Live on SS2 & ESPN: Sat 12.45 & Sun 14.15: Peter Sharkey casts his eye over this week’s SPL action and fancies a 15/2 handicap double (bet365).
Scottish football fans welcome back top flight football tomorrow, the action starting at lunchtime when St Mirren host Ross County. Following their 5-4 September classic (won by the Saints), the pair drew 0-0 in November, results which make this a tough one to call.
St Mirren start as BetVictor’s 13/10 favourites, with Ross priced at 12/5 (Stan James) . Given their previous two results, that looks about right, adding appeal to Ladbrokes’ 3/1 for the Buddies to enjoy a one goal margin of victory.
Celtic have won their last five league matches against Hearts without conceding, a run which boosts the attractiveness of Paddy Power’s 4/5 odds for the Hoops to retain another clean sheet when the pair meet at Parkhead. Bet365’s 23/10 for the champions to secure victory when kicking off with a two goal deficit is sure to tempt.
Punters may have expected Hibs to be priced considerably shorter than Skybet’s 4/7 to overhaul Dundee at Easter Road, particularly as the visitors have the SPL’s worst away record. William Hill consider Hibs a 13/8 shot to win when starting with a one goal deficit, while Stan James post 7/1 against a 2-0 home victory.
Only once in their last 16 league meetings have Inverness and Aberdeen shared the points. They’re 5/2 (Paddy Power) to do so tomorrow, but at 6/4 to win (BetVictor.com), second-placed Inverness look very good value. However, as the Dons have won nine of those 16 duels, contrarian backers may feel they’re a little frothy at 19/10 (bet365) to make it ten from 17.
Kilmarnock and Dundee United have produced 14 goals in their last three meetings, a statistic which might point backers towards Stan James’s 5/6 odds about tomorrow’s fixture yielding more than 2.5 goals. However, prior to this goalscoring fiesta, four of the pair’s previous five encounters finished 1-1. Another 1-1 is priced at 6/1 by BetVictor.com, while the match draw is offered at 5/2 by bet365.
Motherwell and St Johnstone meet at Fir Park on Sunday, a fixture that looks set to yield goals as the pair have the SPL’s worst records for retaining clean sheets, a statistic which adds appeal to Skybet’s 4/5 odds about both sides scoring. Motherwell have won four of their last five duels and kick off as Stan James’ even money favourites.
Recommended Bets:
Handicap double on Celtic (-2) and Hibs (-1) – 15/2 (bet365)
Kilmarnock and Dundee Utd to draw 1-1 – 6/1 (BetVictor)
St Mirren to beat Ross County by a one-goal margin – 3/1 (Ladbrokes)
Compare all SPL odds and bet at the best price.
