ROSS COUNTY find themselves propping up the Premiership pile but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of panic in Dingwall.
Ross County vs St Mirren
That’s probably because Malky Mackay’s men found themselves in a similar situation a year ago before embarking on an impressive run that saw them finish in the top six.
But with the likes of Aberdeen, Hibs and St Mirren looking much stronger this season it would be a big surprise if the Staggies shot up the table so spectacularly again.
And if the Buddies can chalk up a win in the Highlands this afternoon it would propel them 13 points clear of County with a game in hand.
It’s now just one win in 10 matches for Mackay’s side and it’s clear they don’t have the same firepower as last season.
Regan Charles-Cook and Joseph Hungbo played key roles in County’s success last term and the players brought in to replace them haven’t made the same kind of impact.
The Staggies have drawn blanks in eight of their matches so far, including a 1-0 loss to St Mirren in August, so they need to find their shooting boots to avoid a battle against the drop.
McBookie make Stephen Robinson’s men slight favourites at 7/5 today with Ross County at 2/1 and the draw paying 9/4. But it’s a tough one to call and the best option might be the
half-time stalemate at 42/41 (VBet).
The last three meetings have produced just two goals so betting against a thriller also looks wise. Under 2.5 goals is just 4/6 at BoyleSports but betting against BTTS is a little better as that pays 22/23 with SBK.
County stopper Jack Baldwin is always good value for a card and he will have a scrap with St Mirren target man Curtis Main.
Baldwin is 7/5 with Bet365 to pick up a fifth card of the season and that looks decent.
Even if Ross County lose today they could find themselves jumping above Dundee United with the Tannadice men facing a Celtic side that thumped them 9-0 back in August.
Celtic vs Dundee Utd
Only goal difference is keeping United above the Staggies and if the Hoops score early at Parkhead it could get ugly. Ange Postecoglou’s men have scored three or more in their last four domestic games and will be out to move seven points clear at the top ahead of Rangers’ trip to Perth tomorrow.
The Hoops were battered 5-1 by Real Madrid on Wednesday night but the European campaign is now over so they can concentrate fully on domestic matters again.
Postecoglou has rotated his squad heavily in the last few months with his wide players changing in pretty much every game.
Jota has scored off the bench in his last two games after returning from injury and should be unleashed from the start this afternoon.
He’s 11/8 with Unibet for another goal but the Portuguese winger might be better odds for an assist once that market is priced up.
Backing Celtic for corners backfired for me last week and they haven’t been recording their usual numbers in that field. Bet365 price under 11 corners at 6/5 for this one and that might be worth a punt based on recent stats.
St Johnstone vs Rangers
St Johnstone will fancy their chances of piling more pain on Rangers after watching Ajax ease to a 3-1 win at Ibrox in midweek.
But Aberdeen felt the same way a week ago only to crash to a 4-1 loss against Gio van Bronckhorst’s men as Jim Goodwin got his tactics badly wrong.
The makeshift defensive pairing of James Sands and Leon King was exposed by Ajax so I like BTTS at McDiarmid Park (6/5, McBookie).
Gers still look a threat going forward so over 3.5 goals also appeals (15/8, Betfair) along with Rangers -3 in the corner handicap (10/11, Bet365).
Hearts vs Motherwell
Hearts host Motherwell tomorrow after a draining trip to Istanbul on Thursday but I still fancy them for a win at evens with QuinnBet.
Robert Snodgrass will add some freshness after being ineligible in midweek and the former Scotland star will be desperate to get off the mark for the Jambos. He’s 11/2 with William Hill to score which looks overpriced.
Scottish Football Super Single
- Half-time draw in Dingwall (42/41, VBet)
- U-11 corners at Celtic (6/5, Bet365)
- Gers -3 corner h’cap (10/11, Bet365)
- Snodgrass to score (11/2, William Hill)
I'm a sports journalist, football tipster and author from Dundee, who is now working in Glasgow. I've covered games at every level, from Junior football to internationals, and still love football even though it has clearly sold its soul. I've been in football tipping since 2018 with the MFT site.
