THE aggregate score was Glasgow 8 Edinburgh 1 in the Premiership last weekend so fans of Hearts and Hibs will be fearing more capital punishment in the second leg of an M8 double-header.
The Hibees were hoping to ruin Philippe Clement’s Ibrox bow last weekend but ended up crashing to a 4-0 defeat.
Just 24 hours later, Celtic romped to a 4-1 win at Tynecastle to underline the gap in quality that exists between the teams in Scotland’s two biggest cities.
The Hoops are back in the capital today at Easter Road while Hearts are the visitors to Ibrox tomorrow.
The bookies are banking on another Old Firm double but the games this weekend should be closer.
Celtic put in a draining midweek shift for their Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid while Gers also had to dig deep in Prague for their Sparta stalemate.
That could have an effect on their domestic displays although Hibs and Hearts will have to cut out the errors that cost them dearly.
Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops side are really starting to purr but they have still conceded in their last five matches.
So going for goals at both ends looks the best option in today’s Leith showdown.
BTTS is just 4/6 at McBookie while over 2.5 is even shorter at 8/15 but combining them in a bet builder gets you close to evens.
Going for over 3.5 goals boosts the odds to 11/8 at the same firm while backing over 1.5 first-half strikes pays 13/10.
Clement will be pretty happy with the start he has made at Rangers, although they had to survive some intense Sparta pressure in the first hour on Thursday night.
The Ibrox side could have pinched a win late on and looked much more threatening after Danilo came on to replace Cyriel Dessers, a man whose approval rating is now plumbing Rishi Sunak depths.
Clement will be tempted to unleash Danilo from the start tomorrow and the Brazilian is 6/5 with Bet365 for a goal.
St Mirren have gone off the rails a little after their storming start to the season, with two defeats and a draw in their last three games in all competitions.
But they are odds-on today for a home win over rock-bottom St Johnstone, with the Buddies just 4/7 with McBookie.
The Perth side still haven’t won in the Premiership but their form is improving, with draws against Livingston and Aberdeen in their last two outings.
A lack of firepower remains the biggest problem for Steven MacLean with his side scoring just one goal in four games.
That’s why under 2.5 goals is just 4/6 at McBookie while betting against BTTS isn’t much better at 8/11 with William Hill.
So I’m going to back a one-goal winning margin for either side at 6/4 with McBookie.
Dundee’s trip to the Tony Macaroni should also be tight and you won’t get many neutrals rocking up to witness a thriller.
Going for the half-time draw paid off for me at Dens in midweek so the same bet appeals today at 21/20 with Bet365.
It will be interesting to see how Aberdeen respond to their Greek tragedy and tomorrow’ trip to Rugby Park looks treacherous.
I fancy Kilmarnock to score first and that pays evens at SkyBet.
Super singles
- Over 3.5 goals at Hibs (13/10, McBookie)
- Danilo to score (6/5, Bet365)
- Half-time draw at Livi (21/10, Bet365)
- One-goal win in Paisley (6/4, 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.
