CELTIC have racked up 10 league victories in a row and will be desperate to keep their winning run going at St Mirren ahead of a crunch Old Firm showdown.
Neil Lennon's men haven't put a foot wrong domestically since losing at Livingston at the start of October and can open up an eight-point lead at the top heading into the winter break if they win their last two games of 2019.
But Lennon will also know any slip-up in Paisley will give their title rivals the chance to knock them off the summit with a derby victory at Parkhead on Sunday.
And it will be far from a walk in the park against a St Mirren side unbeaten in three games as they fight for their lives at the foot of the table.
How the bookies view it
St Mirren are whopping 18/1 outsiders with Ladbrokes, with even the draw as big as 13/2 with Paddy Power, so the bookies can't see a Boxing Day shock.
The Hoops are a best 1/5 at Bet365 to rack up that 11th Premiership win in a row so you have to double things up to get any value. A Celtic win to nil might be the best option at 41/50 with 888 Sport.
Recent head to head
St Mirren haven't beaten Celtic since a memorable 3-2 semi-final win at Hampden in 2013 on their way to League Cup glory.
But the Paisley side did manage to frustrate the Hoops early last season in a 0-0 Paisley stalemate. Since then Celtic have won all three games and their last trip to the Simple Digital Arena ended in a 2-0 win (below).
Team news
St Mirren had to field a makeshift defence at the weekend, with full-back Paul McGinn at centre half and winger Ryan Flynn dropping back to fill McGinn's void.
That was down to Kirk Broadfoot and Gary MacKenzie being out injured and both are doubts again for this one.
Celtic have no fresh injury worries but Lennon might mix things up to keep his side fresh for the derby on Sunday.
I thought Tom Rogic or Mikey Johnston would start as they have the magic to unlock tight defences. But Lennon has left both on the bench, going with an unchanged side.
Thriller or chiller?
Rangers were made to sweat for a 1-0 win in Paisley at the start of the season, with only a Borna Barisic free-kick separating the sides.
I tipped that match to be tight, cashing in on a Gers win after a level first half, and this one could also be tricky for Celtic.
The last two meetings between these sides have ended in 2-0 victories for the Hoops and a repeat here pays 11/2 at BetVictor. Under 2.5 goals is 8/5 with the same firm.
William Hill are offering 21/20 on the second half being the highest-scoring half and that appeals to me.
Players to watch
If Johnston or Rogic had started they would have offered decent value in the anytime scorer market. The tricky winger is a best 7/5 with Paddy Power while the Aussie (below) is slightly better at 2/1 with the same firm.
But with both on the bench, try Olivier Ntcham, who scored on Celtic's last away day, at 7/2 with Paddy Power.
Every St Mirren player is a good price in the same market and Junior Morias stands out at 21/4 with Unibet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Ladbrokes are offering a tempting 6/4 on under 1.5 goals in the first half, under 2.5 goals in the second half and either team to win.
If Flynn has to fill in as an emergency full-back again then he could be a candidate for a booking. He's 22/5 with BetVictor to be carded and that looks overpriced.
This Scottish Premiership match between St Mirren and Celtic will be played on Dec 26, 2019 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best St Mirren vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
In December 2020 we sadly 
