Barnsley 4/5 to beat Rotherham in Saturday’s Championship matchup

Competition: Championship

Market: Barnsley win

Odds: 4/5 @ 888sport

Simply looking to inch closer to a confirmed play-off spot this weekend, Barnsley will welcome bitter rivals Rotherham to an empty Oakwell on Saturday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, while Barnsley might have been left shocked to have suffered that 2-0 defeat against Coventry last weekend, the Championship’s surprise package managed to make an immediate return to winning ways in midweek. While The Tykes might have only just clung to their second-tier status last season, the South Yorkshire outfit have enjoyed a stunning rise under Head Coach Valérien Ismaël. Opening this weekend’s fixtures holding a six-point buffer from dropping out of the play-off spots, Barnsley were last seen earlier in the week picking up a 1-0 victory against Huddersfield. Collecting nine points from their last four Championship contests, it should also be highlighted that Saturday’s hosts have lost just a single matchup at Oakwell since the middle of January.

As for the visitors, while Barnsley might be battling it out in the play-off chase, Rotherham find themselves scrapping it out at the other end of the Championship table. Throwing away the lead in midweek and eventually watching Middlesbrough secure a 2-1 victory on their travels, it appears that Paul Warne’s side are freefalling towards an immediate League One return this season. Opening this weekend’s fixtures sat four points adrift of safety and with time really starting to tick away, The Millers have lost each of their last three second-tier matchups on the spin, including back-to-back 1-0 losses against Coventry and Birmingham earlier in the month. Facing what should be another tough test when they travel across South Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon, we’re backing a home victory for the play-off contenders.

Bet: Barnsley 4/5 to beat Rotherham in Saturday’s Championship matchup @ 888sport