CELTIC'S only domestic defeat this season has come at the hands of St Mirren so the champions will have a score to settle when the Buddies come calling for this midweek SPFL Premiership fixture.
Stephen Robinson got his game plan spot on in Paisley back in September and St Mirren thoroughly deserved their 2-0 win against a Hoops side that lacked urgency.
But the response from Ange Postecoglou's men since that setback has been hugely impressive, with 15 domestic victories and a draw at Ibrox keeping them on track for a treble.
Celtic booked their place in the League Cup Final with a 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Hampden on Saturday, with our man Mark seeing his bet of a Hoops win to nil come up.
It's now three clean sheets in four games for Postecoglou's side and St Mirren will have to find a way of hurting them on the break at Celtic Park.
The Buddies drew a blank in their last outing at Tynecastle but played well and were unlucky to lose 1-0 against a Hearts side in terrific form.
Away form has been St Mirren's biggest issue this season, with just two victories on their travels in all competitions. It would be a massive surprise if they added to that tally at Parkhead but the Buddies could be a hard nut to crack for Celtic.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Celtic as heavy favourites on home turf and they are a best 1/8 at LiveScoreBet. St Mirren are a whopping 28/1 with Ladbrokes and even the draw pays a hefty 43/5 at SBK.
Recent head to head
St Mirren's recent record against Celtic is decent, with just four defeats in the last seven Paisley meetings plus a 2-1 Parkhead victory two years ago. But the Hoops have bossed their home games against the Buddies, winning 16 of the last 17.
Players to watch
Postecoglou paid the price for resting some of his key men in that Paisley defeat so I doubt he'll make many changes for this one, even though Celtic had a tiring semi-final on a dreadful Hampden pitch. Portuguese winger Jota is returning to form and fitness and he's evens for a goal at Bet365. But I reckon an assist is more likely and that pays the same price at McBookie.
St Mirren got plenty of joy in aerial battles against Celtic in their last meeting and Curtis Main could ruffle a few feathers at Parkhead. The target man is 15/2 with William Hill for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Celtic haven't been at their fluent best in recent weeks and found Kilmarnock difficult to break down in their recent league and cup double-header. I'd expect St Mirren to use similar containment tactics and that makes under 3.5 goals a good option at 10/11 with Bet365.
With the Buddies sitting back, Celtic could rack up a few corners and I like the evens on offer at Bet365 for over 8.5 Hoops corners. Backing Postecoglou's side in the handicap at -5 also pays 10/11 with the same firm.
Alexandro Bernabei should continue to deputise for injured Greg Taylor at left-back for Celtic. He's good going forward but was a weak link defensively in the cup semi-final and that won't have gone unnoticed by Robinson, with Bernabei 7/2 at Bet365 for a card.
This Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren will be played on Jan 18, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs St Mirren prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
