Communites League Cup 1st Rd, Tuesday, Ibrox, 7.45pm
RANGERS' tour of the SFL continues with a League Cup opener at Ibrox. Twelve months ago you would have been accused of drinking meths if you had suggested Ally McCoist's side would be facing such a tie.
But while the likes of Celtic, Motherwell and Dundee Utd enter the tournament later on the fallen giants face an opening hurdle tonight – postponed from the weekend because the police ironically couldn't cope with Celtic and Rangers being at home on the same day.
So it's game No.2 for the Ibrox men and a second outing against Second Division opposition. The first in the Ramsdens Cup didn't go totally to plan as they needed extra time to see off Brechin at Glebe Park.
A meeting against former Rangers player Gordon Durie's side won't be a walkover but having got a taste of life as an SFL club the Glasgow outfit should be better placed to put on a show.
McCoist's men look way too strong for any team in the SFL but have to match the hunger of the underdogs they'll face week in week out.
If they do that Rangers, who have brought in the impressive Dean Shiels, will win most matches comfortably.
Rangers are no bigger than 1-6 at BetVictor and Stan James and that reflects the fact bookies will fear them every game. The draw pays 13-2 at Stan James while the Fifers are as big as
14-1 at Coral and Paddy Power.
Even on the handicaps bookies aren't giving much away with Rangers -1 just 1-2 at Paddy Power and 7-4 with Skybet giving away a two-goal start. Minus three the Gers are 11-4 at Paddy Power but that might be one too many.
To score in both halves McCoist's men are 4-7 at Paddy Power and 4-7 with Ladbrokes on the HT/FT market.
Interestingly, you can have Rangers at 20-1 on the outrights with bet365. It could be worth an each-way punt considering at full strength they should be on a par with all SPL sides bar Celtic. So if they avoid their old rivals on the way to the Final there is every chance of getting paid out at one third the odds.
Recommendations
Rangers -2
(7-4, Skybet)
Rangers ew to win League Cup
(20-1, bet365)
20/1 for gers to win cup, 14/1 aberdeen looks more appealing to me. reports suggest sandaza and a brazillian cld be signed this wk but still not gd enough for the most spl clubs, imo
Craig, I just the 20-1 was worth a look. Cup games will be even more important than usual for Rangers with no SPL and no Europe. Aberdeen’s recent cup record has been dreadful so that has to improve dramatically.
dont like to bet on games i attend but as its my last ever rangers game i am looking forward to a demolition of east fife and cant resist making what i hope is a killing odds courtesy of paddy power gers win to nil 1/1 gers to win both halves 6/5 gers score first goal upto including 20th minute 11/8 gers to score in both halves 4/7 hope im not left gutted and feeling rather sick at full time whistle
First goal to be scored in under 20 mins @ 5/6 is the bet for me.
Bet Rangersat 21 to win the league cup,then lay them with betfair when they fall to 11
Any thoughts on Olympic football today Paul?
Guy, lost interest in the Olympic football early on to be honest, especially after Spain’s defeats.
Rangers to win both halves @ Evens, Rangers -2 @ Evens and Rangers leading at 20 minutes @ 11/8 for me
Oh and for any1 who doesnt know, Rangers have signed Fran Sandaza and Kevin Kyle 2day. Sandaza has a chance of playing 2night,not sure about Kyle. That really made my mind up for 2nights bets,think Rangers will be flying 2night
Jonathan, Kyle and Sandaza start on the bench but a really strong Rangers team that should rack up a big score.
Could only get 6to5 rangers -2. That 7to4 must have got battered paul. Doubled it with liverpool later in the wk at 2to1 -2. Good luck.
jumped on the wagon tonight for wee bit interst after signings today.
over 2.5 1st hf gls – 9/4
gers -2 – evs
5-0 13/1
6-0 22/1
7-0 50/1
8-0 100/1
fiver top 2 and 50p corr scores
£1 acca on cardiff, auxerre, dijon, metz and dyn kiev for £100 tae.
Hi Paul. I’m going to the game tonight and I can’t see past a convincing Rangers victory.
I’ve bet Rangers on the handicaps minus 2 (6/5) minus 3 (13/5) and minus 4 (6/1).
It’s probably a long shot with minus 4 but you never know!
Good luck everyone!
James, it could be any number tonight if that’s the way Rangers feel and they are clinical enough. Gap between the squads is massive.
My bets tonight half time correct score. Any other on skybet 12/1 and shiels first scorer. Only small stakes for a bit of fun. 6/1 for shiels with laddies thought that was good compared to most other firms.
As some may know I am trying to do 6 even money in a row to win in the £3500+ margin. Done 2 in a row over the weekend so I have £422.20, going shorter than even money price tonite and putting it all on rangers -1 at 1/2, couldnt resist that price. Hopefully have winnings of £633.30 for the weekend.
Good luck to everyone tnite.
Andy, you should be OK with that having just seen Rangers starting line-up.
hope it comes in for you andy, tried it a few times but only £10 to £300. kept on w/ding wen got ton cos wld be gutted if lost. will be gd to get involved in rolling acca on here in cpl wks.
Hope your right paul. Just hope they want to show everyone that they areup for it and go for goals!
Alex, just think they’ll be to good. My team Clydebank are as good if not better than most of the Second and Third Division clubs but we couldn’t live with that Rangers line-up. Game kicked off about 20 minutes late by the way due to the crowds so just started.
Rangers doing fine,4-0 so far,so well done all the guys who have picked up winnings. I have now done 3 bets in a row correct, the best i have done since trying the even money betting.
£633.30 winnings for number 4 bet,Hills online prices, panathinikos 2/9
liverpool 2/11 and hannover -1 4/9 comes to 1.08-1
Returns £1321.32. Wish me luck.
OK, good luck Andy. There was easy money to be made on Rangers tonight and we’ve got to take before bookies cut them even shorter.
All 8 games in coupe de la ligue in france have gone to extra time, just a useless bit of info for yaz. Well done Andy takes alot of bottle to put that on an even money bet.
David, it was 8 out of 12 but still unusual.
Its an unusual situation to have 8 games all goin to extra time.
Awrite i stand corrected but as u say still strange bit of match fixing going on from the french haha.
dijon bumped me for 5 team 100/1 shot, thought ma luck was in wi dy kiev and metz 90th min winners but 1 too much. need at least another gl for corr score as got 5,6,7 & 8-0 haha
Craig, looks like Rangers took the foot off the gas at 4-0. To be honest my thoughts were 3-0 or 4-0 which is why I recommended Rangers -2. I went big on a couple of Rangers bets tonight, don’t like going down to leagues such as German third tier.
Plus all games in german div 3 had goals by both teams in all games. Said a when that league started to look out for goals in the lower german leagues! Like you paul the prices on rangers will go well down in the next few wks!
took -2 tip at evs so £ for celtoc game but the french cup seemed only fitba on bar friendlies. just took teams that knew because decent prices tbh, whats your thoughts tomorrow paul, do you think can get the win or at least a draw
Craig, I’ll put up a post later but expecting Celtic to qualify. Won’t be easy though against a stuffy team and on a plastic pitch Neil Lennon doesn’t like. But I can see Celtic scoring and that could be crucial.
Celtic 1-0 I think
a wonderful evening of entertainment and profit soiled by rotten polis £40 fixed penalty for a botto a poof juice polis you have 28 days to pay this MR Taylor…every fibre in my being was itching to bam them up and say catch me if you can scumballs week the mawra am off on a 12,000 mile adventure
Thats rubbish Danny. I thought the police just take it off you. £40 fine is a little harsh. You could have just put it into a coke bottle
Rangers have dropped to 16/1 from 20/1 to win the Scottish cup, and they seem to taken the League cup betting of 365 web site.
Danny, they’ll be working out their liabilities after putting up that 20-1!
First bet of the new season was last night on Rangers first goal before 25.00 5/6. Good to get the first bet up, wonder how long it will continue though…
I think i will try the “evens” challenge over the next few weeks. More than likely using the BTTS market.
What are peoples thoughts for the lower leagues??
Just for an interest…
Morton 14/1
Ayr 10/3
Without Rangers, the market is interesting. You are getting 1/5 the odds for 3 places. Clyde 22/1 looks rather big i think.
Tommo, the Rangers game was profitable for most last night. I’ve looking at SFL anteposts and will be post my selections on Friday or Saturday morning.