International football will take centre stage over the next two weeks, however, this midweek will see Scotland's lower league clubs come out of cold storage when they enter the Betfred Cup.
Dundee vs Forfar (Tuesday, 19:45)
Dundee will begin their Betfred Cup campaign on Tuesday night when they welcome Forfar Athletic to Dens Park.
The Dark Blues underachieved last term when failing to mount a title bid and James McPake's men will be hard tasked when trying to topple Hearts in their bid to return to the top-flight at the second time of asking.
Having said that, rookie boss McPake will have learned a lot last season and the Dee boss has also done some eye-catching Summer transfer business with the likes of Charlie Adam checking in at Dens Park.
Forfar meanwhile, were in the midst of a worrying run of form before last season came to a halt – the Loons, having won just one of their final 10 League 1 games of the curtailed campaign, were occupying a relegation playoff place.
Stuart Malcolm's side could be set for another season of struggle in what looks like a fiercely competitive third tier and shipping three goals in pre-season defeats against Arbroath and Brechin will have done little to lift the mood at Station Park.
With that in mind, coupled with Dundee's attacking quality, I fully expect the Dark Blues to start their Betfred Cup campaign by putting Forfar to the sword on Tuesday night.
There is little value in backing a Dundee win at quotes of 1/4 and therefore I'm going to opt for an alternative angle by backing Dundee to overcome a -1.5 start on the asian handicap at 7/8 with Bet 365 – a bet that will deliver profit if Dundee win the game by two or more goals.
Forfar failed to record a clean sheet in each of their final 12 league matches of last season – their last shutout came way back in December – and the Loons leaky backline could find the Dee too hot to handle.
What's more, goal difference and goals scored can determine which teams qualify from the group stage and this Group B fixture could represent Dundee's best opportunity to notch up a few strikes.
Furthermore, there is also the possibility that semi-professional Forfar could tire in the latter stages of this cup clash and that coupled with the hosts superior fitness could see Dundee capitalise in the second half of this contest.
Recommended Bets
- Dundee -1.5 (Asian Handicap) (7/8, Bet 365)
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