Rangers

Rangers vs Celtic

, KO: 12:00 Mar 15, 2020, Ibrox
Celtic

Update: This match has been postponed, check out our guide to see what footballs on this weekend.

RANGERS need a derby win to stop their season from falling apart as anything other than a victory will effectively hand Celtic a ninth successive title.

Thursday's 3-1 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League effectively ended any hope Steven Gerrard had of lifting some silverware this season.

After crashing out of the Scottish Cup to Hearts and falling 13 points behind Celtic in the league, albeit with a game in hand, Rangers find themselves in a rut.

I tipped Leverkusen to win at Ibrox on Thursday and that bet was never really in danger, with the in-form Bundesliga side a cut above Gerrard's men.

Rangers looked a team devoid of confidence and 90 minutes of chasing Leverkusen about on a heavy Ibrox pitch is hardly the ideal way to prepare for a do-or-die Old Firm game.

To make matters worse, captain James Tavernier had to limp off late in the game, making him an injury doubt for the derby along with key midfielder Ryan Jack.

Celtic have enjoyed the luxury of a free week, following their Euro loss to Copenhagen in the last round, and their domestic form has been excellent.

Neil Lennon's side have dropped just two points since returning from the winter break and even that 2-2 draw at Livingston became a point gained as Rangers lost on the same night at home to Hamilton.

So they will head to Ibrox looking to finish off their rivals' faint hopes of mounting an incredible comeback in the title race.

Rangers, though, can take solace from the fact they beat the Hoops at Parkhead when they last met in December. If they can repeat that impressive performance then they could give themselves an outside chance of getting back into the mix for the championship.

How the bookies view it

The say the form book goes out the window for a derby but the bookies make Celtic favourites for this one, at a best 7/5 with Bet365.

Rangers are 21/10 at Ladbrokes while the draw is 5/2 at Betfair. We haven't seen a stalemate in this fixture since December 2017 so we may be due one. The Ibrox pitch is in a terrible state and this could descend into a dreary battle.

Recent head to head

Home advantage should count for a lot in the Old Firm derby, especially with away fans now limited to just a few hundred thanks to a petty, tit-for-tat spat between the clubs.

But the two league fixtures this term have ended in away victories, with Celtic winning 2-0 at Ibrox (below) then Rangers claiming a 2-1 success at Parkhead.

The only other meeting this term came on neutral ground, with the Hoops winning 1-0 in the League Cup Final despite being outplayed.

Celtic's record at Ibrox has been impressive in recent seasons, winning on five of their last seven visits.

Players to watch

It's hard to look past Odsonne Edouard for a Celtic goal, given his incredible record in this fixture. The Frenchman has netted six times against Rangers and delivered when I tipped him to score in the last derby.

Edouard is 9/5 with Ladbrokes for anytime scorer in this one and that looks good value.

I'd expect Florian Kamberi to start as Rangers looked much more dangerous when he came off the bench against Stuttgart. With the pitch in such a poor state, he also offers a physical presence if his side want to bypass midfield.

The on-loan Hibs forward is 13/5 to score with Paddy Power and looks the best bet for a Rangers scorer given Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent are in such poor form.

Anything else catch the eye?

It's a make or break game for Rangers so expect the tackles to fly in with even more ferocity than usual on a muddy pitch.

There has been a red card in every Old Firm game so far this season and another pays 11/5 at Bet365. But it may be wiser just to back some players to be carded, with Celtic skipper Scott Brown always good value in this fixture.

He's 7/4 with Bet365 to be carded and that looks overpriced while Scott Arfield, his sparring partner in several derbies, offers even better value at 4/1 with the same firm.

I can't see there being many goals in this one so try under 2.5 goals at 43/50 with Marathonbet.

This match between Rangers and Celtic will be played on Mar 15, 2020 and kick off at 12:00. Check below for our tipsters best Rangers vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.

Rangers vs Celtic Betting Tips & Predictions
Scott Brown to be carded
7/5
Odsonne Edouard anytime scorer
9/5
Ladbrokes
Under 2.5 goals
43/50
Marathonbet
Further Reading
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