STEVEN Gerrard's Rangers juggernaut rolls on to Pittodrie on Sunday afternoon for a Scottish Premiership clash with fierce rivals Aberdeen.
Rangers strengthened their grip on top spot in the Premiership with a hard-fought 1-0 win over arch-rivals Celtic last weekend, a result that has put the Light Blues firmly in the driving seat to end a decade-long wait to lift the Scottish league title.
That Old Firm triumph also means that the Teddy Bears have now avoided defeat in each of their 22 top-flight tussles this term, an eye-catching sequence that coincides with a staggering 18 clean sheets.
Rangers will be keen to keep up their relentless form with a view to extending their lead at the summit, at least temporarily, when they head north to face old foes Aberdeen on Sunday.
The Dons themselves are in decent form having made their second-strongest start to a season in two decades and they go into this match in the midst of a seven-match unbeaten run.
In fact the Dandies last league defeat was in November's reverse fixture at Ibrox, a 4-0 loss, but Derek McInnes' men have proved to be a thorn in the side of Gerrard's Gers in recent seasons and they should be a tougher nut to crack on their own patch.
Outright Betting
Aberdeen have failed to topple Rangers in their last six attempts and the bookies odds suggest that trend is set to continue after pricing the Dons up at a whopping 8/1 with Bet 365, while a point apiece at Pittodrie pays 15/4 with the same firm.
Rangers have won each of their last 14 Scottish Premiership matches and the visitors are odds-on at 4/11 with BetVictor to extend that sequence on Sunday.
Betting Angles
Rangers unbeaten start to the season can be attributed to their remarkable clean sheet record, but it may pay to go against the grain this time around and take a value price.
A solitary Aberdeen goal on Sunday is priced up at 19/20 with Genting and that price just looks a little bit too big to me.
Indeed, Rangers' robust defensive displays this season have been nothing short of sensational but Steven Gerrard's side have been solid rather than sparkling in recent weeks.
The Ibrox side were fairly fortunate to beat Celtic in the Old Firm derby last weekend and I suspect McInnes' men will give Rangers a real game on Sunday.
True, the Dons have been shot-shy in recent weeks but they are unbeaten in their last seven matches on home turf and they have scored two or more goals in all but one of those fixtures, a sample that includes visits from Celtic and Hibs.
Aberdeen and Rangers have thrown up some fiery fixtures over the past few years and Dons midfielder Lewis Ferguson is an obvious candidate for a caution at a 7/4 with Bet 365.
However, those odds make little appeal so instead I'll take the 5/1 on offer with Bet 365 for Aberdeen utility man Jonny Hayes to be booked.
The tough-tackling Irishman had his name taken last time out and the self-confessed Celtic fan looks overpriced to receive another caution on Sunday.
That train of thought is also going to see me chance a Pittordire longshot by combining Ferguson and Hayes in an anytime card double, a tasty 16/1 shot with Bet 365.
The above-mentioned duo are no stranger to the referees notebook and with both teams bound to be right up for this one, I suspect this longshot could be worth some loose change.
This Scottish Premiership match between Aberdeen and Rangers will be played on Jan 10, 2021 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Aberdeen vs Rangers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
