DUNDEE UNITED have taken a punt on Jim Goodwin saving them from the drop in the SPFL Premiership and in the typically bonkers world of Scottish football, his first game in charge comes against Aberdeen, the team that axed him just a few weeks ago.
Goodwin could have few complaints about being binned at Pittodrie, with a 6-0 thrashing at Hibs coming just days after presiding over a Scottish Cup loss to minnows Darvel, the worst result in the club's history.
With those embarrassments fresh in the memory, plenty of punters at Tannadice aren't exactly enthused about the Irishman being the handed the reins for their tense relegation battle.
I thought Ross County were good value to beat Dundee United in a six-pointer last weekend but was still surprised at the manner of their 4-0 Dingwall battering.
It was no shock to see Liam Fox binned as boss just a day later and he was soon followed out the door by sporting director Tony Asghar.
Goodwin is taking over a club in crisis but at least he doesn't need to do much homework on his first opponents, with Aberdeen beginning to show signs of recovery under caretaker manager Barry Robson.
The Dons have won two of their last three in the Premiership, with a loss at leaders Celtic in between, and that has taken them back into the top six. It shouldn't be forgotten that Goodwin had assembled a decent squad, with Aberdeen sitting third heading into the World Cup break before the horror run that led to the Irishman's departure.
Fourth-placed Hibs are just two points ahead of Aberdeen in the race for a European slot so if Robson can find some consistency then another harrowing season could still end well for the Dons.
How the bookies view it
A change of manager can often breathe life into a moribund team, with Motherwell winning two in a row after Stuart Kettlewell replaced Stevie Hammell. That makes this one tricky to call, although Aberdeen are favourites at 5/4 with Ladbrokes while Dundee United are 11/5 at Bet365 and LiveScoreBet price the draw at 5/2.
Recent head to head
Dundee United's best performance of the season came when Aberdeen pitched up at Tannadice, with the Tangerines romping to a 4-0 win. But Aberdeen got their revenge at Pittodrie in November as Bojan Miovski's penalty sealed a 1-0 win. In the last 10 meetings we've seen three Aberdeen victories, four Dundee United wins and three stalemates.
Players to watch
A lack of firepower has cost Dundee United badly this season, with Steven Fletcher the only recognised centre-forward at the club and more renowned for his link-up play than being an out-and-out goalscorer. The former Scotland striker still looks their best bet for a goal and he's 11/4 at Unibet for anytime scorer.
Aberdeen's superior strikeforce could give them the edge in this one, with both Miovki and Luis Lopes, known as Duk, catching the eye this season. The North Macedonian is in better scoring form, with three from his last three outings, and Miovski is 13/8 at Unibet for another goal here.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams to score has come up just once in the last nine meetings so betting against it could be the shout here, with BetVictor pricing that outcome at 23/20. Under 2.5 goals has also landed in four of the last five and that pays 10/11 at Bet365.
I'd expect it to be tight with so much at stake and the half-time draw is 11/10 at McBookie who also price a one-goal winning margin for either side at 13/10.
The card markets are worth a look as I'd expect both teams to be fired up for this one. Over 4.5 cards is 59/50 at Unibet while Dundee United's Ryan Edwards appeals for a card at 8/5 (Bet365) after five yellows and red so far this season.
This Scottish Premiership match between Dundee United and Aberdeen will be played on Mar 4, 2023 and kick off at 18:00. Check below for our tipsters best Dundee United vs Aberdeen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
