Soccer/Football

Liverpool v Barnsley prediction, betting tips and bet builder – Can Reds avoid cupset?

Jan 12, 2026 - 11:30

Liverpool are in FA Cup third round action tonight as they welcome League One side Barnsley to Anfield.

Liverpool v Barnsley best bets

Liverpool to win to nil at EVS with SBK
Federico Chiesa to score at 5/4 with SBK
Jonathan Bland to be carded at 23/10 with SBK
Liverpool win to nil, Chiesa to score, Bland carded at 27/2 with SBK

Liverpool v Barnsley latest odds

Find the latest Liverpool v Barnsley betting odds here, odds courtesy of SBK and are subject to change.

Liverpool – 1/8
Draw – 21/2
Barnsley – 20/1

Liverpool v Barnsley prediction

Liverpool head into tonight’s FA Cup clash looking to end their current run of three matches without victory, having been held to stalemates against Leeds, Fulham and Arsenal since the turn of the year.

Arne Slot’s side are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions though, and will take the field at Anfield tonight as overwhelming favourites to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Reds are the joint-third most successful club in the competition’s history having lifted the trophy on eight occasions, most recently in 2022.

The Merseyside club have won only two of their last six home matches in all competitions, but those victories have come in their last three as they appear to have steadied the ship after their drastic loss in form towards the back end of 2025, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table.

In contrast, Barnsley make the trip from Yorkshire on a poor run of form, with just one win from their last six games and three defeats in their last four leaving them down in 17th in the League One table.

Conor Hourihane’s side have won just twice away from home in all competitions since August, but will back themselves to cause an upset, inspired by the likes of Macclesfield’s historic win over defending champions Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.

The Tykes have had FA Cup success before, lifting the trophy back in 1912 with an extra time win over West Brom in a replay at Bramall Lane, but have only reached the semi finals on one occasion since, a run which included a 2-1 win at Anfield in the fifth round in 2008 in the two sides’ last meeting.

Liverpool head into tonight’s final game of FA Cup round three weekend as overwhelming favourites and should make light work of their League One opposition despite wholesale changes expected to their line up, I’m backing a 4-0 home win.

Liverpool v Barnsley betting tips

Reds romp through to round four

Liverpool, sat fourth in Premier League, are expected to make light work of their bottom half League One opposition, the home side unbeaten in 10 while Barnsley have lost three of their last four and have struggled on the road in the recent months.

Liverpool to win to nil at EVS with SBK

Confident Chiesa

Slot is expected to ring the changes for tonight’s FA Cup clash which could pave the way for Federico Chiesa to make his fourth start of the campaign, having so far played every minute of Liverpool’s domestic cup games this season.

Half of the Italian’s goals for the Merseyside club have come in domestic cup competitions, including one in a win at this stage of last season’s competition, a 4-0 win against Accrington.

Federico Chiesa to score at 5/4 with SBK

Bland in the book

No player on either team eligible for tonight’s game has received more yellow cards this season than the young Barnsley midfielder Jonathan Bland, the Wales U21 international having picked up seven bookings so far.

Jonathan Bland to be carded at 23/10 with SBK

Liverpool v Barnsley predicted lineups

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili (GK); Ramsay, Gomez, Robertson, Kerkez; Nyoni, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Jones, Ngumoha; Chiesa

Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Mahoney (GK); Watson, de Gevigney, Shepherd, Earl; Phillips, Bland; Jalo, Kelly, McGoldrick; Keillor-Dunn

How to watch Liverpool v Barnsley

Location: Anfield, Liverpool
Date and time: Monday 12th January 2026, 7:45pm
How to watch: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+

More FA Cup predictions

Find more predictions and betting tips from our expert punters in our match previews on the Premier League, Championship, League One and more!

More FA Cup free bets

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.