RANGERS lock horns with old rivals Aberdeen in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Ibrox side have enjoyed an unbeaten start to life under new manager Michael Beale, having won five of their six matches and drawn the other against Celtic.
Last time out, the Light Blues returned to within nine points of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic with a well-deserved 2-0 win at Dundee United.
Now Rangers' attention turns towards Sunday's League Cup semi-final showdown with Aberdeen, as they aim to take another step to winning the tournament for the first time since 2011.
As for Aberdeen, they go into this match on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.
That victory ended a run of five games without a win for Jim Goodwin's men, and it has also eased some of the pressure that was beginning to mount on the Dons boss' shoulders.
Outright Betting
Rangers, who have already defeated Aberdeen twice in the Scottish Premiership this season, enter this dust-up as 11/20 (Bet 365) favourites.
Aberdeen will have a taste for revenge here after hitting the self-destruct button against Rangers last month, but the bookmakers have the Dandies chalked up as 9/2 (Bet 365) chances while the 90 minute draw is on offer at 16/5 (Bet 365).
Betting Angles
Even though it's a shorter price than I would normally put up, I'm happy to make an exception on this occasion and back Rangers to overcome a -0.75 start on the Asian Handicap at 7/10 (Unibet).
This selection would deliver a full pay-out if the Teddy Bears triumph by two goals or more, with a half-stakes winner banked if Rangers record a victory by a one-goal margin.
As already mentioned, Rangers have shown a marked improvement following their recent managerial change, with new boss Beale leading his side to five wins from six matches, one of which was against Aberdeen.
While the Dons will be desperate to avenge that loss, it could be argued that Jim Goodwin's side are still feeling the effects of their capitulation from that festive thriller against their fierce foes.
It's also noting that Aberdeen have been suffering from a sustained bout of travel sickness that they just can't seem to shake, with the Reds winning just four of their last 28 Scottish Premiership fixtures outside of Pittodrie.
With this in mind, coupled with the fact that this play would have provided profit in five of Rangers' six games under Michael Beale's guidance, backing the Light Blues to overcome a -0.75 hurdle on the Asian Handicap at 7/10 (Unibet) holds appeal at Hampden.
One player who looks nicely priced to get on the scoresheet on Sunday is Rangers' Malik Tillman who is 11/4 with PaddyPower (the same play as short as 5/4 elsewhere).
The Bayern Munich loanee has chipped in with two goals in his last three appearances for Rangers, so the 11/4 (PaddyPower) looks like a nice price to be cheering on here.
This Scottish League Cup match between Rangers and Aberdeen will be played on Jan 15, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Rangers vs Aberdeen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
