Dundee United vs St Johnstone
Scottish Premiership, KO: 15:00 Aug 24, 2024, CalForth Construction Arena
Dundee United are seeking their first Scottish Premiership win of the season as they host St Johnstone on Saturday. The hosts will be looking to build on their League Cup triumph and should have the upper hand over their erratic visitors.
Dundee United are still searching for their first Premiership win of the season, although they have not tasted defeat yet. Jim Goodwin's men have drawn their opening two matches, playing out a 2-2 scoreline with Dundee Bedford being held 1-1 by Ross County.
The good news for Dundee United heading into Saturday’s clash is that they have been solid in the League Cup and will be keen to transmit that form into the Premiership. They triumphed 1-0 over St Mirren in the League Cup second round with Ross Graham getting the goal.
It has been an erratic start to the season for St Johnstone, who have struggled to build any kind of momentum. They began their Premiership campaign with a 2-1 home defeat to Aberdeen but claimed a 3-0 victory at Kilmarnock.
St Johnstone will head into Saturday’s clash off the back defeat to Rangers in the League Cup second round. Craig Levein’s men struggled to get into the contest and finished without a single guess attempt on target.
How the bookies view it: Bookies backing Dundee United
Dundee United have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 10/11 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for St Johnstone is valued at 11/1 while a draw is also priced at odds of 11/4 by Betfred.
Head to head: St Johnstone with the edge
St Johnstone have a 24-22 advantage with 18 draws from 64 previous matches against Dundee United. They claimed a 1-0 victory in the most recent meeting last May.
Players to watch : Van Der Sande to shine
Jort Van Der Sande is yet to get off the mark since joining Dundee United from Dutch side Excelsior. The striker remains the preferred choice in attack for the hosts and could be backed to get off the mark on Saturday at 9/5 with Betfred.
St Johnstone also have quality in attack and will be looking at Adama Sidibeh to provide the spark. The forward has two goals already this season and is priced at 9/4 by Betfred to get on the score sheet on Saturday.
Probable line-ups
Dundee United continue to keep faith with Van Der Sande, who is expected to lead the line once again. David Babunski should feature in midfield while Declan Gallagher is set to retain his place in midfield.
Sidibeh and Benjamin Kimpioka appear to be forming a side attacking partnership and should start on Saturday. Aaron Essel should retain his place in midfield while Jack Sanders should feature in defence.
Dundee United: Walton, Adegboyega, Gallagher, Holt, Sevelj, Sibbald, Babunski, Ferry, Thompson, Traoanovski, Van Der Sande
St Johnstone: Rae, Neilson, Sanders, Cameron, Wright, MacPherson, Essel, Smith, Raymond, Sidibeh, Kimpioka
Anything else catch the eye?
Dundee United and St Johnstone have quality in attack and both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 with Betfred. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 10/11 while over 3.5 goals could also be considered at 9/4.
With Dundee United expected to have the upper hand on Saturday, they could be backed to score in both halves at 9/4 with Betfred.
This Scottish Premiership match between Dundee United and St Johnstone will be played on Aug 24, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Dundee United vs St Johnstone prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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