Barnsley v Rotherham United Prediction: 6/5 Tykes to triumph in derby battle

South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley and Rotherham United kick off the League One weekend with a tasty local derby from Oakwell on Friday night (7.15pm, Sky Sports+). 

Both fancied for promotion before a ball had been kicked in August, Barnsley will move into the top six with a win while Rotherham will enter the top half if they claim three points. 

Football Odds

Team News 

Six-goal top scorer Adam Phillips should be fit to start for Barnsley after scoring off the bench at Port Vale following a lay-off. Fellow striker Sam Cosgrove is a week away from a return. 

Rotherham's Sean Raggett could return after six weeks on the sidelines to challenge Cameron Humphreys or Zak Jules for a centre-back role. They are the only three fit central defenders at the club with Jamie McCart out. 

Jonson Clarke-Harris is back training after a hamstring injury, although Millers boss Steve Evans suggested he won't be available until later this month.  

Evans has also been monitoring forward Mallik Wilks after he limped out of last week's FA Cup loss to Cheltenham. 

Barnsley vs Rotherham United Odds

Barnsley, despite their atrocious home form, are a 11/10 chance with Rotherham, themselves dire on the road, available at 23/10. 

The draw – and only Stockport have drawn more games in League One than the Millers – is 12/5. 

Barnsley to win @ 11/10 

With just 14 goals scored in 14 games and question marks over the fitness of two of their star strikers Jonson Clarke-Harris and Mallik Wilks, it's hard to have too much faith in Rotherham making the short hop up the Dearne Valley. 

Ordinarily, you would lay Barnsley at Oakwell given that only three sides in the division boast a lower home points haul than the Tykes – they have won only once at home in the league since February. 

But the Millers are on a rotten run of three losses in four culminating in Saturday's horrendous 3-1 loss to League Two side Cheltenham in the FA Cup first round. 

And those injuries, something that has frustrated Steve Evans since the start of the campaign, are a factor. 

It's the first third-tier meeting between the clubs in 19 years and with Barnsley having lost only twice in the league since the opening weekend, Darrell Clarke's men get the nod. 

Adam Phillips anytime scorer @ 11/5 

Liverpool academy graduate Adam Phillips returned from injury at Port Vale last week in the FA Cup first round and came off the bench to score in Barnsley's 3-1 win at the League Two pacesetters. 

It was an impressive performance from the Tykes and a fabulous return for Phillips, who now has six for the season. 

He and Davis Keillor-Dunn provide a sharpness in attack which Rotherham lack and take Phillips at 23/10 to find the net at any time. 

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