Scotland: free football tips for Saturday's games

When to bet

3pm Saturday

Best bets

Motherwell to beat Aberdeen
2pts 6-4 BoyleSports

St Johnstone to beat St Mirren
2pts 19-10 bet365

Auchinleck Talbot to beat Cove Rangers
1pt 4-1 bet365

Preview

Motherwell look solid shouts to beat a depleted Aberdeen side at Fir Park.

Stephen Robinson's men have been the surprise packets of the Ladbrokes Premiership campaign having rocketed up to third place.

They've done it with a team full of promising youngsters who are playing without fear and producing good football. They've won five out of six games and it should have been six had it not been for a baffling late collapse against Ross County in a match they should have put to bed.

In contrast, the Dons have major problems for their trip to Lanarkshire. Almost an entire midfield will be missing with Lewis Ferguson suspended, Funso Ojo and Stephen Glee­son injured and Craig Bryson not fully fit. Scotland under-19s star Dean Campbell could well be Aberdeen's only recognisable available central midfielder.

It's far from a happy ship at Pittodrie and fans are unhappy with boss Derek McInnes following a pretty grim, uninspiring start to the campaign. Well can make it worse.

St Johnstone sit bottom of the table but it's surely only a matter of time before they come good and they have a big chance to do that at St Mirren.

Saints dominated their recent trip to Ross County but came away with only a 2-2 draw. Key players look fit to return and Tommy Wright is too good a manager to be struggling at the bottom.

The Perth side have the makings of a decent squad and have plenty of talent there. St Mirren are no mugs but they are struggling to score goals.

They haven't found the net in their last three games and St Johnstone will fancy their chances in Paisley.

Auchinleck Talbot were 10-1 shots when the William Hill Scottish Cup prices were issued in mid­week, but unsurprisingly those odds are long gone as they welcome Cove Rangers to Beechwood Park.

Cove are the Ladbrokes League Two new boys who are flying high, but there's not a team outside the top flight who would relish a trip to the Ayrshire juniors' bearpit and they also lost their unbeaten record at Stenhousemuir.

Junior Cup holders Talbot dumped Ayr out of the cup last season and have already seen off Lowland League big-spenders Kelty Hearts in Fife.

If they can keep Fraser Fyvie quiet, they should harbour realistic hopes of upsetting the odds again.

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