Live on SS3 & BT Sport 1: Sat 12.45 & 17.30: Peter Sharkey likes the look of Hearts, Ross County and St Mirren in Scotland this weekend.
Apart from a thrilling Cup tie which Celtic won 4-3 with virtually the final kick of the match, the four league fixtures between the Hoops and Dundee United yielded 20 goals last term. At an average of five goals per game, duels involving this pair clearly fall into the category marked ‘entertaining’, while for punters anticipating another flurry of goals, a series of wagers hold significant appeal.
For example, bet365 post 13/8 against Saturday’s contest producing more than 3.5 goals, while BetVictor.com mark 18/5 against the champions enjoying a two-goal margin of victory.
Celtic are 8/13 (William Hill) to claim three points, but Paddy Power’s 9/1 for them to win by four or more goals is worthy of further consideration.
After drawing four times in eight matches, Aberdeen and St Johnstone served up three conclusive results last term, which suggests that Stan James’s 6/5 for the Dons to win on Saturday cannot be discounted. Skybet price the Saints at 13/5 to bounce back from their unexpected 4-0 defeat by Dundee United and return to winning ways, but the 9/2 chalked by Winner.com against both halves finishing on level terms looks like one of the day’s most appealing bets.
All three fixtures between Hibs and Ross County were settled by a single goal last season – and all three were won by Ross. Home advantage accounts for Hibs’ 7/5 odds (Betway) and while both teams registered victories last weekend, Ross, priced at 8/1 (bet365) to win 1-0 look likely to emerge victorious this time.
Five of the last eight fixtures between Inverness and Hearts have finished level – the other three were settled by a single goal. Given this record, it’s surprising to see the Edinburgh side priced at 7/2 (Winner.com) to register a must-needed victory, whereas Inverness are BetVictor’s 5/6 jollies. Ladbrokes post 10/3 about it finishing as a score draw, while Betfred offer Inverness at 6/1 to win 1-0.
St Mirren (6/4, Stan James) are likely to have too much for newly-promoted Partick (19/10, Skybet), but it promises to be significantly closer at Motherwell who host Kilmarnock in the teatime kick-off. Four of the pair’s last seven duels have ended all square (two have finished goalless) and Betway’s 5/2 chalked against another draw offers decent value. Ladbrokes mark 10/1 about it finishing 0-0, but bet365’s 6/1 for the Steelmen to register a 1-0 win has, not surprisingly, proved the correct score market’s most popular conclusive result.
Recommended Bets:
St Mirren & Ross County double – 13/2 (BetVictor)
Hearts to beat Inverness – 7/2 (Winner.com)
Over 3.5 goals in Dundee Utd v Celtic – 13/8 (bet365)
Compare all Scottish Premiership odds and bet at the best price.
