FEB 1: CELTIC v RANGERS BETTING PREVIEW

I'VE probably written more than 100 Old Firm betting previews down the years and have only been confident about the outcome two or three times.

Form goes out the window in derbies but when these two meet it is blown to pieces. However, in Sunday's League Cup semi-final I see only one outcome … a Celtic win at a best 2-5 at Betfred and of course that price has shortened since it was first put up.

Celtic are stronger all over the park and the only question for me is: Will they match Gers’ desire?

All days should be played for low stakes and while I'm tempted to go big on the Celtic handicaps I won't – just in case something strange happens and in games like these it could.

Bad memories of the past few seasons for Rangers fans will be wiped out in an instant if Kenny McDowall’s men succeed and his side certainly have a cause.

However, since losing 4-0 at Hibs in his first match since replacing Ally McCoist his team haven’t performed well. McDowall has handed in his resignation and if Celtic’s big players turn up they could win by a big margin.

Rangers have beaten Alloa and Dumbarton since then without any plaudits for their display and last week's match at Cowdenbeath was frozen off and the week before their home game with Hearts was abandoned by snow.

One thing McDowall has plenty of experience of Old Firm matches while Ronny Deila in the opposite dugout won't have a clue what's about to hit him although being at Hampden the atmosphere will be diluted compared to what it might have been at Ibrox or Parkhead.

I’m on Celtic -1 at 10-11 with Ladbrokes and will also put a small stake on Celtic -2 at 12-5 with McBookie but if McDowall's clever he'll could park the bus and try to frustrate the opposition.

And we've seen in recent games against Ross County – 0-0 and 1-0 – that Celtic can struggle to break down packed defences. Open up against them and they can pick you off.

Rangers are the biggest they’ve been for any domestic fixture and loyal fans will back them at a biggest 15-2 at Coral while the draw is 9-2 with bet365. Not to lose the Blues are 5-2 with Paddy Power.

Gers are not much shorter than Bradford were at Chelsea in the FA Cup last weekend – and look what happened there.

Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton said his old club can’t lose if they keep 11 men on the park – and I agree. Ref Craig Thomson will earn his corn in what will be a fiery fixture and I can’t see him keeping his cards in his pocket.

Tackles are bound to be flying in and a red in the match pays 2-1 at McBookie and 888sport. Paddy Power go 14-1 on both sides having a man sent and there have been worse specials flagged up.

There isn't massive value in the cards markets with bet365 for example going 1-1 for over 75 points or over 7.5 cards. One card market that looks okay is time of first booking under 20 minutes. If Thomson doesn't flash a yellow or red during that spell he'll have done well.

Some firms are taking bets on whether a player is carded but most are odds on for example Celtic skipper Scott Brown at 4-6 and Rangers striker Kris Boyd at 1-1 – and both have experienced this fixture in the past.

A speculative punt on first player booked could be the way to go and Rangers hard-tackling midfielder Ian Black will be popular pick at 10-1 with McBookie and BetVictor. Brown is 12-1 at McBookie and if you fancy a defender instead what about young Celtic defender Jason Denayer, on loan from City.

Last time he'll have heard noise like this was when he borrowed Mario Balotelli's pink headphones.

Celtic have kept a clean sheet in five of the last eight Old Firm ties and are 21-20 at William Hill to shut out their rivals.

Kris Commons netted in the last Old Firm match and in Celtic’s last semi-final at Hampden. He is 6-5 at bet365 to hit the target again.

Commons will start and possibly John Guidetti but the opener could come from a set-piece and I'm on Virgil van Dijk to score at any time at 6-1 with Coral.

Lee Wallace scored for Rangers in their last win over Celtic. To net in a Gers win he’s 25-1 at William Hill.

Recommended Bets

Celtic -1
(10-11, Ladbrokes)

Match red card
(2-1, McBookie, Paddy Power)

First booking under 20 minutes
(5-6, bet365)

Black first booking
(10-1, McBookie)

Van Dijk to score
(6-1, Coral)

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