Middlesbrough vs Barnsley Predictions & Tips

18:45
Expired
Riverside Stadium

Middlesbrough

Barnsley

Under 2.5 Match Goals

Reason for tip

Fewer than three goals have been scored in seven of Boro’s last nine competitive home games and also in six of Barnsley’s last nine competitive away games. No more than two goals have been scored in five of the past seven head-to-head meetings between the clubs.

23/20odds when tipped

Bookie
Bet Tip
Sign Up

£21.00

BET HERE

Middlesbrough 2-0

Reason for tip

Middlesbrough need to cut out the sloppy errors and will put their focus there for the visit of a Barnsley side beaten 1-0 away by Plymouth on the opening League One weekend. Boro won the match 2-0 when the Tykes last traveled to Teesside and it was a regular scoreline for their league games at the Riverside Stadium last term too.

6/1odds when tipped

Bookie
Bet Tip
Sign Up

£90.00

BET HERE

Fewer than three goals have been scored in seven of Boro’s last nine competitive home games.
Fewer than three goals have been scored in six of Barnsley’s last nine competitive away games.
Fewer than three goals have been scored in five of the past seven head-to-head meetings between the clubs.

Goals could be thin on the ground at Boro

There’s reason to believe Middlesbrough aren’t as defensively sound as they were last season, but Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie against a much-changed Barnsley line-up could still lack goalmouth action.

Chris Wilder’s men can only blame themselves for their 3-2 Championship defeat at QPR on Saturday as all three home goals came about from the Teessiders initially losing possession in their own half. Boro were 3-0 down inside 38 minutes through sheer sloppiness and, although they finally found some life with goals either side of the interval from Matt Crooks and Marcus Forss, it was not enough to rescue a point.

Darragh Lenihan is suspended for the Carabao Cup visit of the Tykes after receiving a late red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity – and his ability to play line-breaking passes from the back will be missed. Wilder won’t put much importance on the game as securing transfers and getting his team ready for a clash with former employers Sheffield United on Saturday takes priority.

Tykes to make changes

Barnsley secured their first win of the campaign at Oakwell against Cheltenham Town on Saturday. Luke Thomas’ second-half strike was enough to separate the sides in Michael Duff’s first league game in charge of the Reds at Oakwell.

Duff hinted at a few changes for the midweek trip north when he said there would be opportunities for everyone – so we can expect a more disjointed performance perhaps. Allied to Boro’s need to tighten up, the portents for a free-flowing game don’t look good and the value on offer about fewer than three goals should be snapped up.

Fewer than three goals has landed in five of the past seven head-to-head meetings and there’s a good chance that Boro match the result from the last time the Tykes traveled to Teesside – a 2-0 home win.