Expert Jury: Newcastle should reap rewards of great January transfer window

We asked our top team of writers and a leading odds-compiler for their thoughts on this week's big talking points and this is how they answered...

What is your best football bet this weekend?

Racing Post's Joe Casey: Both teams to score in Chelsea v Plymouth. Argyle have failed to score only three times in 28 league games and have netted nine in their last four. Chesterfield managed to breach the Chelsea backline in the last round and the Pilgrims can do the same.

Racing Post's Liam Flin: A decent January saw Norwich pull themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone and with survival their sole focus, they are worth opposing in the FA Cup against Wolves this week. On the cusp of the European places, Wolves have taken 13 points from their last five league games and hammered Sheffield United 3-0 at home in the third round.

Racing Post's James Milton: Montpellier to beat Ligue 1's bottom club St-Etienne on Saturday. Bookmakers are struggling to pick a favourite in this game but St-Etienne have lost seven of their last eight league matches and have been beaten by at least a two-goal margin in all six of their clashes with top-six sides such as Montpellier this term.

Stephen McDonnell of BoyleSports: QPR look a great bet at odds-against away to Peterborough. The Hoops are unbeaten in their last seven matches and will come into this FA Cup tie full of confidence. Peterborough sit third from bottom in the Championship, are winless in four matches, and will have one eye on their relegation battle.

Who are the most vulnerable favourites?

Joe Casey: Hull are a streaky side and are currently riding the wave of three wins in a row. However Preston have lost only two of their nine games with Ryan Lowe in charge and the new manager is doing a lot of things right. The behind-the-scenes changes at Hull may also soon affect things on the pitch.

Liam Flin: Cologne were making steady progress in the Bundesliga but a 4-0 thrashing by Bayern Munich has been followed by underwhelming draws with Hamburg and Bochum. And they are worth opposing against Champions League-chasing Freiburg, who have won three of their last five games.

James Milton: Stoke have lost three of their last four home games in the Championship and are well worth opposing in their FA Cup clash with Wigan. The Latics beat Blackburn, now second in the Championship, in the third round and have a superb away record in League One, having won ten of their last 12 road fixtures.

Stephen McDonnell: Leicester. Nottingham Forest were on a great run of form prior to last weekend's defeat at Cardiff, including when winning 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the previous round on the FA Cup. Their opponents crumbled late on against Tottenham and should find a trip away to the City Ground a tough task especially without their talisman Jamie Vardy.

Which Premier League team had the best transfer window?

Joe Casey: Marginally Newcastle over Aston Villa but only because the Magpies' needs were so great and they have brought in five players that immediately improve their starting 11. Brighton have also gone under the radar but picked up some good long-term prospects. Kacper Kozlowski starts regularly for Poland at 18 years old while Dennis Undav could be a future solution up front.

Liam Flin: In terms of how much their January business could impact their league position, Newcastle had the best window. They could have spent a little more smartly but in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Chris Wood they have at least acquired players who know what the Premier League is about, while Bruno Guimaraes would improve nearly every midfield in the top flight.

James Milton: If you're looking at quality rather than quantity then Liverpool's capture of Luis Diaz from Porto could be the most significant Premier League move of the window. Newcastle's signing of Bruno Guimaraes was another big statement but survival rivals Burnley should also be satisfied after replacing Chris Wood with Wout Weghorst and banking a healthy profit.

Stephen McDonnell: Newcastle without a doubt. They spent just under £100 million and strengthened in all areas. Bruno Guimaraes and the rest should offer enough to save them from relegation.

Is Frank Lampard the right person for Everton?

Joe Casey: After the failed Rafa Benitez experiment Frank Lampard was probably the safest bet of the managers available. However it’s possible that the Toffees could have given the job to Duncan Ferguson until the end of the season and then chosen a long-term appointment in the summer when there may have been better options out there.

Liam Flin: Yes, but only if the board and fans are patient. There are a lot of mistakes to undo at Goodison Park but after veterans Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez failed to cut the mustard, they need a long-term project. With stints at Derby and Chelsea behind him, the former England midfielder has a chance to build something special.

James Milton: It looks a decent move both for Everton and Lampard but Toffees fans have to be realistic – if Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez couldn't turn things around then Lampard is unlikely to be an instant success. His work at Derby and Chelsea was solid but not outstanding and Everton's deep-lying problems cannot be solved by a simple managerial change.

Stephen McDonnell: I think Lampard is a risky appointment for Everton. He left Chelsea with the worst Premier League points-per-game average of any Blues manager over the last 20 years. He has lost 30 of his 103 league games with Derby and Chelsea, which should concern Everton fans.

Give us a winner on the midweek coupon

Joe Casey: Wolves are one of the form teams in the Premier League right now and look overpriced when they host Arsenal on Thursday. The negativity has started to seep back in for the Gunners and letting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang go with no replacement could look foolish come the end of the season.

Liam Flin: Three defeats to Chelsea rendered January a tricky month for Tottenham but they nonetheless recorded wins over Morecambe, Watford and Leicester and have had time to recover from a hectic period. They look a solid bet against a Southampton team who have won only five league matches this term and are far too inconsistent.

James Milton: Wolves look a tempting price at 6-4 draw no bet to beat Arsenal. The Gunners' lack of striking options has been well documented and they failed to score in their last four games against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool (twice) and Burnley. They can expect a tough night at Molineux as Wolves have won five of their last six games, holding Chelsea to a 0-0 draw in the other one.

Stephen McDonnell: Aston Villa look a good bet to beat Leeds on Wednesday. The appointment of Steven Gerrard and the signing of Philippe Coutinho has raised morale at Villa Park. Coutinho has hit the ground running, while Leeds are struggling to keep clean sheets, a problem which they failed to address during a barren January transfer window.

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