Scottish Premier League - Week 6 Preview

A very very tough weekend last weekend. The much spruiked Motherwell/Draw bet against Rangers did not come off, and I have been mourning since. I maintain that while Rangers definitely looked more of a threat going forward, they were very lucky with all three goals, while Motherwell had no luck at all (hitting crossbar twice, disallowed Murphy goal etc). Still, I shall not dwell on what might’ve been, and we shall get our money back this weekend with a further six SPL games.

Again, Hearts, Rangers and Celtic all appear in Europe - Rangers the only side playing at home. As always, I have highlighted the better bets below, but a preview is provided for all games.

Inverness CT v Kilmarnock (Kilmarnock @ $2.88)

Killie face the troublesome trip to Inverness this weekend but I expect them to be too good. Killie have played some outstanding football this season (though last week were a bit ordinary), and I expect their class to be too much for Inverness to handle.
I still maintain that Inverness have not been that bad this season. They’ve grabbed some decent results and had a rash of bad luck. However, they do currently have as many as 7 first-team regulars out and for that reason I will go with Killie.
Look for James Dayton to have a day out for Killie.

Rangers v Aberdeen (Rangers @ $1.25, Rangers HT/FT @ $1.67)

Rangers caused me some grief last weekend when they were 3-0 winners against table leaders Motherwell away from home. They return home this weekend against an Aberdeen team who finally scored their first goals of the season.
Despite Rangers playing in Europe, I expect no hangover as they will man-handle Aberdeen comfortably. Aberdeen are a very ordinary side, made to look better due to Hibs ineptness. Rangers will dominate this game from start to finish, so will be taking the half time/full time double with Rangers as well.

St Mirren v Celtic (Celtic @ $1.35)

Celtic were costly last weekend. They totally dominated St Johnstone but could not find the back of the net. A missed penalty, two shots hitting the upright, two (more valid) penalty claims denied…incredible bad luck. Their bad luck was further compounded when St Johnstone scored a goal from a deflection that left keeper Foster with no chance. Neil Lennon absolutely roasted his players after the game, so will be interesting to see how they bounce back this weekend. They also have a trip to Sion to content with.
I see Celtic bouncing back this week with a win. They are playing one of my “money” teams in St Mirren which presents me with a moral dilemma…
Nigel Hasselbaink returns from suspension and will provide St Mirren with a much needed boost in attack. While I can see St Mirren causing Celtic some concern, I expect Celtic’s class to shine through in the end.

Hearts v Hibs (Hearts @ $1.70)

The first Edinburgh derby of the season. Usually, these games could go either way, regardless of position in the table, but at this point of the season I cannot see Hibs even getting a point. The fact that Hearts have a European game Thursday means it will probably be a little closer than it otherwise should be, but I still see them home comfortably.
If you want to see comedy, check out the Hibs defence in their last game against St Mirren. Spectacular stuff!

Other Games

St Johnstone v Dundee United (Draw @ $3.20, Dundee Utd @ $2.70)

A tricky game. Dundee Utd should be too good for St Johnstone, they definitely have the players to prove this. Their results, however, have been a little disappointing overall. They should’ve beaten Dunfermline, having the better of the chances, but failed to beat the goalkeeper. I can see them dominating this game, but perhaps struggling to truly enforce their dominance on the score sheet.
St Johstone are under the odds, most likely due to their terrific (and very lucky) win at Celtic Park. I’ll be taking the draw but saving on the Dundee Utd win.

Dunfermline v Motherwell (Draw @ $3.20, Motherwell @ $2.50)

Another tricky game. Motherwell should win. They should. Dunfermline have done well in churning out results, without necessarily being the better team and for that reason, I think they’re in with a chance of at least forcing a draw. Their goalkeeper, Paul Gallacher, has been outstanding at times this season, including last weekend’s shut out of Dundee Utd.
Motherwell will be keen to bounce back following their disappointing loss against Rangers. The score line definitely did not tell the true story of the game.
I’ll be taking the draw, with maybe a couple of bob on the Motherwell win.

@Wiggum7534