IT has been a humbling week for Scottish football in Europe and it will be interesting to see how Celtic, Rangers and Hearts react back on domestic duty.
Familiar failings haunted the Hoops in their Champions League loss to Leipzig with Ange Postecoglou’s side wasting a series of chances before coughing up two second-half goals.
They now host a Hibs side who had started to hit form before losing 1-0 at Dundee United in midweek to end a run of four successive Premiership victories.
Postecoglou only knows one way to play so it should be an exciting game with Celtic going all-out attack as usual and the Hibees having the pace to hurt them on the break.
I’m surprised to see BTTS as big as 21/20 with McBookie given the Hoops have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six.
While the champions have been missing chances, they’ve still been racking up corners and that makes Celtic -4 worth a punt in the corner handicap at 11/10 with Bet365.
Sead Haksabanovic has finally been given a run in the Celtic team and the new boy has looked dangerous.
The Montenegrin is a tempting 9/4 with William Hill for an anytime scorer.
Joe Newell collected 11 yellows and two reds for Hibernian last season but has only been carded once in the new campaign. That suggests he’s due a card and that bet pays 2/1 with Bet365.
Rangers will still be reeling from their 7-1 battering by Liverpool when they make the trip to Motherwell tomorrow.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be concerned about how his defence collapsed in the second half at Ibrox and Connor Goldson’s injury is a huge blow to their title hopes.
Stevie Hammell has been quite adventurous since taking over at Fir Park with Well scoring five in Dingwall and getting on the scoresheet in a 2-1 loss at Celtic Park.
I reckon he will set his side up to have a go at that vulnerable Rangers defence rather than park the bus so it bodes well for an open game.
BTTS is a best 19/20 in this one at Bet365 while over 3.5 goals appeals at 8/5 with McBookie. The same firm price over 1.5 first-half goals at 6/4 and that also appeals.
Fashion Sakala has been van Bronckhorst’s most dangerous player in the last two games after finally getting a chance on the right wing.
His pace will trouble the Steelmen and Fir Park will bring back happy memories for the Zambian after he scored a hat-trick there in a 6-1 triumph last season.
Sakala is 23/10 with Paddy Power for anytime scorer and that looks like pretty good value.
For a moment on Thursday night, it looked like Hearts would suffer an even bigger European battering than Rangers as they trailed Fiorentina 4-0 after just 38 minutes.
The Jambos regained some pride by drawing the second half 1-1 but their latest Conference League loss was still another dint to morale.
Robbie Neilson’s men head to Pittodrie tomorrow and it’s a tough assignment with Aberdeen winning five of their six home games this term.
The Dons crashed 4-0 at Tannadice last weekend but still look good value at 13/10 with McBookie to beat a Hearts side low on confidence.
Bad defending is hurting the Jambos at the moment with 14 goals shipped in their last four matches.
Aberdeen have scored two or more in every home game so far and that makes over 1.5 Dons goals a good shout at 6/5 with McBookie.
Dundee United will be looking to make it three wins in a row when they travel to Dingwall and it’s a tough one to call.
Ross County ended a six-game run without a win by beating Livingston last week and I fancy the half-time draw at evens (Unibet).
St Mirren’s superb run ended with a heavy defeat at Ibrox but the Buddies look decent value at 11/10 (Coral) to get back on track with a home win over inconsistent Kilmarnock.
The other game today sees Livingston host St Johnstone and it should be close again. I like the 13/10 on offer at McBookie for either side to win by a one-goal margin.
Scottish Premiership Tips
- Super singles
- Celtic -4 corner handicap (11/10, Bet365)
- Sakala to score (23/10 Paddy Power)
- Over 1.5 Dons goals (6/5, McBookie)
- St Mirren win (11/10 Coral)
Premiership Previews
- Sat 15:00 Celtic vs Hibernian
- Sun 12:00 Motherwell vs Rangers
In December 2020 we sadly 
