CELTIC saw their lead cut to five points after a dramatic finale to the SPFL Premiership weekend so they will be determined to get back on track when high-flying St Mirren come calling for an intriguing midweek fixture.
Despite drawing 0-0 with Hibernian at Easter Road, it looked like the Hoops would actually extend their lead over Rangers with the Ibrox side trailing 1-0 at home to Hearts a day later heading into injury time.
But Philippe Clement's side scored twice at the death to snatch a victory that has Gers fans dreaming of an equally dramatic comeback in the title race under their new Belgian manager.
Although Celtic were disappointing on Saturday, the drop in energy levels was perhaps understandable after such a tough shift just a few days earlier in their Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid.
And Brendan Rodgers would have bitten your hand off to be five points ahead at this stage of the season, with the Hoops having come through a tough run of away fixtures that included trips to Ibrox, Pittodrie and both Edinburgh venues.
They have a kinder run of games before the next derby but Celtic found St Mirren a tough nut to crack at times last term and the Buddies have been in great form so far in the new campaign.
Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of St Johnstone kept them in third place, just three points behind Rangers, so Stephen Robinson's men won't have any sense of inferiority as they rock up at Celtic Park.
How the bookies view it
Celtic are heavy favourites with home advantage and their best price is just 2/9 at Coral. St Mirren are as big as 14/1 with Paddy Power and even the draw is pretty hefty at 6/1 with Bet365.
Recent head to head
St Mirren were a thorn in Celtic's side last season as they won 2-0 in Paisley then drew 2-2 at Parkhead after the Hoops had wrapped up the title. But the three other matches last term in league and cup ended in heavy Celtic wins, with Ange Postecoglou's men scoring four goals or more in each match.
Players to watch
Rodgers probably regretted not freshening up his starting line-up on Saturday and Celtic looked more threatening when James Forrest and Mikey Johnston came off the bench to inject more energy down the flanks. But he will likely stick with the same front three for this one and Luis Palma looks good value for anytime scorer at 12/5 (Bet365), having netted in his last two games at Parkhead.
Celtic struggled to cope with the height and power of Curtis Main last term and although the striker has since moved on, St Mirren have recruited a similar kind of player in Mikael Mandron. A weekend double took his tally to six for the season and Mandron is 6/1 at Bet365 for a Parkhead strike.
Anything else catch the eye?
Celtic let down our man Mark with their shot-shy display on Saturday but there will probably be a reaction for this one. The last three meetings at Parkhead have all seen over 3.5 goals so that bet looks worth a punt in this one at 13/10 with Bet365. BTTS also stands a chance at 11/10 with Coral as the Buddies scored in three of their five matches with the Hoops last term.
Corners are always a good option when either of the Old Firm are at home and we saw 16 when St Mirren last came calling. Backing match corners and Celtic in the handicap could pay off but I've yet to see any prices for those markets.
This Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren will be played on Nov 1, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs St Mirren prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
