IT has been a massive week for Celtic with two Parkhead wins turning a four-point deficit into a one-point lead at the top.
Wednesday’s thumping Old Firm victory was a statement of intent from Ange Postecoglou’s side and Hoops fans will have partied into the night.
But the challenge now is to ensure there’s no hangover when Celts travel to Fir Park tomorrow.
Postecoglou’s men have been chasing down Rangers for most of the campaign and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the pressure of being front runners in the title race.
A trip to Motherwell is a tricky assignment on the back of such a draining derby and clashes with the Steelmen have been pretty close so far this season.
Both games have seen under 2.5 goals so I fancy a repeat tomorrow at 6/5 with McBookie.
Jota made the breakthrough on Celtic’s last trip to Fir Park and has looked sharp in the last few games since returning from injury.
The only thing missing has been a goal and the winger is 9/5 with Paddy Power for anytime scorer here.
The Hoops will be out to pile pressure on Rangers by opening up a four-point gap ahead of Hearts’ visit to Tynecastle tomorrow afternoon.
The reaction to the derby defeat has been a bit over the top, given it was the first loss Gio van Bronckhorst has suffered since taking charge. But Gers have dropped seven points since returning from the winter break so it’s imperative they get back on track against a dangerous Jambos side.
The Tynecastle men took a point home from Ibrox on their last visit and also outplayed Rangers for long spells in a 2-0 Gorgie defeat.
Dodgy defending has cost the champions in their last two games, shipping six goals, so I fancy BTTS in this one at 21/20 (SportNation).
The only positive for Gers in midweek was the performances of Ryan Jack and Fashion Sakala after they came off the bench.
Sakala should be rewarded with a start tomorrow and the striker looks decent value for a goal at 7/4 with Paddy Power.
Hearts had to settle for a point at Easter Road in the Edinburgh derby and I cashed in by backing the
half-time draw on Tuesday.
But the Jambos looked the more dangerous team and were unlucky to have two strong penalty appeals turned down.
I wasn’t impressed by Shaun Maloney’s Hibs and they now host a St Mirren team whose only defeat in their last seven came at Ibrox.
The Buddies look overpriced at 7/2 with Bet365 but it might be safer backing them in the double chance market at evens (Unibet) as that also pays out on the draw.
The Dundee derby also failed to produce a goal in midweek and that brought up my bet builder.
With St Johnstone winning at Livingston it saw Dundee drop to the bottom of the table after they made it eight league games without a win.
That’s relegation form so the Dark Blues desperately need a win when they host Ross County today.
The Staggies won 5-0 at Dens on their last visit, sparking an upsurge in form that has left them five points clear of the drop zone.
So I’m surprised to see Malky Mackay’s men as 2/1 outsiders with Bet365 which looks terrific value given the form of both sides.
County have been a stick-on for punters who dabble in BTTS accumulators as both teams have netted in nine of their last 10 games.
Dundee’s only goal in their last four came against Dumbarton in the Cup but BTTS is still odds-on here at 4/5 with McBookie.
City rivals United face another Tayside derby today with a trip to McDiarmid Park.
St Johnstone will be hoping that midweek win can spark a revival and I fancy them today at 7/5 with McBookie as United are in bad form.
Livingston will be hoping to bounce back from that Saints defeat when Aberdeen come calling today. I’m going for BTTS (6/5, QuinnBet) as it has landed on their last two visits.
Super Singles
- Under 2.5 goals at Fir Park (6/5, McBookie)
- BTTS at Ibrox (21/20, SportNation)
- St Mirren double chance (Evens, Unibet)
- St Johnstone to win (7/5, McBookie)
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.
