THE only online bookmaker listing first-scorer prices on all SPFL games are McBookie.com, here is McBookie.com’s Damian Walker with his weekend selections.
Kemar Roofe (Rangers) 7/2
The New Year programme kicks off on the second day of the month with a Rangers v Celtic clash and it couldn’t be a bigger one for hoops boss Neil Lennon, who probably can’t afford to lose this if Celtic are to have any chance of the 10-in-a-row.
Celtic have won their last four Premiership games scoring 10 goals without reply and in between won the Scottish Cup, albeit on penalties to Championship side Hearts.
But even allowing for this improvement in form I still think that Rangers are value at odds against in the biggest domestic league game of the season to date.
But for a jaded-looking 3-2 defeat to St Mirren in the League Cup, Rangers have been in spectacular form all season – racking up an incredible 27 wins in all competitions.
But the crucial statistic has been that 22 of those 27 victories have been to nil and the foundation of their success has been a rock-solid defence and a hard-working midfield that has protected them.
Rangers’ £4.5million summer signing from Anderlecht, Kemar Roofe, took his time to warm to the task with three goals from his first nine games, but since November he has scored nine times from his last 11 matches.
Roofe has bagged four goals in his last four games and he is 7/2 with McBookie to make it five in five with the first goal of the game.
Steven Naismith (Hearts) 19/4
In the Championship there is a huge clash between Dundee and Hearts at Dens Park, with the Jambos odds on for the win.
Hearts thrashed Dundee 6-2 in the opening Championship game of the season in mid-October and are now 1/16 with McBookie to win the title.
Dundee took an age to get going this season but have finally hit form and are unbeaten in five matches having won back-to-back league games for the first time this campaign with wins over Queen of the South on Boxing Day and Alloa Athletic in midweek.
Even allowing for this I still strongly fancy Hearts to win the points as their squad is just so strong and they have shown in the Scottish Cup that they are a class above the Championship level.
Steven Naismith scored three goals in six minutes in a hat-trick that saw off Arbroath in midweek so I was surprised to see him chalked up at 19/4 with McBookie to follow that up with the opening goal of game.
Declan McManus (Dunfermline) 4/1
Staying in the Championship there is a tasty Fife derby to look forward to with second-placed Dunfermline hosting Raith Rovers in fourth.
As usual I priced this game blind and was surprised to see the Pars at odds against as I would have been shorter.
The Rovers suffered a 2-0 home defeat in midweek at home to Queen of the South – the side I consider to be the weakest in the division and they were also without their injured talisman, Stephen Dobbie.
Dunfermline also failed to win in midweek, but a 1-1 draw away in the Highlands to Inverness Caley Thistle is much more respectable and they have lost just one game all season.
Pars striker Declan McManus has scored seven goals from 12 games this campaign and is 4/1 with McBookie to score the first goal of the game.
Can you find a winner!
Mr Fixit launched this website as a small project in 2010 to give him a platform to provide daily football tips to punters on the internet. The site has grown massively since, and while he is no longer with us, our aim is to continue his good work and provide our readers with solid tips every day to consider placing their bets on.
