CELTIC still haven't put a foot wrong at home in domestic football this season and will be hoping to take another step towards the SPFL Premiership title when they host Aberdeen.
Even when they're not playing at their best, the Hoops are still managing to blow teams away with St Mirren eventually battered 5-1 in the Scottish Cup last weekend.
I backed Ange Postecoglou's men to win both halves in that cup tie and the bet landed after Celtic netted four times in the last 15 minutes. Since losing to St Mirren in Paisley back in September, the champions have won 21 of their next 22 games domestic games, with the other match in the run a 2-2 draw at Ibrox.
That's incredible form and it's a testament to Rangers that they are still just nine points behind, with the Ibrox side also racking up win after win since Michael Beale's arrival.
Postecoglou won't want to give Gers any hope ahead of the next derby at Parkhead in April and the Hoops now host an Aberdeen side who are showing signs of recovery after the slump that cost Jim Goodwin his job.
Caretaker boss Barry Robson ended a run of five successive defeats with a 3-1 victory over Motherwell in Aberdeen's last outing that brought up one of my super singles. He's now had a free week to work with the players in training, with the Dons already out of the Scottish Cup after their humiliating defeat to Darvel.
Goodwin copped stick for parking the bus when Aberdeen lost 1-0 to Celtic at Pittodrie back in December so it will be interesting to see what tactical approach Robson takes at Parkhead.
How the bookies view it
It's no great surprise to see Celtic as heavy favourites and their best price is just 1/6 at SkyBet. Aberdeen are a whopping 18/1 with William Hill while even the draw is huge at 15/2 with LiveScoreBet.
Recent head to head
That 1-0 triumph at Pittodrie in December made it 19 games unbeaten for Celtic in this fixture since a 1-0 loss at Parkhead back in 2018. The last five meetings have ended in wins for the Hoops, including a 2-0 triumph at Parkhead on the opening day of this SPFL Premiership season.
Players to watch
When top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi went off injured last weekend, Postecoglou shifted Daizen Maeda through the middle instead of bringing on new signing Oh Hyeon-Gyu off the bench. That move was vindicated as Maeda scored the opener, although Oh later came on to score his first goal for the club. I can see Maeda starting as centre-forward again here but the Japanese star is just 3/4 at Unibet for a goal. The odds increase to 33/10 at the same firm if you back him to break the deadlock.
Luis Lopes, known as Duk, has been Aberdeen's brightest spark this season and scored a stunning free-kick in their 3-2 loss to Rangers. The former Benfica forward looks their best bet for a Parkhead goal and he's 9/2 with Bet365 for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Celtic have bossed this fixture in recent years, the matches have been pretty close, with five of their last six victories coming by a one-goal margin. That could make the Dons worth a look in the handicap and they are a decent 7/10 with Betway with a three-goal start.
Under 2.5 goals has come up in four of the last five meetings at Parkhead and that makes under 3.5 strikes another good option at 4/5 with McBookie. The odds increase to 21/10 at BetVictor if you back under 2.5 goals.
Celtic are usually worth a punt in the corner handicap and could rack up a few here if Aberdeen defend deep. Unibet have the Hoops -5 priced at 11/10 and that seems good value.
Jota scored a screamer when Aberdeen last came to Parkhead and it might take another moment of magic to unlock the Dons' defence. The Portuguese winger is 13/2 at Bet365 to score with another shot from outside the box.
This Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Aberdeen will be played on Feb 18, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs Aberdeen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
