Peter Sharkey previews the weekend action in Scottish Premier League. Compare odds | Live scores
Following their spirited midweek performance against Juventus, Neil Lennon’s Celtic return to their bread-and-butter tomorrow when they host Dundee United at Parkhead. The champions beat United 4-0 last month, hence their 1/3 price (William Hill) to claim another three points. The Terrors did draw 2-2 with Celtic at Tannadice in November, but another stalemate (9/2, Coral) looks a long shot. Skybet’s 21/10 for Celtic to win by three or more goals has, not surprisingly, proved more popular with punters.
Kilmarnock, fresh from a last-gasp equaliser at Inverness on Wednesday, head to Edinburgh for a duel with Hearts they’re probably relishing. Killie are undefeated in their last seven meetings with the Jambos yet kick off as Stan James’s 7/2 outsiders.
Tenth-placed Hearts start as 11/10 favourites (bet365), but as Kilmarnock have already won at Tynecastle this term, both BetVictor’s 9/2 for them to lead 1-0 at half time lead and Ladbrokes’ 10/1 for them to secure a 1-0 victory, hold obvious appeal.
Motherwell have scored 15 goals in their last five duels with Inverness, conceding just four, en route to four impressive victories. Having beaten the Jags 4-1 and 5-1 this term, they open as BetVictor’s understandable 5/4 favourites, whereas Inverness are 12/5 (bet365). However, as Terry Butcher’s men have lost just two away matches all season (one at Motherwell), Ladbrokes’ 5/2 posted about a stalemate cannot be ignored. Paddy Power chalk 5/1 against both halves finishing on level terms.
Ross County and St Johnstone have met twice this season, matches that have yielded a total of five goals, but only one of those has been scored in the first half. It’s a statistic which boosts the appeal of bet365’s 7/4 odds for the first half to end goalless. Stan James install Ross as marginal 6/4 jollies, while BetVictor.comoffers 18/5 about it concluding as a score draw.
Hibs have beaten St Mirren 2-1 on both occasions they’ve met this term which means the pair’s last eight meetings have either been drawn or settled by a single goal. Skybet make the Saints their 6/4 favourites to win and Stan James offer 5/2 against the fixture producing fewer than two goals. Punters expecting a continuation of this season’s trend can get 10/1 (Paddy Power) against Hibs winning 2-1.
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