AYR UNITED have been the surprise package so far in the SPFL Championship and if they upset the odds once more to beat title favourites Dundee at Somerset Park then it will keep them top of the table.
The Honest Men only just dodged the drop last season and another relegation battle looked likely after an underwhelming League Cup group campaign that saw them finish fourth behind Annan, Queen of the South and St Johnstone.
But they ground out a point against Arbroath on day one in the Championship and have yet to taste defeat after four matches, a run that has left Ayr clear at the summit.
Dundee are one of four sides just a point behind them in the table and the Dark Blues have made a decent start to the season under new boss Gary Bowyer.
They racked up four successive wins to top their League Cup section, only to lose 3-2 at Dens Park to Partick in their Championship opener (below). Successive victories over Raith and Arbroath got them back on track but they had to settle for just a draw at Morton last weekend.
The bookies had them as odds-on favourites at Cappielow but I thought Ton would make it hard for them and cashed in by backing the half-time stalemate.
A point at such a tough venue isn't the worst result, however, and if Dundee can emerge from Somerset Park with three under the belt then it bodes well for a title charge.
How the bookies view it
Ayr United's impressive form makes this a tough one to call and the bookies can't split the teams. The Honest Men are a best 13/8 at Betfair while a Dundee win pays 12/7 at VBet. A second successive draw for the Dark Blues is 23/10 at Betway.
Head to head
There hasn't been much between these sides in recent seasons, with the last 10 meetings producing five Dundee wins, four Ayr United victories and just one draw.
When the Dark Blues were last in the Championship two seasons ago, there was one win apiece in their Somerset Park clashes, with a 3-0 victory making up for a 2-0 defeat earlier in the campaign.
Players to watch
Dipo Akinyemi has sparked into the life for Ayr with four goals in his last three games. I cashed by backing him to score in the draw at Hamilton and he's 2/1 with Bet365 for anytime scorer here.
Young midfielder Josh Mulligan has caught the eye for Dundee under Bowyer and has chipped in with two goals so far. The 19-year-old is 5/1 at Bet365 for a goal and that looks generous.
Anything else catch the eye?
It's hard to know what to expect as Dundee's last two away games have produced a single strike while we've seen goals galore in Ayr United's last three matches.
Looking at the head to head, BTTS has landed in just one of the last five meetings so betting against it could pay off here at 11/10 with BetVictor. The half-time stalemate has come up in the last two for Ayr and that pays 11/10 with McBookie for this one.
The corner market is always worth a look in the Championship and Bet365 price over 11 corners at 6/5 for this one. They also offer 11/10 on over five first-half corners.
This Scottish Championship match between Ayr United and Dundee will be played on Aug 26, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Ayr United vs Dundee prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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