Barnsley vs Reading
2nd April 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Championship
Pick Draw & Under 2.5 Goals
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 3/1 odds taken 0915 GMT, Friday 1 April
One of the biggest EFL Championship games of the weekend is Saturday’s basement battle at Oakwell between Barnsley and Reading. The Tykes have been on a revival of late and have moved to within five points of the Royals. Reading will take a giant leap towards safety with an away win, but defeat would blow the battle for survival wide open. Who will come out on top in this massive matchup in Yorkshire? Take a look at the latest odds and tips.
Table of Contents
Barnsley Preview – Will the Tykes extend unbeaten home run to six?
Poya Asbaghi has had a tough time at Barnsley since arriving, but the Swedish Iranian manager has slowly but surely turned the screw at Oakwell. The Tykes were beaten at Sheffield United in their last game but won four of the previous eight.
Recent wins over the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Hull City, Middlesbrough and Bristol City have kept their survival hopes going. They are unbeaten in five at home, winning three and drawing two.
Barnsley have found a little bit of form at just the right time. Three points on Saturday will be enormous, but this really is a must-not lose game for Asbaghi and his troops. The bookies have the home win priced at 13/10 and the draw at 12/5.
Reading Preview – Can the Royals build on Blackburn win?
Reading are having a season to forget, but they moved further away from the bottom three after the last batch of results. While Barnsley were beaten at Sheffield United, the Royals picked up a vital home victory over promotion chasers Blackburn Rovers. Josh Laurent hit the only goal of the game 12 minutes from time.
Since taking over at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on an interim basis, Paul Ince has had a mixed bag of results. Ince started with a 2-1 home success over Birmingham City but lost the next three. Before the win over Blackburn last time out, Reading did stop the rot with a solid 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
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The Berkshire boys opened some breathing space with the win over Rovers, and they could move eight points clear of the bottom three if results go their way this weekend.
Barnsley vs Reading Betting Advice
When these two teams went head-to-head at the Select Car Leasing Stadium back in October, the Royals nicked a 1-0 home win. John Swift was the hero in that one, netting the winner with 13 minutes to go.
Reading have a good recent record over Barnsley, picking up five wins and four draws from the last nine meetings. The Tykes have won just one of the past 12.
Key Facts – Barnsley vs Reading Betting Tip
- Barnsley have won three and drawn two of their last five at home
- Reading beat promotion chasers Blackburn last time out
- Five points separates 21st-place Reading to 22nd-place Barnsley
This truly is a relegation six-pointer as we approach the latter stages of the 2021-22 Championship season. Both teams will be desperate for all three points from this one, but not losing is the most important factor. With that in mind, take a punt on the draw and under 2.5 goals at 3/1.
Carlton Morris has played a key role in Barnsley’s recent revival, scoring four times in his last ten league appearances. The 26-year-old is available at 9/4 to net anytime on Saturday.
The best betting odds for Barnsley vs Reading
Barnsley to win: 5/4 at Bet365
Draw: 9/4 at Bet365
Reading to win: 11/5 at Bet365
