Scottish Football Tips: Kai Watson's Best Bets, September 5
It's another action-packed weekend of Scottish football, with matches across the SPFL, and our Free Bets Scottish football expert Kai Watson picks out five fixtures worth watching north of the border.
Scottish Football Tips
Here are Kai's five top football betting tips for the weekend action, featuring the best odds from the top UK betting sites, ensuring you get maximum value on your bets.
Rangers vs Motherwell - Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
Rangers are a really difficult team to gauge right now, on paper, they just picked up two tough away wins at Aberdeen and Falkirk but the reality is those weren’t particularly good performances. Rangers did start brightly against Falkirk but after the 20 minutes mark they lost control of the game in the midfield and the home side had good opportunities on the counter that they did not make the most of.
Defensively Derek McInnes’ side still look suspect and are conceding clear cut chances every single game. However, in that first 20 minute spell, Rangers were bright, they now have extra pace all over the pitch and Kim Min-su looked particularly threatening. Shankland was dropping deep to create space for the three that sit behind him in the starting line-up.
This tactic is something that can work if Rangers just get more control in the middle of the pitch but it feels like McInnes is still looking for the perfect two in there.
Motherwell, even under a new manager, are still playing excellent football and have won in three out of their last five trips to Ibrox. They now go there with no fear because they know what they have to do to get a win.
Their football has been a joy to watch and you only need to look at Alex Lowry’s goal the other night to see what they are trying to do. Hold possession, drag the opposition into a press then be brave with the passes through the lines.
It’s been working really well going forward but they haven’t been as solid at the back as they were last season with the St. Mirren match last Sunday highlighting that. They were 2-0 up and cruising before Maswanhise missed a penalty and within a nine minute period before half-time, they were 3-2.
Taking nothing away from St. Mirren who played some lovely football but this isn’t the solid Motherwell back line that fans were used to last season. They are getting caught up the pitch and conceding chances, which could be a bonus for Rangers with the pace they have added in the last couple of weeks.
As it normally is, this should be a great game and I expect both teams to get chances, it will all just depend on who can be more clinical!
Aberdeen vs Kilmarnock - Over 2.5 goals
Both teams are struggling, particularly defensively, hence why this is a goals over bet. Kilmarnock sit bottom of the table having lost all four matches, conceding ten goals and only scoring four (three of them came on the opening day.)
Aberdeen have won once this season and it was against Hearts on the opening day but they haven’t scored since then and have lost the three following fixtures. Aberdeen have had a tough run with Rangers and Celtic in their last two matches but they look absolutely toothless going forward.
They signed some exciting forwards in the summer in Tony Yogane and Lewis Smith but they are still struggling to create and pressure is building on Stephen Robinson.
Pressure could also start to build on Neil McCann if Kilmarnock don’t get anything from this game, his recent interviews feel like those of a man that is feeling pressure and that is translating to the players on the pitch.
Both teams have good forwards that haven’t really got going yet and are struggling defensively, it just takes one of the teams to click going forward and this match will contain goals.
Dundee United vs Falkirk - Both teams to score
Another two teams that are struggling. Dundee United fans would have felt really positive going into the Motherwell game after hammering Kilmarnock at the weekend but an early red card really stopped them from doing much.
Falkirk could have won against Rangers as they missed a guilt edged chance at 1-1 and then were punished at the other end. They are now one of only two clubs with no wins in their first four matches alongside Kilmarnock, a very slow start but they were the same last season.
Dundee United have changed their style of football into something more expansive, which although good to watch, hasn’t yielded any immediate results, apart from that result against Struggling Killie.
Both teams have signed plenty of players and are still settling in to the season, I think Dundee United will win this one but I also don’t think they will keep Falkirk out.
Inverness vs Raith Rovers - Both teams to score
Raith have surprised everyone at the start of this season and sit on seven points from four games with their first defeat of the season coming last week in the derby against Dunfermline.
Inverness have had some impressive draws against Dunfermline and Partick Thistle but are still searching for their first win.
Not many teams like going away to Inverness so this will be a tough one for Raith but they’ve impressed up until this point and Inverness will be desperate for their first win to pull them up the table.
I can see this being a tight game and either a 1-1 or 2-1.
East Kilbride vs Hamilton - Over 2.5 goals
This one could be the game of the weekend and I would be VERY surprised if there weren’t plenty of goals! There have been 18 goals in East Kilbride’s first five League One games and eleven in Hamilton’s five so far.
The difference is that Hamilton have scored all the eleven goals in their games whereas East Kilbride have scored nine and conceded nine. Mick Kennedy’s side are an exciting watch but in their last two league matches, they have lost 3-0 and 4-0, a harsh reality check in their race for promotion.
Hamilton’s goals are coming from all over the pitch when many thought they may have struggled after losing Oli Shaw. East Kilbride also have goals coming from all over the pitch but their main issue is struggling to keep them out.
This is a game that football fans across the country will have an eye on because it has the potential to be the highest scoring game of the season so far!
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