RANGERS must get themselves up off the canvas when they travel to Tannadice to take on Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.
Michael Beale’s men failed to hold firm at Ibrox last weekend against fierce foes Celtic, as Kyogo Furuhashi's dramatic late equaliser bagged the Bhoys a point.
That body blow means the Light Blues remain nine points behind their city rivals after 20 rounds of fixtures.
New boss Beale is now tasked with lifting the spirits in the Rangers dressing room ahead of Sunday’s trip to Dundee United.
Liam Fox’s side have hit the ground running since the World Cup break, having banked seven points from a possible nine, the most recent of which were earned courtesy of Tony Watt’s last goal in the Tayside derby.
That healthy festive haul has lifted Dundee United off the foot of the table, so they'll certainly be buoyed heading into Sunday’s showdown with Rangers.
Outright Betting
Dundee United haven’t tasted defeat on home turf since October, however the traders suggest that trend will be snapped here, with the hosts 10/1 (William Hill) outsiders while the draw is also deemed unlikely at 9/2 (PaddyPower).
Despite failing to emerge from Tannadice victorious on two occasions last term, Rangers are short-priced 1/3 (Bet 365) favourites to pick up three points on Sunday.
Betting Angles
As the odds suggest, an away win is the most likely outcome, but I reckon Rangers won't have things all their own way here, so much so that I'm prepared to back Both Teams to Score at 19/20 (UniBet).
While recent results have brought a sense of optimism back to Ibrox, the defensive issues that have plagued Rangers' season remain plain to see, with the Light Blues leaking multiple goals in three of their five matches under Michael Beale's management thus far,
What's more, Rangers' rearguard have shipped at least one strike in seven of their overall nine top-flight road trips this term, and I suspect they could struggle to shut out a Dundee United side that should come into this fixture with their tails up.
As already alluded to, the Terrors' form has been on an upward trajectory in recent times, with Liam Fox's side firing in nine goals across their last three Tannadice tussles, not to mention they also notched twice away at Celtic before the World Cup.
The hosts have also demonstrated defensive improvement by keeping their opponents at bay in their last two league games, however they will be hard tasked adding to that tally here given that Rangers have only failed to score once in 20 Scottish Premiership outings this season so far.
With all this in mind, coupled with the fact that BTTS has copped in six of Gers' nine league games outside of Govan this term, a repeat at 19/20 (UniBet) appeals during Sunday's City of Discovery dust-up.
Elsewhere, I'll also head to the player card market where the 5/1 (William Hill) on Rangers' midfielder John Lundstram to tackle himself into trouble looks a little too big to ignore.
The combative Scouser has never been one to shy away from a card and he should be kept busy here given that Dundee United's midfield duo Craig Sibbald and Dylan Levitt provide a combination of pace, flair and creativity.
This Scottish Premiership match between Dundee United and Rangers will be played on Jan 8, 2023 and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Dundee United vs Rangers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
