CELTIC will be looking to end the season with yet another domestic treble when they take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden on Saturday evening.
Having already retained both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish League Cup, the Bhoys are on the brink of bagging what would be an eye-watering fifth clean sweep in seven seasons.
Ange Postecoglou's side warmed up for Saturday's showpiece with a title party to savour as they swept aside Aberdeen in a 5-0 rout last weekend.
With rumours linking Postecoglou to Tottenham gathering pace, it remains to be seen whether or not this year's Scottish Cup final will mark the swansong of the Celtic manager.
Standing in Celtic's way is an Inverness side who were handed a lifeline after a fourth-round loss to Queen's Park when the Spiders were subsequently kicked out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player, with Billy Dodds' side since making the most of their reprieve having seen off Livingston, Kilmarnock and Falkirk.
After a layoff in excess of four weeks following the conclusion of the Scottish Championship season, the Highlanders could either be fresh or rusty as they look to upset the odds and lift the Scottish Cup for the second time in their short history.
Outright Betting
Celtic, who have avoided defeat in 20 of their last 21 visits to Hampden, make their latest trip to Mount Florida as heavily fancied 1/8 (Bet 365) favourites.
Inverness stunned Celtic when defeating them at the semi-final stage eight years ago but the same outcome here is as big as 18/1 (Ladbrokes) while the 90 minute draw is also deemed unlikely at 9/1 (BetVictor).
Betting Angles
The above-mentioned odds on Celtic to win here are far too skinny, but I'm instead happy to snap up the 9/10 (BetVictor) on Celtic to win to nil.
This is about as David vs Goliath as you can get in terms of a Scottish Cup final it's almost impossible to envisage Celtic slipping up in their pursuit of the treble.
Ange Postecoglou's aesthetically-pleasing outfit have been well-nigh flawless domestically this season, emerging victorious in a whopping 40 of their 46 league and cup fixtures, losing just three times across that stretch.
It's also worth pointing out that the Bhoys' backline have held firm in 24 of their domestic 40 victories this season and I see no reason to oppose a repeat here on an afternoon where they are almost certain to enjoy the lion's share of possession against second tier opposition.
While Inverness are a hard-working and well-organised outfit who never go down without a fight, toppling treble-chasing Celtic looks to be a mammoth task for the Caley Jags.
With all this in mind, backing Celtic to prevail whilst keeping their sheets clean in the process looks like a worthy boost in price at 9/10 (BetVictor).
On a similar train of thought to the above, I'll also back Celtic to win Both Halves at 20/21 with Boylesports.
Given that Celtic's attacking intensity is their best form of defence, they look an extremely enticing price at a shade under evens to claim top honours in both halves in what is likely to be a party atmosphere on an evening when the Hoops support will take up the vast majority of Hampden Park.
This Scottish Cup match between Celtic and Inverness CT will be played on Jun 3, 2023 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs Inverness CT prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
