THE only online bookmaker listing first-scorer prices on all SPFL games are McBookie .com.
It’s a great service they provide and we’ve teamed up with the Scots firm to look at some of the best bets from Scotland.
Here is McBookie.com’s Damian Walker with his latest selections.
He says: “It is Scottish Cup semi-final weekend and I really like the look of Hibs at 6-4 to beat their Edinburgh rivals Hearts.
“Incredibly, when bookies first put this market up Hearts were the favourites. Did they think the Jambos were at home and not playing at a neutral ground?
“But even if they did there is no way they should have been market leaders for this game. Remember Hearts were relegated after a terrible season while their near neighbours were improving with every game under new boss Jack Ross.
“And Hibs have continued that progress in the 20-21 campaign to such an extent they sit third in the table and are just 11-8 to be the highest-placed team in the Premiership without Rangers and Celtic.
“As for Hearts it is still too early to say what level they are at and given the weakness of the Championship that level might not need to be that high for them to bounce straight back as champions.
“If I were pricing this game based on what we know so far this season I would have Hibs as odds-on favourites to win inside 90 minutes so 6-4 looks a cracking bet.
“Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet did this column plenty of favours last season for Dunfermline and has hit the ground running at Easter Road with seven Premiership goals from 10 games. McBookie make Nisbet 17-4 to score the opening goal.
“Talking of Edinburgh derbies, three years ago almost to the day, the then 25-year-old striker Simon Murray scored the only goal of the game as Hibs beat Hearts 1-0 in the Premiership. It says something about the ambition of Queen’s Park that Murray was signed in the summer by the League Two outfit.
“Murray is on the way back from a long-term knee injury but the Spiders had some great news last week with the return from injury of another top signing in the shape of Craig Slater who joined from Partick Thistle.
“Queen’s Park boss Ray McKinnon has assembled a really strong squad and I see no reason why they should be odds against at 13-10 away to Stranraer and expect the results to start flowing from now on.
“A measure of their amibition is Bob McHugh stepped down two divisions from Morton to join the Hampden Park side. McHugh is without a goal in four games but given his scoring record at Morton and Falkirk that shouldn’t last for too much longer and he is 5-1 with McBookie to be the game’s first goalscorer.
“Finally, Cove Rangers seem to have started this season in League One where they left off last in League Two and sit on top of the table after their opening two games.
“They also gave Hibs a fright in their League Cup encounter and I fancy them to beat League One title favourites Partick Thistle.
“The Jags lost their opening league fixture away to Clyde and will face a much tougher task in the Highlands on Saturday.
“Cove Rangers striker Mitch Megginson cost McBookie money all season last campaign with his 27 goals from 31 games and was a bad loser in the League Two top-scorer market.
“He is now just 4-1 to repeat the dose in League One top-scorer competition after netting three goals in the opening two league games. McBookie make him 7-2 to score the first goal of the game.”
Damian's Diamonds
- Nisbet (Dunfermline) 17-4
- McHugh (Queen's Park) 5-1
- Megginson (Cove) 4-1
Resident football tipster at Scotland's most read newspaper, the Daily Record, for over 20 years and proud host of one the best betting communities on the web with daily betting tips.
likewise on your Hibs theory, i was waiting on the odds to come out from sunday onwards. very surprised to see B365 initially offering 8/5 on Tuesday ( 10/11 to qualify). from a competitive point of view, i think Hibs competing against squads who play a faster tempo compared to what Hearts have been playing against might be a telling factor, added to the fact that i don,t think Robbie Neilson knows his strongest starting 11 just yet…