Scottish football predictions: betting preview and free football tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for this weekend's Scottish Cup matches

When to bet

By 3pm Saturday

Best bets

Fraserburgh
1pt 5-1 Boyles

Stirling
1pt 6-1 Boyles

Preview

There have been plenty of upsets at the World Cup in Qatar and there may be a few shocks closer to home in the Scottish Cup third round on Saturday.

Arbroath have won just one of their last nine matches and they look extremely shaky favourites at Fraserburgh. A 1-0 victory over Hamilton, where the Accies had a man set off, is the only victory the Red Lichties have managed since September and results aren’t the only concern.

Dick Campbell’s men have allowed 32 shots in their last three Scottish Championship matches and Arbroath have managed only 13 efforts on target in their last five games.

Fraserburgh are going well in the Highland League, losing only one of their seven home league matches this season and conceding only four goals at Bellslea Park. The Broch were good 2-1 winners against League Two Stranraer in the previous round of this competition, and with breezy conditions forecast in the northeast corner of Aberdeenshire on Saturday, Arbroath could be blown away.

League Two highflyers Stirling could upset Championship outfit Inverness at the Caledonian Stadium. Of course, Caley Thistle are the better side, but they are far from a free-flowing expansive outfit and Billy Dodds’ team aren’t one to be backing at short prices in one-off cup matches.

Inverness are without a win in six second-tier games and their 1-1 draw with Arbroath is the only occasion that Caley Thistle have recorded more than two shots on target in any of their last half-dozen matches.

That has to be a worry when taking on an in-form Stirling side. The Binos have lost just one of their last 11 matches, they have hammered Forfar, Dumbarton, Stranraer and Stenhousemuir during that excellent run and they may be able to cause a cup upset in Inverness on Saturday.

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