Scottish Premiership Preview, Betting Tips and Odds
Celtic went the entire 2015/16 season unbeaten domestically, but the 2016/17 season already looks like it will be more of a challenge with a very competitive start to the league. Rangers are a much more positive side and in their last few games have been scoring at will; Celtic are the visitors on the early kick-off on Saturday in the first Old Firm derby of the season which will truly be a test for both sides of Glasgow, but who will take the bragging rights? Following the derby Hibs travel to the Highlands looking for their first win since the opening day of the season and St Johnstone host Hamilton. Second placed Aberdeen will have to wait until Sunday to try and add more points to their total when they make the trip to Motherwell.
Jim Delahunt reviews the big games and picks out where he sees the value in the markets. Check out what he says below and make your Scottish Premier League bets count!
Rangers v Celtic
Rangers came through a big test at Partick Thistle in the Betfred Cup on Tuesday night but they still needed extra-time to beat lower Premiership opposition and Saturday’s noon kick-off at Ibrox is a whole different ball game.
As if it wasn’t going to be a big enough test for Pedro Caixhina’s players, experienced defender Bruno Alves looks like being touch and go for the game after picking up an injury at Firhill and youngster Ross McCrorie may have to step in.
That could potentially mean Rangers fielding almost a whole team of Old Firm match debutants as the Portuguese manager was already looking at 8 before Tuesday and now may have to fielda remarkable NINE.
Rangers were already going to be outsiders on their own pitch this weekend at Betsafe’s 13/4 and there’s every chance that price could lengthen further as the week goes on if the injury news doesn’t get better for the home side.
Champions Celtic are 5/7 to get another win over their city rivals and that looks a fair price going into what could be a highly charged atmosphere on the south side of Glasgow.
Celtic have very possibility of being able to field both Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele in attack and should be simply too strong for Rangers in all areas of the pitch.
Brendan Rogers’ side won 5-1 at Saturday’s venue back in April and their fans won’t need reminding how superior they were that day but I doubt complacency will set in and am happily tipping Celtic to get the weekend’s treble off to a flier.
Craig Thomson will be a safe pair of hands as the man in the middle no matter what biased opinions are put forward before the game and Celtic should prove too strong and streetwise for Rangers at this early stage of a season where they’ve already tased Champions League football after Rangers crashed out to a side from Luxembourg.
Partick Thistle v Hearts
Thistle looked shaky at times against Rangers on Tuesday which was in total contract to their performance in the league game on the same Firhill pitch last Friday.
I tipped the draw here in that one but I fancy Hearts to go to Glasgow and get the win this week after the Jags were dragged through an extra-time defeat midweek.
Hearts confirmed their improvement under Craig Levein with a 2-1 win at Hamilton last weekend and the mental strength and ability they showed there will stand them in good stead against Thistle.
Ross Callachan and Kyle Lafferty scored the goals which eased Hearts to their first 3 points under the new Levein regime but it was Jamie Walker who proved the key to Hearts’s success and man-for-man they look a better unit than Partick.
The Betsafe prices confirm that with Hearts available at 23/20 for another win with the home side 23/10 and the draw at the same price.
Kyle Lafferty’s been around the block a few times now but he’s saved some good stuff for his Hearts career and he’s a player who always looks capable of grabbing a goal or two,
Goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin is also playing his part and Levein’s decision to make changes after the goalless draw with Aberdeen at Murrayfield certainly paid off.
That won’t rule out the likes of Don Cowie, Steven Randall and Aaron Hughes coming back to play their parts in Hearts’ season and squad strength plus a week’s rest can help the Jambos home to win at odds-against.
St Johnstone v Hamilton
Few could fault St Johnstone for lack of consistency under Tommy Wright but the only team to have taken points from Celtic finally lost a game last week at Dundee after a terrific start to the season.
Saints keeper Alan Mannus took his turn for the YouTube howler last weekend as Wright’s side went a goal down at Dens Park and they were 2-0 and 3-1 down before a late penalty made it 3-2.
Mannus and co. are back on home turf in Perth this weekend in what should be the quietest match in the Premiership between the two least supported teams but St Johnstone should be able to get back to winning.
The home team is 4/5 with Betsafe with Accies at 31/10 and anyone fancying the draw can go in at 5/2 but it’s a home win for me.
Michael O’Halloran can be excused a quitter game than normallast week after his early season scoring heroics and players like Wotherspoon. MacLean and Craig look sure to contribute more as well.
Accies already have 7 points on the board so there are certainly no panic stations being manned at New Douglas Park and they’ll continue to upset sides with bigger reputations.
In addition, 4 of their 7 points have been gained on the road and a goal difference of just -1 for the season suggests St Johnstone aren’t going to score a barrowload of goals.
That said, I strongly fancy Saints to get the win and continue their upwardly mobile progression under the continually under-rated Wright.
Best of the rest
My best 3 bets above featuring Celtic, Hearts and St Johnstone pays just over 11/2 at Betsafe this week but there are 3 other matches to be considered in the Premiership with a couple of nice draw opportunities after I tipped the Partick/Rangers stalemate at 31/10 last weekend.
MOTHERWELL face ABERDEEN on Sunday after their midweek cup-tie at the same venue on Thursday and the Steelmen’s home form this season has to give them plenty of hope about taking something from the game, probably at the Betsafe draw price of 29/10.
ROSS COUNTY and Hibs looks a tight one to me as well this week and Livingston proved at Easter Road on Tuesday night that Hibs still have a bit to go to become fully fledged Top 6 Premiership challengers.
Hibs do have a cup semi-final at Hampden to look forward to though and a draw in the Highlands at 5/2 might not be the worst result after Livingston lead twice at Easter Road.
Kilmarnock astounded most people by taking a point at Pittodrie but congratulations to them for doing so as they simply hadn’t looked capable of such a feat on all know league form this season.
Killie now face Dundee at Rugby Park and while I’d actually have Dundee edging favouritism here instead of Kilmarnock at 4/3, I’m going for the draw again at 23/10.
About Jim Delahunt
Jim Delahunt is a Scottish based TV and Radio sports presenter as well as being a newspaper columnist on football and horse-racing. He’s a former Champions League presenter for ITV in Scotland and is a former amateur jockey. From 1998-2006, he presented what was then the world’s longest running sports programme, Scotsport, on ITV in Scotland. He was later a presenter on Setanta Sports
Jim Delahunt is a Scottish based TV and Radio sports presenter as well as being a newspaper columnist on football and horse-racing. He’s a former Champions League presenter for ITV in Scotland and is a former amateur jockey. From 1998-2006, he presented what was then the world’s longest running sports programme, Scotsport, on ITV in Scotland. He was later a presenter on Setanta Sports
