SlipsTips shares two selections ahead of Arbroath’s clash with Ayr in the Scottish Championship on Friday night.
Arbroath vs Ayr (Friday, 19:45)
The Scottish Championship gets underway on Friday night when Arbroath welcome Ayr United to Gayfield for their opening match of the 2025-26 campaign.
Arbroath bounced back to the second tier at the first time of asking after suffering relegation this time last year.
As for Ayr, they will have aspirations of securing at least a playoff spot again this term after finishing third last season.
The bookies make Scott Brown’s side 10/11 (William Hill) chances to hit the ground running on Friday night and I’m happy to get on board with that price.
I suspect that there is the likelihood of an improved campaign for Ayr this time around, who have made some astute signings over the summer.
Brown now has a squad packed with Scottish Championship experience, and his side showed some encouraging signs during the recently-concluded Scottish League Cup group phase.
The Honest Men won three of their four group games before pushing top-flight St Mirren all the way in a decider in Paisley last Sunday.
Moreover, one of Ayr’s victories during the group stage came against opening night opponents Arbroath, with Brown’ side bagging a convincing 4-0 win on that occasion.
While the Red Lichties should be a different proposition on their own patch, Ayr carry the necessary firepower to come out on top again on Friday night.
It’s also worth noting that Arbroath fell to a 1-0 loss at local rivals Forfar in the Scottish League Cup last weekend, which doesn't augur well ahead of a visit from Ayr.
On a similar line of reasoning to the above, I’m also prepared to back Ayr to score two or more goals on Friday night at 19/20 with Betway.
The Somerset Park side struck at least twice in three of their four Scottish League Cup Group D assignments, including their aforementioned win over Arbroath last midweek.
Recommended Bets
- Ayr Win – 10/11 (William Hill)
- Over 1.5 Ayr Goals – 19/20 (Betway)
Freelance Sports Writer and Betting Analyst with over five years experience. I’ve written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. With a strong passion for the fascinating world of Scottish football, I also regularly feature in Nutmeg, the much-loved Scottish football magazine. Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. Feel free to follow me on X @SlipsTips
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