Scottish Football Betting: A Kris Boyd double will do us just fine
John Girvan acknowledges that the Old Firm aren’t quite the force they used to be and that the fear factor just isn’t there but Rangers should still be good enough to overcome the handicap at home to Kilmarnock. Plus the best of the rest.
“The key man as always in this kind of fixture, where you would expect a good few chances for the home side, is Kris Boyd. The striker has 13 goals in 13 games against his former club and you would expect him to build on the double at home to St Mirren two weeks ago.”
Hibs played one up top in the Edinburgh derby and couldn’t find a breakthrough. Just as well the shorter price on money back for a draw was backed, otherwise two weeks ago would have been a complete wash out! Rangers couldn’t deliver on -1.5 goals at home to St Mirren and few out there would have seen six goals between Falkirk and Celtic. Unders looked nailed on at HT and proved the value often lies with betting in-play.
Profit/Loss: -2.03pts
Rangers have a multitude of off-field problems but they can at least do their bit on it by winning Saturday’s home tie versus Kilmarnock.
The key man as always in this kind of fixture, where you would expect a good few chances for the home side, is Kris Boyd. The striker has 13 goals in 13 games against his former club and you would expect him to build on the double at home to St Mirren two weeks ago.
Walter Smiths’ men have beaten Killie by two or more in four of the Ayrshire clubs’ last six visits to Govan. So with Kilmarnock only scoring three in the last six, a double from Rangers, or even Boyd, could be enough to land another comfortable win as well as Rangers -1.5 goals in the Asian Handicap at 1.94.
I can’t see anyone being in a rush to back Hearts this weekend in their home tie with St Johnstone and especially not at 2.0 in the Match Odds. Man for man they aren’t a bad side but they do sit just 8th in the table after 11 games and a serious lack of firepower is having a detrimental effect on their season. Just three Hearts goals in the last six says it all.
Saints on the other hand know where the goals are and their early season flourish is continuing with eight in the last six. The leagues newcomers do concede a few, hence why they are a point behind Hearts at the moment, but they might just get away with it against shot-shy opponents and the 4.2 on St Johnstone might just prove a steal.
Hearts to keep a clean sheet is only 1.59. This is about right given the visitors have scored in all but one of their league games. When you consider Csaba Laszlos’ men have only scored more than a single goal in just one league tie this season then a clean sheet is almost a must if they have any chance of getting 3 points on Saturday. It looks unlikely, so lay Hearts at 2.04.
Celtic are there for the taking in Sunday’s live encounter at Tannadice. Dundee United haven’t beaten the hoops in a home game since 1999 but Craig Leveins’ men have held the Parkhead club in five of their last six encounters.
United were trailing 1-0 at home to Rangers at the point of last month’s half-time abandonment. Losing the game at the time, you would presume the manager was happy with that scenario, but not Craig Levein. His side were playing some good stuff and they felt they could at least get back into the game if not take all three points – it’s a measure of how little fear there is in facing the Old Firm these days.
That fear level drops considerably for The Arabs this weekend as Celtic travel to Tayside low in form, low in confidence and with personnel issues. Tony Mowbray’s men have just two wins from the last five SPL ties and received harsh criticism after the 3-3 draw at bottom side Falkirk. Artur Boruc, Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney are siad to have “no chance” of making this one whilst captain Steven McManus is suspended and fellow defender Glenn Loovens has groin trouble.
United have performed well against Celtic in recent years. They have started strongly this term, have three wins and two draws from their last five, and perhaps it is time they got some reward for their efforts. There is huge value in backing Dundee United both +0.5 goals in the Asian Handicap (1.99) and in the Match Odds at 4.4.
Recommendations:
Rangers -1.5 goals @ 1.94 (1pts)
Lay Hearts @ 2.04 (1pt)
Dundee United @ 4.4 (1pt)
Dundee United +0.5 @ 1.99 (2pts)
