ABERDEEN are being backed heavily to win the League Cup Final and are now 5-6 from 11-10 with most firms.
The Dons tackle Inverness at Celtic Park (2.30pm) and I expect them to lift their first trophy in 19 years.
I know anything can happen in finals but I can't see past Aberdeen who come into the game in great form and of course two recent wins against Celtic.
Scouse striker Adam Rooney has quickly become their go-to hitman for a goal and he's banged in six in eight games since swapping the obscurity of Oldham for a shot at League Cup glory.
Inverness won't give this up easily and boss John Hughes will have his players fired up for a battle that's not against just Aberdeen but everyone – the SFA, refs and even the ball boys make get in the neck if things don't work out.
Hughes has adopted a siege mentality and after successive 5-0 defeats followed by a 0-0 draw with Hibs he may need it.
His side have picked the wrong team to switch which is why the likes of Ladbrokes and Paddy Power have installed them as 14-5 to win in 90 minutes and 11-8 outright.
Aberdeen have won five of their last six and that's great form to take into a final. If they can handle the occasion in front of 40,000 of their own fans they should win well.
Rooney is 5-1 at bet365 to bang in the opener and 7-4 at Betfred just to score. The most likely alternative is Niall McGinn at 5-1 while the likes of Barry Robson and Peter Pawlett can't be ruled.
Inverness's hopes will rest with top scorer Billy Mckay who is 13-2 at McBookie to score first and 15-8 at Stan James to net at any time. Rooney to score and Aberdeen win pays 3-1 at Hills and Mckay and ICT is 5-1.
If anyone fancies a draw you can have the Dons at 9-1 at William Hill to win after extra time with ICT 12-1. To take the Cup on penalties both sides are 10-1 at Hills.
Recommended Bets
Rooney to score first
(5-1, bet365)
Aberdeen
(5-6, various)
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.
GambleAware
Great write up Mr F, already backed Aberdeen heavily, as per your advice in midweek. It looks good on paper for Aberdeen, and the excellent form coming into it should minimalise any cup final jitters. Am all in, good luck Mr F.
Greg Browning
4 mins ago
Aberdeen v Inverness KO 2.30pm
Been waiting for this match ever since it was decided back in February as a great betting opportunity and nothing has changed since then! Wrote about this on Monday that Aberdeen are my NAP of 2014 ( previously NAP of 2014 was their 4-0 win in the semi’s )
I’vhen sanity checking my logic behind backing Aberdeen I’ve asked myself what reasons are there that would make me not back Aberdeen – I couldn’t find any other than the high expectation levels in Aberdeen! I could however find lots of reasons to back Aberdeen!
1) They have a good manager in McInnes
2) They are by far the second strongest team in the league
3) They have kept 19 clean sheets this season and are strong defensively!
4) they have a good balance of youth and experience
5) they finally have a striker in Adam Rooney who can score goals
4) They have players who can hurt you in Pawlett, McGinn and Hayes
6) They’ll have 40’000 fans backing and what a lift that must be to the Aberdeen players
7) Inverness have hardly had ideal preperation for this match having played on Wesneaday while Aberdeen had a full 8 days of rest which saw them relaxing at St Andews hotel for a few days!
8) 10 goals conceded and 0 goals scored in Inverness’s last three matches!
For me Aberdwwn should be 4/7 to win this match but your still getting 5/6 ( 11/10 when I put them on on Monday)
Back Aberdeen to lift the trophy 4/7
Aberdeen to win in 90 mins 11/10
Aberdeen over 1.5 team goals 11/10
Hills are still giving you 11/10 in there shops,but only to a £80 limit
Think McGinn is going to miss out today Greg!
Staying at the same hotel as the team last night & got talking to several players. Had a good 10-15 mins chat with Rooney, Reynolds, Vernon & Robson and all are very confident about today. Rooney in particular, he hates not scoring, but said as long as someone else scores the goals to win the cup he’ll be happy, as will I!
Had a very brief word with McInnes & Docherty last night as they sat down to a glass of wine with the rest of the back room staff. Hopefully they’ll be enjoying a few more tonight!
Main bets on the game are
Aberdeen to win @11/10
Aberdeen to score 2+ @ 6/5
Rooney to score anytime @7/4
And smaller stakes on
Aberdeen to score 3+ @ 4/1
Rooney to score 1st @ 11/2
Just off down for breakfast now, then heading into Glasgow for some pre match drinks.
Willy hill def still givin you 11/10 but £80 limit?? Anyone know
Al, lapping it up with Aberdeens finest are we! Haha good work mate, if you can’t enjoy yourself when your off work and your team is in a final when can you! :)
Have a cracking day – Stand free ;)
What a day Greg!
Think we might have won it in the 90 mins with a fit Pawlett & Hayes on the park. Other than his fumble I don’t think langfield had a save to make until the last minute of extra time! Caley under Yogi are a shadow of the side they were under Butcher.
All bets on the game were losers, that’s why I rarely bet on my team! Ha. Our names on the cup though & that’s all that matters at the end of the day! Just back to the hotel now after a fair few celebratory drinks, hope I’m not too rough in the morning as we’ve a 9.32 tee time booked for a round of golf before we head back up the road!
AL, Pawlett was a big miss and I wish Del had come clean with that and obviously Hayes hurting himself in the first minute didn’t help. Inverness paid Dons a compliment by saying we can’t beat you but we can stop you scoring and take it to pens at best. Didn’t do much for Scottish football’s image – but you won’t care about that.
Pawlett didn’t look to be carrying an injury when I seen him about the hotel, might have tweeked something on the morning of the game, who knows. If he never had a chance of playing then fair play to McInnes for keeping it under wraps, all the talk was of McGinn being the player who was going to miss out through injury.
You’re right about the game, wasn’t the greatest and that’s being kind. Caley had their game plan & it worked to an extent in that we never scored in the 90 minutes. As soon as Hayes wen’t off injured I thought 1 goal might win in. We just aren’t the same team with Hayes & Pawlett missing, any side in Scotland would miss those two.
Hopefully I won’t have to wait another 19 years for another trophy, and hopefully we win it with a better performance. I’d have taken it before the game though as long as it meant us lifting the cup!
Well done Hills on holding the price.