Bolton Wanderers vs Barnsley
English League One, KO: 15:00 May 13, 2023, University of Bolton Stadium
Bolton Wanderers will be looking to claim the advantage when they host Barnsley in their League One playoff semi-final first leg. Although Barnsley finished above their hosts in the regular season, Bolton have maintained a solid home record and should have the upper hand on Saturday.
Bolton Wanderers are coming off a 3-2 victory at Bristol Rovers in their final regular season fixture. Shola Shoretire struck the opener midway through the first half while Dan N’Lundulu and Aaron Morley added further goals after the break.
That result continues Bolton Wanderers’ momentum heading into the playoffs as they have lost just once in their last 10 matches. Ian Evatt’s men have claimed six wins in that run, including a 2-0 triumph over Fleetwood Town prior to that win at Bristol Rovers.
Bolton Wanderer have also impressed at home this season and have suffered just two defeats in their last 12 matches in front of their fans. They have claimed nine wins in that run, including a 4-0 victory over League One champions Plymouth Argyle.
Barnsley ended their regular season campaign with a 2-0 home defeat to Peterborough United. Despite edging the possession, they struggled to find their cutting edge in attack, finishing with just two attempts on target throughout the contest.
Although they finished fourth on the table, that result was an extension of Barnsley's struggles in the final weeks of the regular season. Michael Duff’s men travel to Bolton with two defeats and a draw from their last three matches.
Things have been just as rough for Barnsley on their travels as they have won just once in their last five away matches. A small positive is that they have drawn their last two away matches, although the 4-4 draw at MK Dons in their previous fixture on the road highlights a leaky defence.
How the bookies view it
Bolton Wanderers have the slight edge among the bookies with a home win priced at 6/4 by Unibet. A victory for Barnsley is valued at 2/1 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 12/5 by William Hill.
Head to head
Bolton Wanderers have a 9-4 advantage with 11 draws from 24 previous matches with Barnsley. Both teams won the away clash in the regular season, with the Tykes claiming a 2-1 victory at the University of Bolton Stadium while Bolton ran out 3-0 winners in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch
Dion Charles was the leading scorer for Bolton Wanderers during the regular season and could be the one to watch on Saturday. The forward was also on target in the last meeting with Barnsley back in January and is priced at 19/10 by William Hill to find the net once again.
Barnsley have also shown they can hold their own going forward with Devante Cole scoring 15 goals during the regular season. The forward could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime on Saturday at 5/2 with William Hill.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bolton Wanderers and Barnsley were involved in high-scoring encounters in the final weeks of the regular season and Saturday’s clash could be set to produce goals. Both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 with William Hill, over 2.5 goals is valued at 6/5 by Betfred while William Hill is offering 5/2 for over 2.5 goals.
Bolton have scored first in four of their last five matches and could be backed to grab the opening goal on Saturday at 19/20 with Coral.
This English League One match between Bolton Wanderers and Barnsley will be played on May 13, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Bolton Wanderers vs Barnsley prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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