Barnsley vs Doncaster Rovers Predictions

Despite facing a more than useful Accrington side away from home last time out, Barnsley recorded another victory to keep themselves within touching distance of the top two. Daniel Stendel’s men are now unbeaten in six (in all competitions), five of which they’ve won, so they ought to come into this home fixture full of confidence.

After what turned out to be only a minor Blimp, Barnsley’s promotion charge is back on track. Daniel Stendel’s men have once again got very serious and, even before the half-way point of the campaign, it looks as though they’re primed for a top-two finish.

In all areas, the Tykes continue to impress. They rank 4^th in terms of expected goals for, 3^rd as far as shots on target go, 1^st in terms of expected goals conceded, 1^st when it comes to shots on target conceded, 2^nd in terms of progressive passes and 5^th in terms of touches inside the opposition box.

Doncaster are also doing well this season, especially in some of the above areas, so Saturday’s match is unlikely to be a walk in the park for the hosts. Donny currently sit top of League One in terms of both progressive passes and expected goals for, so they wont shy away from trying to make things happen offensively at Oakwell, though they may fall short at the other end.

Unlike Barnsley, Grant McCann’s men haven’t exactly done the best job of keeping teams quiet, as they rank 16^th in terms of expected goals against, as well as 16^th for shots on target against. What’s more, Saturday’s visitors have given plenty away when playing on the road. On average, Donny are shipping 1.56 goals away from home, while they’ve given up an average of 1.83 expected goals. Fortunately, they’re very useful going forward, but defensive frailties aren’t ideal when facing a team of Barnsley’s calibre.

With Barnsley and Doncaster being two of League One’s more usual offensive outfits, goals appeal massively ahead of this match, especially at the prices. Both teams have the quality to make headway offensively, while Doncaster have made a habit of being involved in high-scoring encounters on their travels of late, as they’ve both scored and conceded in four of their last six on the road.

As Barnsley are averaging a massive 2.1 expected goals for at home and with the visitors averaging an impressive 1.74 expected goals for away from the comforts of home, it’s very easy to feel that ‘Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score’ represents a slice of value at the current price.