The football season in the United Kingdom is now entering what Sir Alex Ferguson famously once called ‘squeaky bum time'.
In the EFL, promotion and relegation are still largely up in the air across the board which sets us up for an exciting finale in all three divisions.
However, the Premier League is set up for a rather uninspiring end to the season with the title race and relegation all boxed off with seven games to play. Still, the race for European football remains open and that's where the focus will be from here on out.
In terms of the football pools, the task remains the same as usual – pick up as many points as possible based on the scoring system below:
- Score draw: 3 points
- No-score draw (0-0): 2 points
- Home or away win: 1 point
Check out our football pools tips for this weekend below.
Our expert football pools betting tips
Arsenal vs Brentford (Premier League)
On Saturday night, it's Arsenal vs Brentford from the Emirates Stadium in a match is rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The hosts are expected to rest almost everyone ahead of their trip to the Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday while Brentford are in that position where they are too far ahead of relegation but also too far behind for a push for Europe.
Two teams who have very little to play for is a recipe for a bore draw and despite Arsenal's superiority on paper, we're going for a draw here. The Gunners have drawn three of their last five matches while Brentford have drawn two of their last five.
Wolves vs Tottenham (Premier League)
It's a similar story on Sunday when Wolves take on Tottenham at Molineux. The visitors have their full attention on their Europa League quarter-final second leg with Frankfurt which means Ange Postecoglou will ring the changes. Meanwhile, Wolves are now clear of relegation so will be playing without any jeopardy.
The two teams played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign and something similar here would not shock anyone.
Portsmouth vs Derby County (Championship)
Portsmouth vs Derby County is a huge match in the race to beat the drop in the Championship with both clubs very much at risk of going down as things stand. Currently, only three points and four spaces separate the two teams in the league table and after 41 matches, it's fair to say that this a solid indication that they are two very similar teams.
While Derby have better form, Pompey's home advantage ensures the scales stay in balance. Given what's at stake and that both teams will be playing not to lose rather than to win, a draw here feels likely.
Leeds United vs Preston (Championship)
This may seem like a rogue selection given that Leeds are currently 36 points and 14 places above Preston in the league table but nerves have clearly taken their toll on this Leeds squad and draws have become very frequent in the run-in.
The Whites have drawn three of their last four Championship matches and also two of their last three home matches. Meanwhile, Preston have also drawn three of their last five league matches, proving they aren't an easy team to overcome.
Cardiff City vs Stoke City (Championship)
Another relegation six-pointer in the Championship this weekend is Cardiff City vs Stoke City. The two teams are separated by just two places and two points in the league table and the hosts know that a win would take them above Stoke and out of the relegation zone.
On the flip side, a defeat would see them drift five points behind the Potters and with four games to play that is a huge gap. As a result, this should be an extremely cagey affair which is in keeping with both teams' recent form. Cardiff City have drawn their last three matches while Stoke City have drawn their last two.
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters. He's also a keen football fan and is an expert on European football.
GambleAware