Walsall vs Barnsley Betting Tips & Predictions

Barnsley striker Sam Winnall was the man of the moment on Saturday as Barnsley romped to a 3-0 lead in the first leg of the Championship semi final. He had a major hand in the first goal as his pass set up a shot which was then deflected into the Walsall net on the stroke of half time. Winnall added two goals to the 1-0 lead in two minutes in the second half to give Barnsley a commanding lead.

They deserved the win as well. They dominated opening proceedings and had a goal ruled out incorrectly midway through the first half. That won’t be bothering them too much now though.

Walsall just didn’t show up to the game and were a stark contrast to the side that thrashed Port Vale 5-0 on the last day of the season. It wasn’t enough for them to achieve automatic promotion though, and they ended up finishing in 3rd position.

Barnsley enjoyed an excellent unbeaten streak at the end of their season to climb into the playoff positions, and their chances of becoming the first team in nearly 20 years to win the Football League Trophy and achieve promotion to the Championship in the same season have been boosted considerably.

Their win on Saturday made it seven games without defeat for Barnsley, and they have only lost one of their last 12 in all competitions. Walsall have lost four of their last ten in League One and won five, so they only have themselves to blame for not achieving an automatic path into the Championship.

The problem Walsall have is that Barnsley are excellent on the road. They haven’t lost in eight away days in League One and have won five of those. Walsall aren’t especially good at The Bank’s Stadium either. They have the 10th best record in the league at home and went on a six match winless streak there earlier in the year. They have won four of their last five there, but I think it will be incredibly tough for them when they face a Barnsley side high on confidence.

Odds of 7/10 for a Barnsley Win or Draw Double Chance look excellent value to me, so I’m backing that along with a 1-1 correct score prediction at 6/1.