SPL Betting Preview – Matchday 11
Another superb weekend of action awaits north of the border - and there's also money to be made for smart punters.
Motherwell and Hibernian open up another cracking SPL weekend with their crunch showdown on Friday. Then it’s a packed Saturday as Aberdeen meet Dundee, Celtic host Kilmarnock, Hearts welcome Ross County, St Johnstone make the trip to Inverness and St Mirren and Dundee United battle it out in Paisley.
As ever, we’ve got all six games covered – read on to find out where the smart money will be going in each and if you’re a new customer, register here and claim up to £20 in free bets with your first deposit.
Friday, October 26th
Motherwell v Hibernian (7.45pm)
Home win: 19/20 Draw: 9/4 Away win: 13/5
| Primera Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Sociedad | 1-1 | Real Madrid | £150.00 | (13/2) |
| Real Sociedad | 1-2 | Real Madrid | £180.00 | (8/1) |
| Real Sociedad | 2-2 | Real Madrid | £210.00 | (19/2) |
| Real Sociedad win | £51.00 | (31/20) | ||
| Draw | £74.00 | (27/10) | ||
| Real Madrid win | £49.00 | (29/20) | ||
Key stat: Over Hibs’ last three trips to Fir Park there have been 19 goals scored – more than six a game on average.
Betting tip: Granted, the above stat comes about largely due to the surreal 6-6 match in the closing weeks of the 2010/11 season, but we could well see lots of goals on Friday night too. With nine goals from the two Friday night matches so far in October, back the 39/20 odds for over 3.5 goals.
Saturday, October 27th
Aberdeen v Dundee (3.00pm)
Home win: 2/5 Draw: 31/10 Away win: 6/1
Key stat: Aberdeen’s only loss this season came at Celtic Park.
Betting tip: Losing away to the champions is nothing to be ashamed of and the fact that this remains the only defeat for the Dons this season makes the 2/5 on them beating the league’s bottom side a solid bet.
Celtic v Kilmarnock (3.00pm)
Home win: 1/5 Draw: 5/1 Away win: 9/1
Key stat: Celtic have scored the first goal in their last seven matches.
Betting tip: The Bhoys have been bright starters in recent weeks and boast the impressive record of taking the lead in each of their last seven games, including at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Neil Lennon’s side to score first in this one is at odds of 11/50 – this should be a worthy addition to any long list.
Hearts v Ross County (3.00pm)
Home win: 39/50 Draw: 23/10 Away win: 16/5
Key stat: Hearts lost at home to the other promoted team, Dundee, earlier in the season.
Betting tip: Dundee were surprise victors at Tynecastle earlier in the season and now Ross County, the other SPL newcomers, will get their chance. Another 1-0 win wouldn’t be too big a shock, with the Jambos already losing three of their seven home games this season. A 1-0 away success is priced at 19/2.
Inverness CT v St Johnstone (3.00pm)
Home win: 13/10 Draw: 9/4 Away win: 9/5
Key stat: St Johnstone are on a six-game winning streak – but have kept no clean sheets in those six matches.
Betting tip: It already seems a smart move to back both teams to score at 18/25, but when you discover that all but one of Inverness’ league games this season have seen one goal or more at either end, you would be crazy not to make this punt.
St Mirren v Dundee United (3.00pm)
Home win: 9/5 Draw: 9/4 Away win: 13/10
Key stat: Five of the last six meetings between these two have been draws.
Betting tip: The last three meetings at St Mirren Park between the Saints and United have seen a share of the spoils. Back a draw, at 9/4, or even a 1-1 scoreline – the result from three of those last six games. The odds on a 1-1 full-time score are 21/4.