Reading v Barnsley

• Reading have avoided defeat in 16 of their last 18 matches.

• Barnsley have won 1 in their last 11 matches.

• Barnsley have scored more than 1 goal in 3 of 11 matches.

With Reading battling it out with Leyton Orient for that final spot in the League One playoffs, this is definitely a game which could produce drama.

The hosts sit 7th in the league right now, tied with Leyton Orient, albeit significantly lower on goal difference.

As such, even a win here is unlikely to suffice in guaranteeing a spot in the playoffs; rather, Reading will likely be relying on results going their way elsewhere.

Their opponents, Barnsley, sit in 12th position with an admirable 58 points. That said, their final position could look significantly worse if they were to suffer a loss in this clash.

Realistically, Barnsley can only defend 12th and are unlikely to progress any higher, whilst the worst plausible outcome would be to finish in 16th.

Other than claiming the bragging rights of a top-half finish, there is little for Darrell Claarke’s men to play for, although that’s certainly not to say they’ll be brushed aside.

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⭐ Reading v Barnsley Predictions and Best Bets

Reading enter this clash as merited favourites, priced at 1.73 - a price we’re comfortable backing them at. The stakes are far higher for the hosts, and all indications are that they should be up for the challenge.

Elsewhere, Barnsley have been priced at 3.75 to win the corner match bet. They’ve managed this in 56% of league games, compared to Reading, who have exceeded their opponent’s total in just 31%. Neither side’s record is affected by whether they play at home or away. Barnsley have averaged 1.64 corners more than Reading, and have conceded 0.87 fewer.

🔵 Reading’s Mixed Run-in

Reading have demonstrated remarkable consistency in recent times, avoiding defeat in 16 of their last 18, although their run-in has been plagued by disappointing draws.

A more recent stunt to their promotion hopes came as Reading narrowly fell in a 1-0 loss against Lincoln, conceding their three-point advantage and, in doing so, rendering the possibility of a goal-difference tie break significantly more likely.

Going forward, Reading have shown flashes of brilliance, notably putting five past Mansfield two weeks ago despite maintaining just 35% of possession.

Defensively, they’ve also looked pretty resolute, conceding only three goals across their last six in the league.

🔴 Barnsley Struggle to Find Form

Barnsley, in contrast, managed their sole win over the last 11 games, when hosting Bolton in early-mid-April. They’ve picked up one point from their three games since.

More broadly speaking, Barnsley have consistently struggled to maintain the form they found in the early part of the season.

Tactically, they’ve shifted to a dynamic more focused on controlling possession, although they have often struggled to convert this possession into chances.

This has been particularly evident over their last 11 games, over which period The Tykes have managed to score more than one goal on just 3 occasions.

📊 Reading v Barnsley Head-to-Head Key Stats

When these sides last met, spectators were treated to a fascinating 2-2 draw with Barnsley arguably the better of the pair, creating 2.14xG to Reading’s 1.11.

On that occasion, a Sam Smith brace kept Reading in it, but since his January move to Wrexham prompted by the clubs' ownership issues, Reading have been significantly less efficient up front.

That result was pretty consistent with the typical expected outcome in clashes between these sides, with three of the last four ending in draws, and Barnsley winning the remainder.

Football Predictions at Andy's Bet Club

Andy's Bet Club is the place to be for Expert Football Predictions, and we're all over the final day of the EFL regular season, with our EFL Acca Tips, Championship Acca, and Championship Hit Rates Bet Builder.

For a longer read see our EFL Final Day Permutations Guide as well as the rest of our EFL Betting Tips & Bet Builders.

We also have Quick Tip coverage of some of the other key fixtures in the EFL, such as West Brom v Luton, Coventry v Middlesbrough, Portsmouth v Hull,, and Wycombe v Stockport.

* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.