Barnsley vs Huddersfield Predictions & Tips

Barnsley are in the middle of an incredible turnaround in the Championship, which has taken them off the bottom and given them life in the second tier. After a terrible start, the Tykes have recovered, sending them into the mix for survival. Their hopes of staying up could get a lot better this weekend, with Huddersfield heading to Oakwell.

This Yorkshire derby has extra spice, with the Terriers only two spots above the drop zone. Huddersfield have had a tough season, with their form tailing off in recent weeks. Now they make this trip with relegation pressure intensifying, as a defeat to Barnsley could leave them in huge trouble.

The Barnsley Bounce

Barnsley have lost just once in their last eight league games at Oakwell (W2 D5 L1), going unbeaten in the last four, all of which have come under Gerhard Struber (W2 D2). The new manager has certainly helped to turn things around for the hosts. It’s not just their results which have picked up, they are now playing like a Championship side.

Barnsley are looking like a threat at this level now, which gives them a great chance heading into this clash with another struggling side. The Tykes have taken points from West Brom, Swansea and Millwall in recent weeks, so they aren’t getting lucky from a good run. They’re in form, which should be a concern for the visitors.

Vulnerable Terriers

The visitors have lost back to back games, while they’ve tasted defeat in three of their last four matches overall. They kicked off the New Year with a 5-2 hammering at home to Stoke – another side who are in the bottom four. With such a demoralising defeat behind them, there’s little to suggest that Huddersfield can respond here.

We have been impressed with the way Barnsley have dealt with various challenges in recent weeks, while home wins over Hull and QPR point to a side who can make the most of home advantage. While there’s always the risk that the new manager bounce will end, we think the hosts improvement is something beyond that. This fixture falls at the perfect time for Barnsley to boost their survival hopes, so a home win is our pick in this one.

The Tykes have conceded in their last 12 home games – every match since their opening day win over Fulham. The Tykes have seen both teams score in 85% of their games at Oakwell this term, while Huddersfield have scored in 92% of their trips. With the visitors in scoring form, we are backing a high scoring match here. With the visitors losing by two or more goals in seven of 12 defeats, we’re backing a 3-1 home win.