IT all kicks off in Scotland today and the advice is to play with low stakes until some form patterns emerge.
The Challenge Cup is now branded the Petrofac Training Cup but picking winners today will be no less of a challenge.
Dozens of new players will be making debuts for the 32 teams involved and for many of the clubs today is still about preparing for the league season in a fortnight.
There have been 14 different winners of the tournament since 1990 but Rangers aren't one of them. They failed in their three attempts and while they kick off as 15-8 outright favourites with bet365 they've been handed the toughest possible tie away to Hibs.
Alan Stubbs's Easter Road men are second favourites at 5-1 at bet365 but with one of the top two exiting today it might pay to back St Mirren (11-2, bet365) or Falkirk (12-1, McBookie) each way.
The Hibs-Rangers clash launches the season at 12.30pm and the Scott Allan transfer saga has created an interesting sub-plot. I don't know if Stubbs will pitch the unsettled midfielder into the fray but it will add en edge if he does.
I can't see how Hibs can sell their star man to their biggest rivals but it may be preferable to keeping a player who wants to leave.
Rangers beat Hibs in the end-of-season play-offs but this is a new team under Mark Warburton.
Signs of progress are promising though and I'm backing the Ibrox men draw no bet at 19-20 with Coral. To win Gers are a best 7-4 at Coral.
Martyn Waghorn is a good capture and the striker is being supported for Championship top scorer at 7-1 with McBookie.
He netted against Hibs at a pre-season training camp in Spain and is 7-1 to break the deadlock at Easter Road.
Jason Cummings is 5-1 favourite to take the Championship Golden Boot and is 6-1 with bet365 to net first today.
Hibs beat Gers three times in the league last season season and are 13-8 at Paddy Power to win again with the draw 5-2 at Stan James.
It could take some time to get going as both sides find their feet and an early goal would be a surprise. Take time of first goal after 26 minutes with Paddy Power.
Recommended Bets
Rangers draw no bet
(19-20, Coral)
1st goal time over 26 mins
(10-11, Paddy Power)
Falkirk ew to win Petrofac Cup
(12-1, McBookie)
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.
LOL MINI HOOPS 3-1, Warburtons brought a couple ae guys that couldn’t get a game for Wigan. 1 good game, well??, hibs will beat them sorry to say but yer bets down before it started Paul.
My only bet will be over 14 corners 15/4 @Bet365
At 7-4 Rangers are the same price more or less as they are to win the trophy and I think they will win today.There defence is looking pretty tight and confident and indeed Hibs might not score.On the Allan issue would not surprise me if Hibs don’t sell but hey Hibs must have plenty money I mean they lost around 200k in the play off match because they would not sell Rangers that full stand when there was big gaps in their stands great marketing that ! Back to the tips Rangers to win to nil 4-1 for me.
Alva, I think you’ll find Hibs along with Hearts and Motherwell reduced rangers ticket allocation in a tit-for-tat exercise after getting their allocation cut at a half empty Ibrox.
Of course that’s the case but Hearts can afford to do that because they can sell their ground out when playing Rangers the other 2 cant.
Can help but feel the first 2 posters might be a bit bias! Rangers have so many new faces it might take a while to click but Warburton and Weir should have them solid at the back. Hibs will be looking to dominate possession but without Allen, who I doubt will play, might struggle to make the breakthrough. I’m expecting a tight game so no goalscorer at 10/1 and draw and under 2.5 goals double at 11/1 both at bet 365 are my bets.
Sorry the draw/under 2.5 double is 7/2 not 11/1
Delboy,totally disagree mate,i think it will be an end to end open game.Plenty of fire in the bellies…Over 4.5 match goals & Hibs to win…11/1
Morning is the match 12:30 kick off for TV can anyone confirm ?
Nalazus, agree about fire in the bellies but think that it will lead to cards rather than goals. Cards markets might be worth looking at, not a huge fan of them myself though.
Where in these comments do you get your facts Harry R ???? Maybe you’re just a biased rangers fan with your comments eh ???????? Oh btw,i dont follow either team.
Harry, your team died mate.
Harry, nothing to do wi bias at all. Hibs are the better side and if it wasn’t for rangers tapping up scott allen it could’ve been alot more than 3 ;)
Alves, many times you watched either team so far in pre-season?
Rangers to beat the wee Edinburgh team today with or without Allan,but hope HIBS do them n shut them up
Allen on the bench, that’s what Warburton wanted but still fancy Cummings to get a couple today
Alves, Hibs much weaker without Allan as we know. Sticking with Rangers draw no bet.
Good start for Hibs – off to walk the dug and follow the action on my phone.
There’s the 1st ;) also done a couple of daft longshots wi btts and over 2.5 gls 12 folds and btts/win wi hibs 1st up
Hibs hammering them so far.
The Breadmans side looks stale.
If anyone did get on 15+ corners at 15/4 under 15 is now 5/6
Hope somebody jumped on Rangers to win title @1.72 as like i said that price will drop, Bet365 go 1/2 now. As for the game, what a thrashing hibs got, Tavernier man of the match for me.
1 game won & everybody else has no chance hahaha……Have a word wi yersel joh smith
Jings I got that spectacularly wrong! Rangers looked no bad but Hibs were definitely unsettled by the Scott Allan nonsense. Waghorn should be a decent signing if fit.