CELTIC are motoring towards another SPFL Premiership crown as they head north to face Ross County with a nine-point lead and just nine games still to play.
It would be a major surprise if Ange Postecoglou's men slipped up on the home straight, even though they still have to face closest challengers Rangers twice.
The first of those derby matches comes next weekend at Parkhead so the Hoops will be determined to chalk up another win in Dingwall to avoid giving their rivals any encouragement.
With Celtic winning 27 of their last 28 domestic games, they are red-hot favourites against Ross County, although a long trek to the Highlands after the international break is a tricky assignment.
The Staggies are also fighting for their lives at the foot of the Premiership, engaged in a three-team dogfight with Dundee United and Kilmarnock to avoid the dreaded drop.
Malky Mackay's side finished in the top six last term so this campaign has been a disappointment but the target now will be finishing in 10th place to avoid both automatic relegation and a nerve-shredding play-off.
Ross County have won just twice in the last 15 matches and those victories came against Dundee United and Killie. They need to start picking up more points and a shock win over Celtic would be the perfect way to spark back to life.
But Postecoglou's side have scored three or more goals in each of their last five matches and it will be a tall order keeping them at bay.
How the bookies view it
Ross County are massive 20/1 outsiders with Ladbrokes while the best price for Celtic is a tiny 1/6 at Bet365. Even the draw pays a hefty 38/5 with SBK.
Recent head to head
A 1-0 defeat in Dingwall cost Neil Lennon his job back in February 2021 but Celtic have won every game against County since Postecoglou took charge. This is their third jaunt to the Highlands this season, with a 3-1 Premiership win in August followed by a 4-1 League Cup triumph just a few weeks later.
Players to watch
Eamonn Brophy has been a shrewd January signing for Ross County and he was pivotal to those wins over United and Kilmarnock, netting three times. The former Scotland striker is 23/5 with Unibet for anytime scorer.
It will be interesting to see who starts for Celtic with a number of players having injury issues before and during the international break. Jota wasn't called up by Portugal so he should be fresh and raring to go, with the winger evens at Bet365 for a goal. Backing him for an assist might offer better value once that market is priced up.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams to score has come up in all three meetings this season and it looks decent value here at 11/10 with Unibet, providing County don't try to park the bus. I also fancy over 1.5 first-half goals at the same price with Coral as the Hoops are usually speedy starters.
Going for Celtic corners has been a wise move all season and they won 15 against Hibs last time out to bring up two bets for me. The pitch in Dingwall is quite tight and that has led to a lot of corners in clashes against the champions this season. Postecoglou's side have won 12-3 and 11-1 on the corner count so Celtic -5 in the handicap looks good value at 49/50 with Unibet, with the odds increasing to 13/8 for -6. Over 8.5 Celtic corners also appeals at 11/10 with Bet365 based on the stats.
Most of Celtic's play comes down the flanks and that makes Ross County's full-backs good candidates for cards. Connor Randall has three yellows to his name this term and is 15/8 with Bet365 for another card.
This Scottish Premiership match between Ross County and Celtic will be played on Apr 2, 2023 and kick off at 12:00. Check below for our tipsters best Ross County vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
