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

Ten draws: Bradford City v Gillingham, MK Dons v Blackpool, Southend v Rotherham, Exeter v Swindon, Dagenham & Redbridge v Fylde, Halifax v Solihull, Queen of South v Livingston, Airdrieonians v Raith, Forfar v East Fife, Berwick v Edinburgh.

Best draws: MK Dons v Blackpool, Southend v Rotherham, Exeter v Swindon, Halifax v Solihull, Airdrieonians v Raith.

Best weekend away bets: Wigan, Notts County, Mansfield, Lincoln, Dover, Alloa.

Best weekend home bets: Portsmouth, Shrewsbury, Coventry, Luton, Stevenage, Aldershot, Torquay, Wrexham, Ayr, Peterhead.


Pick of the draws: Consecutive home wins over Rotherham (3-2) and Bury (2-1) have raised hopes that MK Dons will avoid relegation from League One. However, I think mid-table Blackpool will prevent a hat-trick of home victories as their away form, which is reasonable, includes a recent 2-0 triumph at Portsmouth. Southend's surge up the table has been halted and they'll be hard-pushed to beat Rotherham, whose promotion claims were strengthened by a 3-0 win at Northampton last Saturday. Although Exeter climbed back into the League Two play-off positions by virtue of a 1-0 midweek away victory against Port Vale, Swindon, their opponents on Saturday, should be a match for them, having won 11 times on the road this season. Solihull's results in the National League have improved markedly since the new year. They now have a fighting chance of avoiding relegation and I'm taking them to deny Halifax victory. Raith may be second in Scottish League One but their away record is nothing special and I believe seventh-placed Airdrieonians will hold them.

Away days: Now they are out of the FA Cup, Wigan can concentrate solely on the league. Lying third in League One, their trip to bottom club Bury shouldn't give them any problems unless complacency sets in. Notts County, in contention for promotion from League Two, will be disappointed at anything less than a maximum haul at Chesterfield, who, although they have two matches in hand, are six points from safety. Mansfield's equaliser in the ninth minute of added time at Notts County last weekend will lift their confidence and their hosts, Forest Green, on Saturday could be the team to suffer. Lincoln, who are striving for successive promotions, look probable winners at lowly Morecambe while Dover, 2-0 home victors over National League leaders Macclesfield last Saturday, are strongly recommended at Barrow. In Scottish League One, Alloa are worth a punt at Albion, who have lost nine home games this season.

Homes sweet homes: Stevenage, under new manager Dino Maamria, are worth a wager against the better-placed Colchester in League Two. Numerous home draws have hindered Stevenage's progress this season but they can go one better here. Boreham Wood have exceeded expectations with their third place in the National League but despite losing only twice away, they could fall at Aldershot, who are also in the running for promotion. There's a bottom-of-the-table clash between Torquay and Guiseley and I'm backing Torquay, the former Football League club, to make the most of ground advantage.


Pools info: The following games will be assessed by the pools panel: Doncaster v Blackburn (No 4 on coupon), Oldham v Walsall (7), Accrington v Yeovil (13), Hartlepool v Bromley (29), Macclesfield v Gateshead (31), Inverness v Falkirk (36) and St Mirren v Dumbarton (39).

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

Ten draws: Stoke v Everton, Birmingham v Hull, Bolton v Aston Villa, Northampton v Rotherham, Oldham v Portsmouth, Plymouth v Bristol Rovers, Scunthorpe v Shrewsbury, Barnet v Wycombe, Cambridge v Swindon, Ross v Hamilton.

Best draws: Stoke v Everton, Birmingham v Hull, Northampton v Rotherham, Scunthorpe v Shrewsbury, Cambridge v Swindon.

Best weekend away bets: Southampton, Crystal Palace, Preston, Peterborough, Luton, St Mirren.

Best weekend home bets: Leicester, Liverpool, Barnsley, Bristol City, Leeds, Wolves, Charlton, Accrington, Cheltenham, Port Vale.


Pick of the draws: I know Everton's away record is dreadful but they should be able to stop the rot at Stoke, who are second from bottom in the Premier League and have little going for them. Hull have had an excellent week in the Championship, beating Norwich and Ipswich and scoring seven goals in the process. They travel to Birmingham, who are deep in relegation trouble but may be lifted by the managerial appointment of Garry Monk. League One high-flyers Rotherham have just suffered consecutive losses to teams in the drop zone. On Saturday they play another relegation-fearing side, Northampton, but I believe they'll avoid a hat-trick of defeats. Scunthorpe have also been wobbling lately and they will have been relieved to gain a merited 3-3 draw at Wigan last weekend. I think they'll give promotion-seeking Shrewsbury a similarly thorough examination and I can see the match ending all square. Swindon, ninth in League Two, are much more accomplished away than on their own ground. They are the only team in the division to record double-figure victories on the road but Cambridge are no mugs at home and can deny them another three points.

Away days: Southampton's wretched Premier League season has led to the sacking of manager Mauricio Pellegrino, who has been replaced by Mark Hughes. As they are probably at their lowest ebb, Sunday's sixth-round FA Cup tie at League One Wigan should come as light relief. Wigan may have knocked out Manchester City in the previous round but I'm taking the Saints to forget their current plight and reach the semi-finals. Crystal Palace badly need a lift after slipping back into the Premier League relegation zone and I've a feeling they'll get it at Huddersfield, who are in peril themselves and failed to beat 10-man Swansea at home last weekend. Preston, ninth in the Championship, have lost only three times away and must be fancied to triumph at bottom club Sunderland, who are favourites to suffer two successive relegations. Wins over Charlton (4-1, home) and Bury (1-0, away) have propelled Peterborough into the League One play-off positions. They are in the mood to make it three in a row at Oxford, who are woefully out of form. League Two promotion contenders Luton, who fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Coventry in midweek, are taken to prevail at mid-table Newport while St Mirren, the Scottish Championship leaders, should be too good for Queen of South.

Homes sweet homes: I tipped Leicester to win the FA Cup at the start of the season, so I won't desert them now. They will be underdogs going into Sunday's quarter-final against Chelsea but they are capable of causing an upset. They are also facing a side that have lost their past five away games. Barnsley, who are hovering just above the Championship relegation zone, are playing better than their recent results suggest and I'm backing them to stop Millwall's winning sequence. Although League Two strugglers Port Vale are without a win in 11 matches, I believe they'll take three points from the visit of Stevenage, who are brittle away from home and have little incentive other than pride.

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

Ten draws: Bournemouth v Tottenham, Everton v Brighton, West Ham v Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday v Bolton, Peterborough v Charlton, Portsmouth v Gillingham, Crawley v Morecambe, Grimsby v Port Vale, Yeovil v Newport, Rangers v Celtic.

Best draws: Everton v Brighton, West Ham v Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday v Bolton, Portsmouth v Gillingham, Rangers v Celtic.

Best weekend away bets: Swansea, Bristol City, Leeds, Oldham, Lincoln, Aberdeen.

Best weekend home bets: West Brom, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Shrewsbury, Southend, Wigan, Coventry, Exeter, Swindon, Kilmarnock.


Pick of the draws: Brighton have climbed into the top half of the Premier League after their fully merited victory over Arsenal last Sunday and have no reason to be apprehensive about a trip to Everton, who appear to be heading in the opposite direction. A heavy defeat at Swansea last Saturday means that West Ham have been dragged back into the relegation scrap. Burnley will no doubt be obdurate opponents, especially after returning to winning ways at Turf Moor last Saturday. Sheffield Wednesday are on the slide in the Championship and cannot be confident of defeating Bolton, who are even lower than they are. Portsmouth have disappointed in League One this season and may have to raise their game to get anything from the visit of Gillingham, who are on the upgrade. Rangers v Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday is a dress rehearsal for the Scottish Cup semi-finals. Nothing will stop Celtic from becoming title winners again but Rangers, who lie second, have improved lately and I've a hunch they'll deny their bitter rivals at Ibrox.

Away days: Swansea's transformation from relegation certainties to mid-table aspirants has been remarkable and I believe they'll keep up the good work at struggling Huddersfield, who are averaging under a goal a match. Bristol City have suffered a reaction in the Championship to their heroics in the League Cup but they must be fancied at second from bottom Burton, whose home form is wretched (13 losses). Although Leeds continue to underperform, they have more going for them than their hosts, Reading, who have won only three times at home and are nervously looking over their shoulders. Oldham's 2-0 away triumph at Scunthorpe in League One was probably the upset of a severely curtailed last weekend and they will be eager to follow that up by winning at bottom club Bury, who are seemingly doomed. Lincoln, who gained a good point in a 1-1 midweek draw at Mansfield, are recommended at relegation-threatened Chesterfield while the claims of third-placed Aberdeen at lowly Partick in the Scottish Premiership are hard to ignore.

Homes sweet homes: The odds are increasingly against West Brom staying in the Premier League but although they are seven points adrift of the nearest club, I think they could surprise Leicester at the Hawthorns. Most observers felt Alan Pardew's side were unlucky to go down to Watford last weekend while Leicester have faltered recently, being held to home draws by Stoke and Bournemouth. Aston Villa are really hitting their stride in their attempts to gain automatic promotion to the top flight. Wolves, their visitors on Saturday, put an indifferent spell behind them by beating Leeds 3-0 away in midweek. Wolves may be the Championship leaders but Villa are the team with the momentum. Southend's 3-0 home defeat to Walsall in League One last Saturday was unexpected but I believe they'll recover quickly and take it out on Doncaster.



Pools info: Stoke v Manchester City (No 8 on coupon) has been moved to Monday and will be assessed by the pools panel. Hibernian v Hearts (46) is being played on Friday and is therefore void.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of March 3-4

Ten draws: Leicester v Bournemouth, Swansea v West Ham, Bolton v Preston, Wimbledon v Charlton, Bradford City v Portsmouth, Oxford v Fleetwood, Cambridge v Luton, Crawley v Wycombe, Morecambe v Colchester, Boreham Wood v Macclesfield.

Best draws: Swansea v West Ham, Bolton v Preston, Bradford City v Portsmouth, Cambridge v Luton, Crawley v Wycombe.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United (Monday), Norwich, Bristol Rovers, Notts County, Accrington, Mansfield.

Best weekend home bets: Burnley, Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Brentford, Sheffield United, Wolves, Southend, Barnet, Exeter.


Pick of the draws: Swansea's Premier League revival came to an abrupt halt when they lost 4-1 at Brighton last Saturday. Swansea's opponents, West Ham, were beaten by the same score at Anfield last weekend but Liverpool played exceptionally well and a point at the Liberty Stadium should not be beyond the Hammers. Despite lying ninth in the Championship, Preston have lost only seven games this season. They have recorded eight draws away from home and I won't be surprised if they add to that total at Bolton, who are still not safe from relegation. Bradford City and Portsmouth are two off-form sides, moving further away from the League One play-off places. With Bradford at their worst at home and Pompey nothing special on the road, I'm plumping for a stalemate. Table-topping Luton are strong favourites to gain promotion from League Two but they may be denied victory by Cambridge, whose home wins are already into double figures. Crawley's surge up League Two was surprisingly checked by lowly Forest Green last Saturday but they should recover sufficiently to share the spoils with third-placed Wycombe, who have lost their past two matches.

Away days: Manchester United, who deservedly defeated Chelsea at Old Trafford last Sunday, look an away banker at Crystal Palace, who have slipped back into trouble near the foot of the Premier League. At full strength, Palace might have a chance but they are beset by injuries and down on their luck after losing at home in the dying minutes to Tottenham. Norwich, who sit mid-table in the Championship, are better on their travels and I think they'll come away from struggling Barnsley with three points. Bristol Rovers, 12th in League One, are worth backing at Milton Keynes Dons, whose fortunes have failed to improve under a new manager and are staring relegation in the face. Notts County, League Two automatic promotion contenders, have returned to winning ways after a dodgy spell and are fancied to prevail at Cheltenham. Nobody punches above their weight more than John Coleman's Accrington, who are hunting down League Two leaders Luton. They should beat Newport, who have faded since their FA Cup replay defeat to Spurs. Although high-flying Mansfield have lost their manager Steve Evans this week, they ought to have enough to return from Stevenage with maximum points.

Homes sweet homes: Little has gone right for Burnley so far in 2018 but they can make amends against Everton, who are terrible away from home and are not responding to the management of Sam Allardyce. In many ways Brentford are the dark horses of the Championship. They can beat anybody on their day, even Cardiff, who have cut Wolves' lead at the top to six points. The Bees are worth a punt here. Another side worth a wager are Barnet, despite being bottom of League Two. They host Port Vale, who have been unable to buy a win recently and are hovering just above the drop zone.



Pools info: Crystal Palace v Manchester United (No 3 on coupon) is being played on Monday and will be assessed by the pools panel. Three of my five best draws last weekend were correct: Bournemouth v Newcastle, Bristol Rovers v Scunthorpe and Peterborough v Wimbledon.

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

Ten draws: Bournemouth v Newcastle, Birmingham v Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday v Aston Villa, Bristol Rovers v Scunthorpe, Charlton v Shrewsbury, Oldham v Southend, Peterborough v Wimbledon, Port Vale v Newport, Yeovil v Carlisle, Hamilton v Partick.

Best draws: Bournemouth v Newcastle, Bristol Rovers v Scunthorpe, Oldham v Southend, Peterborough v Wimbledon, Yeovil v Carlisle.

Best weekend away bets: Tottenham, Sheffield United (Friday), Gillingham, Swindon, Crawley, Exeter.

Best weekend home bets: Burnley, Leicester, Liverpool, Burton, Fulham, Plymouth, Rotherham, Wigan, Colchester, Lincoln.


Pick of the draws: Newcastle's unexpected 1-0 home win over Manchester United the Sunday before last has given them some breathing space in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League. A measure of confidence has also been restored and a point from their match at Bournemouth on Saturday will make their long journey to the south coast worthwhile. Bristol Rovers are the only League One side not to have drawn at home this season. I can see that sequence ending on Saturday when they entertain Scunthorpe, who have faltered recently in their attempt to gain promotion. New Southend manager Chris Powell is working wonders at the club with four wins and a draw from five games but he may have to be satisfied with a point at Oldham, who are making a spirited effort to escape the drop. Wimbledon's last-gasp home victory over Bristol Rovers at the weekend enabled them to climb out of the relegation places and should help them get something at Peterborough, who are maddeningly inconsistent. The mood at Carlisle, mid-table in League Two, is upbeat after two successive wins. They go to Yeovil, who don't give much away at home, and I believe the points will be shared.

Away days: Although Tottenham had an almighty scare at League One strugglers Rochdale in the FA Cup fifth round last Sunday, their Premier League form has been exemplary and they are favourites to beat an injury-ravaged Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday. Sheffield United are emerging from their blip in the Championship and I fancy them to prevail at lowly Hull on Friday evening. The Gillingham bandwagon keeps rolling. They held promotion-seeking Shrewsbury to an away draw in midweek and will be confident of three points against Bury, who look relegation certainties. Swindon's away record in League Two is second to none and they will surely add to it at Chesterfield, who are second from bottom. Crawley, under manager Harry Kewell, are the most improved side in the division and will rate their chances of success at Forest Green, who are fighting to stay up. Exeter scored twice in added time to win at Crewe in midweek. That should stand them in good stead at Grimsby, who are in free-fall.

Homes sweet homes: Burton gained a crucial victory at Barnsley in midweek which lifted them off the foot of the Championship. You can never write Nigel Clough's team off and they are capable of springing another surprise when they host mid-table Millwall. Table-topping Wolves are overwhelming favourites to be promoted to the Premier League but if any team can beat them it's Fulham, who host them on Saturday. Ask third-placed Aston Villa, who went down 2-0 at Craven Cottage last weekend. The transformation at Plymouth has been astonishing after their terrible start to the season and they now sit just outside the League One play-off positions. They are well worth a punt against Bradford City, who appear to have lost their mojo.


Pools info: Livingston v Dundee United (No 49 on coupon) has been brought forward to Friday and is therefore void.