THE Euro 2016 qualifiers start back tonight and two stars of the last round meet at Celtic Park.
Scotland maintained their good form under Gordon Strachan by drawing in Poland while the Irish picked up a point away to Germany.
In terms of importance this is the biggest game of Gordon Strachan's reign. England will pitch up at Celtic Park on Tuesday but the Irish clash is the one the Scots really wants to win.
Strachan's men have lost just one in nine but there are enough sideshows here to make this a tough contest – Martin O'Neill and Robbie Keane returning to Celtic Park along with Aiden McGeady who will face the country of his birth. James McCarthy would have been in the same boat but is injured.
I'm tipping a home win )and remember I'm biased) but a safer bet on a night of thrills and spills could be both to score at 6-5 with Coral.
Scotland are 7-5 with William Hill while the Irish are 5-2 at bet365 and the draw pays 9-4.
Steven Fletcher is expected to start up front on his own with Steven Naismith tucked in behind and both to score at any time is 21-10 with William Hill. Fletcher has netted four times in recent games for Sunderland and is 6-1 at McBookie to break the deadlock while Naisy is 7-1 at William Hill and Ladbrokes.
The Irishman to watch is record scorer Keane who is 8-1 at Winner.com to score first. There should be thrills and spills and a red card is a possibility at 12-5 with Hills.
The other matches in Scotland's group see Poland travel to Georgia and Germany hosting Gibraltar. Georgia are tough to break down but the Poles can nick this one at 19-20 at Coral.
Gibraltar lost 7-0 to Poland and Ireland so you have to expect the Germans to at least match that tally. The home side are 10-11 at William Hill minus nine so bookies are giving little away.
Recommended Bets
Scotland v Ireland btts
(6-5, Coral)
Fletcher to score
(11-5, McBookie)
Poland
(19-20, Coral)
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.
Germany vs. Gibraltar – ANYTIME OWN GOAL @ $4.50.
There has to be some value in this right? I can’t find any other value bets in the market for this game (with such a short price fave its tricky to pick the right handicap at value, etc).
What does everyone think? There would have to be at least 1 shot deflected into their own net if the expectations of 10+ german goals comes to fruition. Can’t see the harm of throwing at 10’er on it :-)
Scotland -1. @ 7/2.
scotland -1 player @6/1
2-2
Hard one for me tonight, whole family is irish I’m born and bred in England but have lived in Scotland since I was 15. So I’m not laying down good money on this game.
£5 on robbie Keane 1-0 28/1
As an Englishman its best to stay impartial ;-)
Scotland v Ireland draw 11/5 @ bet365
scotland v rep of ireland rep of ireland to win @ 9/4 as an englishman its easier for me to bet on ireland to me are the more established out of the two sides and really should win this match.
Have taken over 9.5 corners @ 31/40 GL
Back an outsider for value tonight is all I can suggest the longer the game goes on the more likelihood it will be 1:0 either way. Value in centre half perhaps from a set piece at 50/40s /1
or midfield ie Brown or Mulgrew @ 20/1
Btts and Ireland to win 7/1
And I wouldn’t be surprised to see norther island beat Romania btts @ 14/1
5 pound double pays £600 at coral
John Oshea 1st goal
mcgeady 1st goal