After signing off for the international break with a winner in his featured column, SlipsTips has identified a goals-based double ahead of this weekend's Scottish Championship action.
Airdrie vs Falkirk (Saturday, 15:00)
Falkirk will look to maintain their flawless start to the Scottish Championship season when they face Airdrie at the Excelsior Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
John McGlynn’s men have needed no time to acclimatise to life back in the second tier, posting four wins from four, the most recent of which saw them stage a stunning comeback to defeat Morton 3-2.
As for Airdrie, their results have been mixed thus far, with the Diamonds picking up a win and a draw on either side of two defeats.
Falkirk are firm 7/10 favourites here but this assignment is unlikely to be as straightforward as those odds suggest, so much so that I’m going to back Airdrie to score on Saturday as the first leg of an 11/8 double on William Hill.
While Falkirk have quite rightly earned plenty of plaudits for their performances this season, they are not exactly watertight at the back.
The Bairns’ backline has been breached in three of their four league games this season, while they have also failed to silence their opponents in three of their six cup contests so far.
Rhys McCabe’s forward-thinking Airdrie outfit carry plenty of attacking threat and they are capable of landing a blow on their newly-promoted guests’ defence.
The Diamonds have struck five times across their last two matches, so a solitary goal should be within range this weekend in what should be an entertaining encounter at the Excelsior.
Ayr United vs Partick Thistle (Saturday, 15:00)
Scottish Championship pacesetters Ayr United will look to get back on track when they square off with Partick Thistle at Somerset Park on Saturday afternoon.
Scott Brown's side saw their four-game winning streak in the league snapped when playing out a 1-1 draw with Dunfermline at East End Park two weeks ago, though they bounced back with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Raith Rovers in the Scottish Challenge Cup last weekend.
Partick, meanwhile, bagged their maiden league win of the campaign a fortnight ago with a 3-0 win over Queen’s Park, though they have since slumped to a surprise 3-1 defeat at home to Alloa in the Scottish Challenge Cup.
Ayr are understandable odds-on favourites here but I’m prepared to back Partick to grab at least one goal as the second half of the aforementioned 11/8 (William Hill) double.
While Ayr have displayed plenty of attacking intent across the opening stretch of the season, they have left themselves exposed at the back at times.
Buckie Thistle, Hamilton Accies and Raith Rovers have all scored multiple goals on their respective visits to Somerset Park in recent weeks, not to mention Ayr failed to shutout a struggling Dunfermline side in their previous Scottish Championship assignment.
As always, Kris Doolan’s Partick Thistle side will come into this clash with an attack-minded approach and they possess the tools to trouble the league leaders' rearguard.
The Jags have managed to make the net bulge in each of their last three matches across all competitions and they are more than capable of making their mark here in what could well be another high-scoring shootout involving the Honest Men.
Recommended Bet
- Airdrie vs Falkirk – Over 0.5 Airdrie Goals
- Ayr United vs Partick Thistle – Over 0.5 Partick Thistle Goals
- Double (11/8, William Hill)