Competition: League One
Market: Both teams score
Opportunities: 4/6 @Pribet
With the League One play-offs starting on Friday evening, Barnsley will welcome Bolton to Oakwell for the first leg showdown.
Starting with the hosts, while Barnsley may have limped over the finish line at some point as they secured another League One play-off ticket, the Tykes have struggled to find any form of stability in recent months. Interim coach Martin Devaney’s team, which recently ended its regular season with a 1-1 draw at home to Northampton, has failed to win in any of its last six consecutive appearances. The Yorkshire-based team suffered back-to-back 3-2 defeats against Blackpool and Portsmouth last month and have managed just one win in their last nine games. With these continued wobbles stemming from a 3-2 win over Carlisle on March 12, the hosts continued to show some pretty glaring defensive problems on Friday. In fact, Barnsley have only kept one clean sheet in League One in their last 19 consecutive games. It is also worth noting that the Tykes have ended their last seven showdowns against third division opponents with goalscorers.
As for the visitors, Bolton may have ended up frustrated at missing out on the chance of an automatic return to the Championship, but the Trotters have only lost one of their last 12 consecutive appearances. With this long purple patch stretching back to February 27, Ian Evatt’s men are on a real goal spree in the final third. The former Barrow boss opened April with an action-packed 5-2 win over Reading and has seen his side score 15 goals in their last six showdowns against League One opponents alone. But after concluding their regular season with a remarkable 3-3 draw away to Peterborough, the neutrals could be in for a real play-off thriller here. Although Bolton continues to be known for its success on home soil, it has struggled to find much stability away from the Toughsheet Community Stadium. Including a 4-1 defeat against Blackpool on February 24, they have managed just one win in their eight away games so far.
Bet: Both teams score 4/6 in Friday’s League One play-off showdown at Barnsley vs Bolton @ Pribet