Football punters’ thirst for competitive UK top-flight action is set to be quenched by the return of the Scottish Premiership this weekend, arriving a full fortnight ahead of their counterparts south of the border.
Rangers and Celtic are both heavily odds-on to start the campaign with victories – The ‘Gers are 8/13 away to Hearts while the Bhoys are 2/13 to beat Kilmarnock at Celtic Park – but there looks to be some value in neither having it all their own way.
Scottish Premiership opening day best bets
Hearts double chance (draw or win) vs Rangers @ 13/10
St Mirren vs Hibernian – Over 3.5 Goals @ 23/10
Celtic vs Kilmarnock – Both Teams to Score @ 1/1
Bet on the latest Scottish Football odds at Betzone
Jambos can get the jump on Rangers side in midst of ‘big rebuild’
Hearts played their part in scuppering any Rangers hopes of overhauling Celtic at the top of the table on the last day of the 2023/24 season with two late goals securing a 3-3 draw at Tynecastle Park.
The Edinburgh outfit have a great chance of avoiding defeat against Philippe Clement’s side for the second game in succession, with the Gers’ Belgian boss warning that they are in the midst of a ‘big rebuild’ following the departure of some senior players.
Six new faces have arrived at Ibrox already this summer, while the squad’s preparation has been further hindered by Todd Cantwell’s transfer request, meaning this Rangers side could take some time to come to the boil.
Betzone go 13/10 about Hearts in the draw no bet market, which looks a decent price to get the possibility the Jambos could catch the visitors cold onside.
Tip: Hearts double chance (draw or win) vs Rangers @ 13/10
Tuned-up twosome should serve up goals again in Paisley
St Mirren and Hibernian served up some entertaining fare last term with their four clashes across league and cup averaging 4.5 goals a game.
Three of the four fixtures landed over 3.5 goals wagers and the same bet looks to stand a very decent chance of finding the mark again in their Premiership curtain raiser at 23/10.
Both sides are likely to be well up to speed in spite of this being the opener, with the Hibees’ having already played four times in the Scottish League Cup – scoring four or more times in three of those fixtures. St Mirren, meanwhile, will already have faced Valur Reykjavik home and away in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Tip: St Mirren vs Hibernian – Over 3.5 Goals @ 23/10
Killie more likely to land a blow on Celtic than the odds suggest
Reigning Scottish champions Celtic are just 2/13 to claim all three points against last season’s four-placed finishers Kilmarnock, but that rampant favouritism has to be taken on given the visitors lost only twice in five meetings with the Bhoys in 2023/24.
At 1/1, both teams to score looks a great way to back Derek McInnes’ men to refute the suggestion they have no chance at all at Celtic Park. They scored in four of their five meetings against Brendan Rodgers’s side last term including both visits to Glasgow.
