*All odds in copy correct at time of publication and they’re always spot on with our clever betting banners.
Championship football on a Friday evening at 5.30pm? Literally anything goes these days. By now we’ve all learnt to roll with the punches so we’ll just carry on like this is completely normal. So… welcome to the single biggest game in the UK this Friday (now that Newcastle’s trip to Aston Villa has been postponed).
That’s right, Barnsley v Bournemouth hits your TV screens live and direct from the picturesque Oakwell Stadium to help you kick the weekend off the right way – with some combative and potentially entertaining EFL football. In short, Bournemouth are flying high and Barnsley are definitely moving in the right direction. I’m also feeling in fine fettle after firing all three of my best bets for Reading’s clash with Sheffield Wednesday during the week.
Friday 5.30pm: Barnsley v Bournemouth
Sky Sports Football
The Tykes have improved markedly since Valerien Ismael’s appointment at the end of October. Before his arrival they were without a win in their seven Championship games this season. From his first game onwards they’ve won five and lost three. All in all they’re 14th with 19 points from five wins, four draws and six defeats.
Bournemouth are shaping up nicely for a title charge and sit in 2nd spot with seven wins, six draws and two defeats, the second of which came last time out against Preston on Tuesday. They had been really tight and struggling to turn draws into wins but now the tap has been turned on and there’s been plenty of goals flying in from all angles.
Bournemouth to Win
While Barnsley have undoubtedly improved, as the bare numbers since Ismael’s arrival show, it is very much a case of feast of famine for them. since their managerial change they’ve won five and lost three. It’s not a bad way to go about getting points and it’s certainly better than drawing every game.
My initial thought when weighing these two up was that this would end if a draw, especially when Bournemouth’s knack of sharing the spoils on the road is taken into consideration. However, The Tykes’ positive results have come, overwhelmingly, against the lesser lights in this division. Birmingham (18th), Nottingham Forest (21st), Derby (24th), Watford (3rd) and QPR (17th) are the teams they’ve defeated since the end of October.
There are some decent teams thrown in there but generally Barnsley fall to defeat when they face teams above them in the league as losses to Blackburn (9th), Brentford (6th) and Cardiff (12th) prove. The Cherries are undeniably a stronger side than Barnsley and, because they’ve found a way to convert one point into three of late, we’re backing the Bournemouth Win on Friday night.
MORE FOOTY TIPS
Both Teams To Score
Goals have not been hard to come by for either side over the last five games, keeping them out has proven harder. In The Cherries’ last five they’ve scored 12 and conceded eight with Both Teams To Score being off target just once.
Barnsley have been slightly more stingy both in attack and defence but Both Teams to Score has landed in three of their last five with the hapless Derby failing to net against them and Brentford shutting them out three games back. It all adds up to Both Teams To Score coming off in 70% of these two’s last five games and therefore is well worth backing as part of an acca-insured four-fold Same Game Multi.
Over 2.5 Goals
We’re expecting goals here. Logic and the bare numbers tell us that Over 2.5 Goals is the way to go in this particular market. In Bournemouth’s last five, Overs has come in four times and there has been a whopping 21 goals at an average of 4.2 per game.
For Barnsley, as mentioned, it’s been a little more sensible with Overs landing in two of their last five. They’ve seen 11 fly in, leading to an average of 2.2 goals per game. Those two averages combined give us a total of 3.2 goals per game meaning we should be in with a great chance of this Over 2.5 Goals selection landing and the SGM rolling on to our final selection.
Junior Stanislas to Score Anytime
Junior Stanislas has been in a rich vein of form, firing four goals in Bournemouth’s last three games. He’s had to work hard to earn a start in this Cherries team but he’s been getting the nod recently and is making the most of it.
Two of those four were penalties which adds extra confidence with the selection but Bournemouth do like to share the goals around. With the visitors’ pacey, tricky attack it would be no surprise if Junior Stanislas was to Score Anytime from the spot or open play in this one.
Tips for Barnsley v Bournemouth
Bournemouth to Win
Both Teams To Score
Over 2.5 Goals
Junior Stanislas to Score Anytime
These four selections in a Same Game Multi will give you odds of around 8/1 with Paddy Power.
*All odds in copy correct at time of publication and they’re always spot on with our clever betting banners.
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