DERBY COUNTY v BARNSLEY
Sunday 6th May 2018 – Kickoff: 1230hrs
Football – England – Championship Betting Tips
It’s the final day of the season in the Championship on Sunday with all matches being played in lunchtime kick-offs, and my next pick has a bearing on both the play-offs and relegation with sixth placed Derby County taking on fourth from bottom club, Barnsley at the iPro Stadium.
Derby County know that all three points here in their last home match of the regular season would see them confirmed to take their place in the play-offs and with seventh placed Preston North End at home against relegation candidates, Burton Albion, The Rams know they can’t afford to slip up here.
The home side have posted mixed results in recent times as the nerves and stress of claiming a top six finish have taken its toll with three defeats on the trot to Wolves, Burton Albion and Middlesbrough, but they did bounce back to record an emphatic 3-1 home win over Cardiff City and held Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw away at Villa Park. Forward Vydra (20 goals) is the main threat up front for the hosts.
Barnsley have one more league match to ensure survival in the Championship and having registered a vital 2-0 home win over Brentford last weekend, The Tykes have given themselves a real chance of avoiding the trap-door.
It was a much needed win over Brentford as Barnsley had previously lost three from four matches beforehand with defeats to Ipswich Town, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, but the most worrying factor for the visitors is that they’ve lost their last five away matches on the trot.
Defeats at Cardiff City, Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest is not a great track record, neither is Barnsley’s away record which stands at 4-5-13 22/36 which includes just three clean sheets to dat on the road.
Pick: Derby County to win @ 1.80 bet365 (odds taken at 23:53 GMT 05 May)
