Two out-of-form outfits, whose seasonal aspirations appear to be over, clash at Oakwell on Saturday as mid-table Barnsley host relegation-threatened Cambridge United.
League One
Our Three Predictions For Barnsley vs Cambridge United:
- First Prediction For Barnsley vs Cambridge United: Match Result – Barnsley – 61/100
- Second Prediction For Barnsley vs Cambridge United: Both Teams To Score – No – 11/10
- Third Prediction For Barnsley vs Cambridge United: Half-Time Result – Barnsley – 6/5
First Prediction For Barnsley vs Cambridge United: Match Result – Barnsley – 61/100
Barnsley’s away form has been their downfall all season. Despite being in the conversation for the Play-Offs for much of the campaign, the Tykes have the twentieth-best home record in League One, only narrowly better than The U’s. With just five wins all term, they have struggled while playing in South Yorkshire. But on Saturday they meet the side with the worst away record in the third tier. Cambridge have won two of their nineteen away outings in 24/25, picking up just ten points. They did though win earlier in March at Crawley, but should find their task at Oakwell at the weekend more difficult, even with Barnsley’s poor form on their own turf.
Second Prediction For Barnsley vs Cambridge United: Both Teams To Score – No – 11/10
While Barnsley have struggled at home, their goalscoring is around the mid-table mark, scoring 25 in eighteen games at Oakwell. They netted four times against Lincoln on the opening day of March, punishing errors by the Imps, though they are scoreless in three of their last five outings at home. In Cambridge’s last four games, they have found the net just once, coming after three minutes against Blackpool in a game that eventually ended in defeat. Only two sides in League One have scored fewer times than their 35 this campaign, averaging less than a goal per game. With that in mind, Cambridge are unlikely to net, therefore both teams are not expected to score at the weekend.
Third Prediction For Barnsley vs Cambridge United: Half-Time Result – Barnsley – 6/5
While 23 points separate the sides in the table, that gap is exactly the same at half-time in fixtures this season. But crucially, Barnsley are second only to leaders Birmingham after 45 minutes of games, leading on sixteen occasions. Their tally of sixty points and conceding fourteen times are only behind the Blues, but sees them move up eight places and points in the standings. Cambridge meanwhile are ranked second bottom, like in the League One table, but with an improved points tally of 37 points. That is also eight more than their total over the full ninety minutes, leaving them two points adrift of safety. Even still, the expectation on Saturday should be that the Tykes will be ahead after the conclusion of the opening period.
Best Odds For Barnsley vs Cambridge United
| Bookmaker | Barnsley | Draw | Cambridge United |
| MyriadPlay | 61/100 | 14/5 | 16/5 |
| Gentleman Jim | 8/13 | 3/1 | 7/2 |
| Betarno | 3/5 | 14/5 | 16/5 |
The table above shows the latest odds from leading football betting websites.
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head:
Barnsley’s poor form cost Darrell Clarke his job last week, with the Tykes’ season set to fizzle out. They revived aspirations of a third top-six finish in succession with three victories on the bounce in the last month, with narrow away wins at Rotherham and Northampton. March was opened with a thrilling 4-3 success over Lincoln, though it laid their defensive fragilities on show for all to see. An unsurprising loss at automatic promotion chasers Charlton was a setback, but a three-nil defeat at home to Blackpool has seemingly ended hopes of a Play-Off finish.
That loss against the Tangerines continued their tough start to 2025 in South Yorkshire this term, with Clarke losing his job as a result. Conor Hourihane has taken over as interim manager until the end of the campaign, perhaps signalling their intent for the rest of the season. Things didn’t improve at the weekend when they gifted Mansfield a much-needed three points on Saturday, leaving Barnsley nine points adrift of sixth place. Given their start to 2025, with back-to-back wins over Wrexham and Crawley, a top-six place felt achievable. Five losses from their next six quickly killed off those ambitions, meaning the Tykes will spend a fourth year in the third tier next term. This will also be the fifth season in a row of regression in terms of league position, with the Championship Play-Offs in 2020/21 feeling like a lifetime ago.
Cambridge had their own change in management in the past month. Garry Monk was dismissed in the middle of February, following a run of one win in thirteen. Their fortunes immediately improved when Neil Harris was re-appointed three days later, recording an impressive victory over Stockport that weekend. Mark Bonner also returned to the U’s as Director of Football. Their three-point haul at Crawley though seven days later sparked genuine aspirations of a great escape. But their chances have fallen dramatically in the past few weeks with four successive losses.
That leaves the U’s thirteen points adrift of safety with nine games remaining, sitting second bottom of League One. Three of them defeats have been by a goal to nil, with the latter of them coming against rivals Peterborough at the weekend. There was another slight upturn in form in January too, avoiding defeat in four out of five games. That began with a point at Bolton, following that up with a victory over Mansfield. Despite a loss at Rotherham, they took a point in their next two encounters against Wycombe and Lincoln. That improvement though came crashing to the ground at leaders Birmingham in a four-nil loss.
Cambridge may be realistically down this season, but they still may have a part to play in the relegation battle this term. Their final away game of the campaign takes them to Burton, who are the only side in the bottom four with a genuine chance of survival at current. April also sees them face Wrexham, while leaders and likely champions Birmingham visit the Abbey on the final day of the season. Barnsley also have to face the Blues, while they may have a chance to have their say in the battle for the top six. Games against Bolton and Leyton Orient quickly follow that trip to Birmingham, with a final-day outing at Reading also on the agenda.
In the reverse fixture earlier in the season, this ended in a 1-1 draw. Prior to that, Barnsley had won five in a row before the last meeting at Oakwell in 2024, winning four of them without conceding. The Tykes have won double the amount of games across the years than their counterparts from Cambridge.
Confrontation |
Where To Watch Barnsley vs Cambridge United:
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?
- Location: Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley
- Date: 22nd March, 2025
- TV Channel: Sky Sports+
Probable Lineups For Barnsley vs Cambridge United:
Predicted Barnsley Lineup:
- Lineup: Flavell, McCarthy, Roberts, de Gevigney, O’Keeffe, Connell, Russell, Benson, Keillor-Dunn, Phillips, Watters
- Suspended/Injured: Gauci, Smith, Gent, Pines, Jaló, Cotter, Earl
- Coach: Conor Hourihane (Interim)
Predicted Cambridge United Lineup:
- Lineup: Bishop, Malone, Watts, Morrison, Gibbons, Stokes, Digby, Cousins, Brophy, Nlundulu, Ballard
- Suspended/Injured: Marosi, Gardner, Rossi, Lavery, Smith
- Coach: Neil Harris
