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Football tips

Scottish football predictions: betting preview and free football tips

Hibernian's defensive solidity can help them stand firm at Celtic Park

Celtic need to regroup after their Champions League exit
Celtic need to regroup after their Champions League exitCredit: DeFodi Images

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for this weekend's matches from the Scottish Premiership and Championship.

When to bet

3pm Saturday

Best bets

Hibernian +2 on Asian handicap
2pts 9-10 bet365

Partick
4pts 11-10 Betfred

Preview

Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League after defeat to Leipzig on Tuesday and there may not be an immediate upturn in their fortunes when they host Hibernian on Saturday.

In fairness, the Bhoys can consider themselves unfortunate to have been beaten by the Red Bulls after Matt O'Riley and Greg Taylor hit the frame of the goal while Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda missed glorious chances. However, Ange Postecoglou’s men put a lot into their European exploits, both physically and mentally, and they will have to recover from that disappointment swiftly against a solid Hibs side.

Celtic may be the best team in the Scottish Premiership but the Hibees look the bet getting two goals on the Asian handicap.

Lee Johnson’s men were on a four-game winning streak before they were upset at Dundee United on Tuesday, but Hibs were by far the better team in that contest and that was an extremely unjust result.

The Leith side won the shot count 17-3, they had 67 per cent possession and ten corners at Tannadice and on another day they would have been comfortable winners. Hibs have conceded only three goals in their last six SPL matches and they have a defence that can stand firm at Celtic Park.

In the Championship, Hamilton's awful run continued with a 5-0 hammering at Morton last weekend and they now welcome league leaders Partick to the Fountain of Youth Stadium.

The Accies have won only one of their last nine second-tier matches and the South Lanarkshire side are increasingly looking like a lost cause. John Rankin’s squad has an average age of just 22.8 and it could well prove difficult to arrest the slump with such a young group.

Rankin took the unusual step of fielding almost an entire squad of first-team players in Hamilton’s 2-1 Reserve League Cup defeat to Ayr United on Tuesday night and that’s perhaps not the ideal preparation for the visit of Thistle.


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