Those taking part in the football pools this week have several matches of interest with some huge clashes taking place across the top four leagues in England.
As we enter February, the run-in is nearly upon us and teams up and down the country are now jostling for positions in order to give themselves the best possible chance of achieving their aims from now until the end of the season.
As a result, losing matches simply isn't on the agenda which typically means football matches become more tense and edgy at this stage of the season which is great for those who take part in the football pools and is often means more draws.
Ahead of this weekend's action, here are our expert football pools betting tips.
Our expert football pools betting tips
Bournemouth vs Liverpool (Premier League)
Arguably the most intriguing Premier League match on Saturday is Bournemouth vs Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium as many people see this as a huge banana skin for the league leaders.
Facing Bournemouth has proven to be very tricky of late and the Cherries are now unbeaten across their last twelve matches in all competitions. In that run, they have recorded four draws at an average of one draw every three matches and given they have won their last two, they are perhaps due one this weekend.
A draw would also be a fantastic result for the hosts given their opponents. Liverpool are now 18 unbeaten in the Premier League but draws have become more common in recent times with four coming in their last nine league outings.
Wolves vs Aston Villa (Premier League)
A Midlands derby of sorts is set to take place this weekend at Molineux where Wolves will host Aston Villa on Saturday evening. It's a huge match for the hosts after they slipped into the relegation zone last week but considering they are now five matches without a win it's hard to seem them overcoming the Villains.
Aston Villa's record this season in matches straight after a Champions League match is poor with just one win in their previous seven attempts. Three of the six ‘non-wins' have been draws and they could easily fall foul of fatigue again at Molineux after a brutal match with Celtic.
Last season's corresponding fixture at Molineux finished Wolves 1-1 Aston Villa.
Blackburn Rovers vs Preston North End (Championship)
Fans can look forward to a Lancashire derby on Friday night when Blackburn take on Burnely at Ewood Park. It's a huge match in the race for promotion but the hosts have won just one of their last nine league matches so it's almost impossible to back a Blackburn win.
It's difficult to see Burnley winning as well, though. Scott Parker's men are getting a reputation for being one of the most boring teams in English football and they are in a goalscoring rut at the moment. The Clarets have drawn three of their last five league matches and that could hurt them in May.
Hull City vs Stoke City (Championship)
Hull City produced one of the most stunning results of the season last weekend when they went to Bramall Lane and beat Sheffield United 3-0. That result should see them come into this one with renewed belief but Stoke have become draw specialists in recent weeks which is hard to overlook.
The Potters are catching West Brom in that regard and after drawing four of their last five league games they are up to 11 for the season. Both sides are locked together on 29 points just outside the relegation zone so this one is definitely more of a must-not-lose rather than a must-win for both managers.
Middlesbrough vs Sunderland (Championship)
The final football pools betting tip this week is Middlesbrough vs Sunderland on Monday night. It's a weekend of derbies that aren't quite derbies (if that makes sense) and this is another one that ticks that box but it's also a fixture that produced a score draw the last time it was played at the Riverside.
Middlesbrough come into the match in sixth position and a point would be enough to see them retain their place in the top six. Meanwhile, Sunderland would likely see a point away at Boro as a good result as they look to keep pace in the race for automatic promotion.
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.
