Rangers, Celtic Collide in Derby

Game: Rangers vs Celtic

Location: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

Time: Sunday, 7 a.m. ET

Television: beIN Sports

Live Stream: fuboTV

Scottish Premiership Betting Lines

Team	Handicap	Moneyline	Over/Under	Team Total
Rangers	Pk -145	+200	2½ -125o
Celtic	Pk +115	+115	2½ -105u
Draw		+280

Head to Head

• Previous Matches: 339
• Rangers Victories: 130 (472 goals)
• Celtic Victories: 119 (457 goals)
• Draws: 90

Last season, regarding the Scottish Premiership action, Rangers and Celtic collided four times –  three in the regular season and one in the Playoff. Rangers dominated the season series with a 3-1-0 record, eight goals for and only two against.

They also met in the domestic cup Round of 16, with the Rangers winning 2-0. Celtic defeated Rangers for the last time in the 2019-20 season. Curiously enough, it was at Ibrox Stadium.

Why Bet on Rangers?

First of all, the Rangers are the reigning champions. Second of all, manager Steven Gerrard has done a great job establishing a winning mentality. Last, but not least, they come from a huge 4-2 victory over Ross County.

“I think that was much more like us in-terms of how it looked both in and out of possession. We created a lot of chances, so going forward, we looked really dangerous,” said Gerrard after their last game.

He’s not wrong. They did look more like the team that went undefeated in winning last season’s title. Individually, James Tavernier has had an amazing start to the season. Despite being a defender, he leads the team in assists with three.

Last season, Rangers won all their home games; that’s right, not even a single draw. They opened the current season with a 3-0 victory over Livingston, which means they’ll also be playing to keep the streak alive.

Prior to this game, they’ll play in the Europa League Playoff against Alashkert. They shouldn’t have too much trouble beating them, which means some players could get some rest.

Nnamdi Ofoborth is out due to injury. Their expected lineup is Allan McGregor; James Tavernier, Leon Balogun, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey; Glen Kamara, Steven Davis, John Lundstram; Ianis Hagi, Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent.

Why Bet on Celtic?

Despite playing on the road, Celtic deserves to be the slight sports betting favorite here. They started the season on the wrong foot but showed some tenacity and managed to win their last two games by a 12-0 aggregate.

Most recently, they crushed St. Mirren 6-0 with David Turnbull as the star. He scored a hat trick to become the league’s top scorer. Kyogo Furuhashi also has three goals and three other players have two each.

Celtic leads the league in scoring with 13 goals. They also own the best defensive record after allowing only two goals.

“I think our best football is going forward and if we score goals, it puts more pressure on the opposition. We won’t change our approach as it’s the best strategy for us,” said manager Ange Postecoglou to the press.

Celtic will be facing AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League Playoff with a 2-0 advantage. However, AZ Alkmaar is much tougher than Alashkert, which means Celtic players could be tired for the derby.

They started the season with a 2-1 defeat on the road. If they want to remain a title contender, they need to start winning away from home. There’s no better way to start a road winning streak than winning the derby.

Christopher Jullien is out due to a knee injury. Their expected lineup is Joe Hart; Tony Ralston, Stephen Welsh, Carl Starfelt, Greg Taylor; David Turnbull, Ryan Christie, Callum McGregor; Liel Abada, Kyogo Furuhashi, Odsonne Edouard.

Final Analysis, Predictions

I expect a close one, with both goalkeepers having a ton of work. The Rangers will take the reins right from the start, but Celtic can turn things around with an early goal. Playing at home will definitely boost Rangers’ confidence, but momentum is on Celtic’s side.

I also expect the total go over, just like it did in their last encounter. Don’t forget to check the Soccer Props to increase your winning chances in this and other games. Take a shot on the correct score, half time/full time winner, and more.

Score Prediction: Rangers 2, Celtic 2

Pick: Draw +280