Free-scoring Falkirk should prove too strong for Brechin

3pm Saturday

Falkirk look a great bet to win at Brechin and maintain their 100 per cent Betfred Cup record.

The Bairns have bounced back after last season's playoff disappointment to Dundee United and should be challenging for the Ladbrokes Championship this season.

They will be in the same league as Brechin, but look to be a class above the Angus minnows.

The Glebe Park side won a shock promotion last term courtesy of the playoffs and they deserve enormous credit for that.

But manager Darren Dods is operating with a squad that looks threadbare and ill-equipped to deal with life in Scottish football's second tier.

Falkirk have netted ten goals in three games and manager Peter Houston has stressed the importance of using the competition as preparation for the start of the league campaign next week.

With the likes of Myles Hippolyte in great form and Brechin already out of the competition, Falkirk should justify favouritism.

Elsewhere, it looks like a day to steam into the favourites, with so many teams already out of the competition using it as a glorified pre-season friendly.

There is also a noticable gulf between teams who are full-time and part-time at this time of year.

You could make a case for just about every short-priced favourite on the card. But the best bet looks to be a Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle and Raith Rovers treble.

Killie are playing a Dumbarton team decimated by injuries with manager Stevie Aitken already suggesting he would love to postpone the game. Killie should cruise it.

Thistle were excellent against St Mirren last week and their Firhill pitch is playing well, which helps and they are full of attacking intent. Stranraer are pointless after three games and have nothing to play for.

And although Fife pair Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath are level on points in their group and both out, the Kirkcaldy team's new manager Barry Smith will be keen to see his Ladbrokes League One favourites impose themselves ahead of next week's league kick-off and should have more than enough against the side who finished bottom of Scottish football last term.

Recommendations
Falkirk
3pts 4-5 general
Kilmarnock 2-7, Partick 2-11 & Raith 2-5
2pts treble Betfred

Bet on these matches at Soccerbase.com