Bolton vs Barnsley prediction, betting tips and odds: Trotters to topple Tykes in playoff thriller

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Where to watch Bolton vs Barnsley

You can watch Bolton vs Barnsley in the League One playoffs at 8pm on Tuesday May 7, live on Sky Sports Main Event.

Match prediction & best bet

Bolton to win & both teams to score
1pt 11-5 bet365

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Bolton vs Barnsley odds

Bolton 7-10
Barnsley 19-5
Draw 10-3

Odds correct at time of publishing

Bolton vs Barnsley predictions

Barnsley were unable to stop the rot in the first leg of their League One playoff semi-final with Bolton, who extended the Tykes' winless run to seven games with a 3-1 win at Oakwell on Friday. 

Defeat in South Yorkshire has left Barnsley with a mountain to climb in their bid to return to the Championship – and their promotion dreams could be left in tatters across the Pennines on Tuesday night. 

Bolton are unbeaten in ten matches on their own patch, holding League One champions Portsmouth to a 1-1 draw and beating potential playoff final opponents Oxford 5-0 in that time, and the Trotters can complete a successful revenge mission against Barnsley, who dumped them out of the post-season at this stage last term. 

There is a completely different look to the tie this time around, however, and Bolton should get the job done in a potentially thrilling deciding leg. 

While wins have been hard to come by for Barnsley, the Tykes have still be finding the net with a degree of regularity, netting 13 goals in their last eight games. 

Both teams have scored in all of those eight matches as well as 16 of their last 17 on the road and, as they seek to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg, it would be no surprise to see them adopt a gung-ho approach in Lancashire.

All three meetings between the pair this season have featured goals at both ends, and backing that eventuality alongside a home win could be the best play on Tuesday as Ian Evatt looks to mastermind a return to the Championship for a Bolton side who have been outside the second tier since 2019.  

Key stat

Bolton are unbeaten in their last ten home matches, winning six times.

Bolton vs Barnsley team news

Bolton
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, George Johnston and Carlos Mendes remain sidelined. Captain Ricardo Santos suffered a knock at Oakwell but still saw out the full 90 minutes and should feature.

Barnsley
Donovan Pines, Robbie Cundy and Josh Benson miss out but Jon Russell returned to the bench for the first time since mid-April in Friday's first leg.

Probable teams

Bolton (3-1-4-2): Baxter; Jones, Santos, Toal; Sheehan; Cogley, Williams, Maghoma, Thomason; Charles, Collins
Subs: Coleman, Iredale, Morley, Ogbeta, Dempsey, Jerome, Adeboyejo

Barnsley (3-1-4-2): Roberts; Williams, De Gevigney, Earl; Connell; O’Keefe, Cadden, Phillips, Kane; McAtee, Cole
Subs: Killip, McCart, Cotter, Russell, Jalo, Cosgrove, Grant

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