Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs Kilmarnock
Scottish Championship, KO: 19:45 Apr 15, 2022, Caledonian Stadium
KILMARNOCK can seal the Championship title this weekend but defeat on this tricky road trip to Inverness could fire the title race wide open again.
Derek McInnes' men still have a four-point lead at the top after both Killie and Arbroath claimed wins last weekend and there are now just three games to go.
If the leaders see off Caley Thistle in the Highlands then Arbroath slip up at home to Queen of the South on Saturday then the champagne can be cracked open at Rugby Park.
But if Kilmarnock drop points and Dick Campbell's men defeat rock-bottom Queens then the stage would be set for a titanic tussle between the top two in Ayrshire next weekend.
Inverness also have plenty to play for as a victory would guarantee a play-off spot so it should be a fascinating game. Billy Dodds' men let a two-goal lead slip at Ayr last weekend, with my tip of BTTS landing in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
That ended a run of three successive victories but Kilmarnock's form is even better, with five wins and a draw in their last six after dumping Dunfermline at the weekend. Now McInnes just has to make sure his side don't wobble heading down the home straight.
How the bookies view it
It's a tough one to call with both sides in good form and Kilmarnock are narrow favourites at 6/4 (888Sport) while Inverness Caledonian Thistle are 19/10 (Betfred). The draw is a good option and that pays 21/10 at BoyleSports.
Recent head to head
There hasn't been much between these teams of late, with the last seven meetings producing two wins apiece and three draws. Every match this season has ended in a 1-0 scoreline, with Kilmarnock 1-0 victors at Rugby Park last time out (below) after two narrow wins for Inverness.
Players to watch
Shane Sutherland heads into this game in fine form with three goals from his last four Inverness matches. The striker will fancy his chances of adding another here and is 11/4 with McBookie for anytime scorer.
Kyle Lafferty and Oli Shaw have been my go-to guys for anytime scorer in the Championship and switching between them has landed winning bets for me in their last four games. Both scored in the win over Dunfermline but I'll keep up my switching policy by backing Shaw here at 11/5 with McBookie.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given that a one-goal winning margin has come up in every meeting so far this season it could pay to back a repeat. A one-goal winning margin for Kilmarnock pays 3/1 at Bet365 while the same bet for Caley Thistle is priced 17/5 at Unibet.
Despite just three goals being scored across games between these sides this season, I've a feeling this match could be a bit more open. Over 2.5 goals has come up in three of the last four for Inverness while BTTS has landed for Kilmarnock's last two away days. Backing both teams to score here pays evens with Bet365 while over 2.5 strikes is 11/8 at BetVictor.
There isn't much between these sides and the half-time is good option at evens with McBookie.
This fixture hasn't produced a lot of corners with under 7.5 in each of their three clashes this term. That market also hasn't been priced up yet but it could be worth betting against a lot of corners when it's finally available.
This Scottish Championship match between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Kilmarnock will be played on Apr 15, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs Kilmarnock prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
