Celtic vs St Mirren and Hibs vs Rangers betting tips as Jim Delahunt predicts one Old Firm side will slip up

MOTHERWELL are looking good to top the Premiership’s bottom six and and the Steelmen rate a cast-iron bet to win their penultimate home game against Ross County this weekend at a general 11/10.

Kevin van Veen’s 26 goals have played a major part in ensuring the Lanarkshire side aren’t involved in the relegation scrap being fought out by their next visitors and Stuart Kettlewell has overseen a superb run of late season form.

Motherwell have only lost two of their 11 league games since crashing out of the Scottish Cup at Raith Rovers and their recent run of three matches unbeaten includes a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.

County’s win at Dundee United will ensure former Staggies boss Kettlewell will be taking nothing for granted but Malky Mackay’s players can be sure that Motherwell will be just as keen to win their final home game of the season against Dundee United next Sunday.

Van Veen has become the first player to score in eight straight league games since Scotland’s top division became the Premiership and the Dutchman is a top-priced 13/10 with Bet365 in the anytime scorer market to make it nine-in-a-row this afternoon.

KILMARNOCK start a spell of three games in eight days against St Johnstone which can see them retain their Premiership status and I’m backing them to win at 21/20 before facing Dundee United away on Wednesday and Ross County at Rugby Park next Sunday.

I’ve tipped 2/1 ABERDEEN to get the better of Hearts in the lunchtime showdown at Tynecastle but Dundee United’s form seems to have slumped at the wrong time and 7th placed LIVINGSTON can keep Motherwell honest by putting “holiday” chat behind them and winning at 13/10.

HAMILTON start the play-off second leg a goal down against Airdrie but the Accies turned the same deficit around at home to Alloa last week and they can win here at 11/8.

Andy Winter’s hat-trick helped John Rankin’s side come back from 3-0 down against the Wasps and having watched Wednesday’s first leg with no skin in the game, I reckon they can reverse a lesser deficit against the Diamonds.

Aston Villa landed last week’s headline bet by beating Spurs at 5/4 but I’m against John McGinn and his team-mates as I fancy LIVERPOOL to take their home league record to 14-4-1 by winning at  4/9.

Villa’s home form has been manna from heaven for punters this season but they’ve only won six from 18 on the road and Liverpool are finishing the season in style after recording seven straight wins since that 2-2 home draw with Arsenal last month.

FULHAM head to Manchester United for their final league game next Sunday and I’m backing Marco Silva’s side to bow out in front of their own fans with a win over Crystal Palace at a general 13/10. 

Aleksander Mitrovic came off the bench to score in his first match back after an eight-game ban last weekend and I’d expect him to start here as Fulham look to better their PL record of 53 points set by their now opposing ex-manager Roy Hodgson in 2009.

SPURS head for the what could be an Elland Road cauldron next weekend so leaving the fans with a win looks vital at home to Brentford and a possible farewell from Harry Kane can inspire them to beat the Bees at a general 4/5. 

Saturday SINGLE

Watch out for the early kick-off at Stockport (12.30) where I fancy SALFORD to build on their first leg lead by winning AGAIN at a massive 4/1.

CELTIC V ST MIRREN

Celtic are back on home turf after last week’s defeat at Ibrox and the general 1/8 about their winning chances is no surprise despite St Mirren being the only other side to beat them in the league this season.

The treble seeking champions have hit four, five and five in three avenging wins since that September defeat and a packed Celtic Park will be looking for more of the same after finally succumbing to Rangers.

Celtic are well capable of putting on a goal-fest for the fans and the bet for me looks to be 11/10 at Bet365 about Celtic at -2 on the handicap, a result which landed in each of the clubs’ last three meetings.

HIBERNIAN V RANGERS  Sunday 12 noon Sky Sports

Hibs made it four games unbeaten with last week’s goalless draw at Pittodrie and I fancy they might make that five by sharing the points with Rangers this weekend at 16/5.

The visitors were at the top of their game against Celtic in front of a packed Ibrox but the Hibs support will be out in force despite the live TV coverage and a repeat of August’s scoring draw could be on the cards.

Lee Johnson’s players could easily have won in the Granite City and this could be a stand-alone cracker of a match wherever Hearts’ result against Aberdeen leaves Hibs’ 4th place chances.

HEARTS V ABERDEEN    12.30pm

In the Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Tynecastle has to be the match of the weekend and I fancy the Dons to bounce back from last week’s goalless draw against Hibs with a win against the odds in Gorgie.

The Dons’ five-point cushion would suggest they’d probably take a point and turn the bus around before kick-off but Barry Robson has put a spring in Aberdeen steps and Hearts going all out for the win might just suit the visitors.

Steven Naismith’s men scraped a draw at St Mirren last week and the general 2/1 about the Dons merits a lunchtime single with no Gothenburg ghosts haunting Tynecastle after last week’s celebrations.

KILMARNOCK V ST JOHNSTONE

Killie landed the money for us by beating Livingston at Evens last weekend and I reckon Derek McInnes’ side are top five material this week to beat the manager’s former club at Rugby Park.

The Ayrshire side’s home form may yet prove to be the key to their survival in the top flight with a recent 4-1 reversal against Celtic their only defeat in seven home games since their 3-2 defeat by Rangers back in mid-January.

Saints would probably take a draw at kick-off to keep their heads above the relegation battle but Killie have landed lucky with two of their last three games at home and I expect them to win at 21/20 in the first of them this weekend.

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