and makes them London's top team. The reason Leicester are above them is down to their fine away record and I can see this one ending all square. Lincoln's promotion challenge in League One has been hindered by the coronavirus but they return to action this weekend. Blackpool, their opponents, have climbed into the play-off positions after convincing home wins over Peterborough (3-1) and Gillingham (4-1) and I think they'll gain a point here. There's a relegation clash between Northampton and Bristol Rovers in the same division, which will probably end in stalemate. Barrow, pulling away from trouble in League Two, face Carlisle, who have arrested their slump.

Away days: Chelsea's heavy home defeat by lowly West Bromwich Albion last Saturday was one of the shocks of the Premier League season but I believe they'll recover sufficiently to get the better of Crystal Palace. Arsenal's appalling display when losing 3-0 at home to Liverpool last Saturday is still fresh in the memory. They have an excellent chance to make amends against doomed Sheffield United on Sunday. If other results go their way, runaway Championship leaders Norwich can clinch promotion to the top flight on Saturday. Having thrashed Huddersfield 7-0 at home in midweek, the Canaries will fancy their chances at Derby. League One leaders Hull will go one step nearer promotion with victory at Plymouth while second-placed Peterborough will expect to return from struggling Swindon with three points. Tranmere, third in League Two and seeking to make a quick return to League One, will travel to Scunthorpe with confidence.

Homes sweet homes: Consecutive victories over Blackburn (1-0, home) and Rotherham (3-0, away) suggest that bottom club Wycombe have not given up hope of staying in the Championship. They are well worth a punt against Luton, who have nothing to play for except pride. Sunderland, stronger since Lee Johnson became manager, now have automatic promotion from League One in their sights and should have too much for Charlton. Southend, second from last in League Two, have raised their game lately and they are worth backing against Crawley, who are out of sorts.

Pools info: Hearts v Alloa (No.47 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.