CELTIC are finally hitting some form as we approach the business end of the season and fans are dreaming of the Double as they gear up for a Scottish Cup semi-final with Aberdeen.
It looked like Brendan Rodgers' return to Parkhead would turn sour when a Rangers side revitalised by new manager Philippe Clement overhauled a seven-point deficit and went top in the SPFL Premiership.
But the Ibrox side have stumbled in recent weeks and the Hoops head into the post-split fixtures sitting at the summit, with the final derby of the season still to come at Celtic Park.
There could be another Old Firm showdown in the Scottish Cup Final with the rivals kept apart in the semis but Aberdeen and Hearts will be out to cause an upset this weekend.
The Dons are already planning for the future after it was announced earlier this week that Elfsborg manager Jimmy Thelin will take charge in the summer.
Having finished third last season, it has been a disappointing campaign for Aberdeen, despite reaching the League Cup Final and enjoying some decent results in Europe.
They are in the bottom half of the Premiership and still aren't safe from relegation, with second-bottom Ross County just five points behind them. But interim boss Peter Leven has made them harder to beat, with Aberdeen heading into the semi on a four-game unbeaten run.
Leven also oversaw a 1-1 draw with Celtic at Pittodrie before Neil Warnock's ill-fated stint in the hotseat and the Dons have the forwards to cause the Hoops some problems.
How the bookies view it
With Celtic in good form it's no surprise to see them as 1/6 hot favourites at Bet365 to reach the final, with the price only increasing to 4/11 at SkyBet for a win inside 90 minutes. Aberdeen are 9/2 at BoyleSports to qualify and 15/2 with BetVictor to get the job done in normal time. The draw at 90 minutes pays 17/4 at Bet365.
Recent head to head
Aberdeen haven't beaten Celtic since 2018, a winless run that stretches to 24 games. They last met in the Scottish Cup at the same stage four years ago and the Hoops won 2-0 with goals from Ryan Christie and Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Players to watch
Aberdeen will be pinning their hopes on Bojan Miovski and he scored the winner on their last trip to Hampden in the League Cup semi against Hibs. The North Macedonia striker is on 23 for the season and looks overpriced at 7/2 with Bet365 for a goal.
Nicolas Kuhn let me down when I tipped him for a Celtic goal last week so I'm going to switch to midfielder Matt O'Riley. He seems to be on the penalties now after a cheeky chip at Ibrox a couple of weeks ago and is 21/10 at Bet365 for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Goals have been at a premium since Leven took over from Warnock at Pittodrie, with four of their last five games seeing under 1.5 strikes. That suggests he will set up to frustrate at Hampden and under 2.5 goals could be worth a punt at 5/4 with Unibet. Backing a Celtic win with under 3.5 strikes also appeals at 23/20 with BoyleSports.
Rodgers' side have dominated the corner count in their last two meetings with Aberdeen, winning by a margin of 11 each time. So it could be worth backing Celtic in the corner handicap, although I can't see any prices for that yet. Bet365 do have odds for total corners and over 11 flag kicks looks decent value at 6/5.
This Scottish Cup match between Aberdeen and Celtic will be played on Apr 20, 2024 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Aberdeen vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
