Saturday's Bet Of The Day: Feisty derby fixture forecast

JACK Wright's (@JackWright_BSB) brilliant Bet of the Day continues on Saturday as we head to the Championship…

Barnsley vs Rotherham | Saturday 24^th April 2021, 15:00

This tasty looking Yourkshire derby has ramifications at both ends of the table – just how we like it at this stage of the season where weighing up the teams' desire levels are as important as most if not all other stats.

Barnsley have had a phenomenal season under Valerien Ismael, sitting in the final play-off spot, 6 points clear of seventh placed Reading, knowing four points will guarantee them a three game shoot out for a return to the top flight.

With Preston away and Norwich to come on the last day at Oakwell, you would imagine this game, against a tired Rotherham side playing their sixth game in just 15 days, has been earmarked to get the majority of those points banked – which could make for a feisty affair.

Paul Warne's side have lost three consecutive league games, but all by a single goal showing they will continue to fight and after all are only four points behind Derby one place above them and with two games in hand.

The Millers rank second in the league for fouls committed and top five for cards collected (71 yellow cards, 5 red) with Matt Crooks the latest to overstep the mark receiving his marching orders just 18 minutes in to the midweek loss to Middlesbrough with his side 1-0 to the good.

Rotherham have picked up 20+ booking points in four of their last five fixtures, with eleven yellows and that Crooks red card from their last four also collecting three cautions in the reverse fixture at the Aesseal New York Stadium in December.

With the Tykes also having plenty to play for and being no angels themselves, picking up more booking points than their opponents in four of their last five outings, we should see referee Gavin Ward kept busy.

The Surrey official has the sixth highest booking points average of all the referees who have taken charge of at least 10 championship games this season with 36.40 (81 yellows and four reds) warming up nicely for this clash last weekend by showing five yellows and a red in the Luton v Watford derby.

Having refereed Rotherham twice this season – both away from home he issued to yellows to them at Watford in December and gave them three cautions at Preston in February.

With all of the options tempting here – 40+ match booking points at 11/8, Rotherham most booking points at 1/1 I am going to settle for 20+ Rotherham booking points at 4/5 with Sky Bet.