Scottish Premiership winner odds and outright predictions: Gers reign supreme

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for the 2021-22 SPL season.

Best outright bets

Rangers to win Scottish Premiership
4pts 1-2 Betfair, Power

Livingston to finish bottom
2pts 7-1 bet365, Betfred

Season preview

Rangers ended Celtic’s run of nine straight Scottish Premiership titles when lifting the trophy last season and the Gers look set to go on a run of dominance themselves.

Steven Gerrard’s side finished 25 points clear of their Old Firm rivals last term and it’s hard to see how Celtic are going to overhaul that deficit.

The Bhoys parted ways with Neil Lennon midway through the last campaign and they have turned to Ange Postecoglou in a bid to improve their fortunes.

Postecoglou has spent the majority of his career managing in Australia and it remains to be seen if the Aussie has what it takes to succeed at Parkhead.

Postecoglou doesn’t appear to have been given much help from the boardroom when it comes to transfers and if anything Celtic appear to be going into the new SPL season with a weaker squad than last.

The Bhoys shipped 29 goals last season, compared to the 13 conceded by Rangers, and the sale of top centre-back Kristoffer Ajer to Brentford isn’t going to help them stem the tide.

Fellow centre-half Christopher Jullien hasn’t played since December, after tearing his knee ligaments, and new defensive signing Carl Starfelt will do well to reach the level of the departed Ajer.

Scott Brown’s impact on the pitch may have diminished over the past couple of years, but he has taken his leadership qualities to Aberdeen. Star striker Odsonne Edouard hasn’t looked happy at the club for sometime and fellow forward Mohamed Elyounoussi’s loan spell has ended.

Rangers have been fairly quiet in the transfer market with John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala the only notable additions so far. However, Gerrard has kept hold of Alfredo Morelos and it’s likely there will be more arrivals at Ibrox in the near future.

Gerrard will be looking to strengthen his squad for a crack at the Champions League group stage and that potential windfall could provide more funds for new signings.

Rangers have a settled squad, a proven manager and they should be a fair bit shorter than 1-2 to land back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

At the other end of the division Dundee and last season’s top-flight strugglers Ross County are fancied to fill the bottom spot, but at 7-1 Livingston look great value.

Promoted pair Dundee and Hearts should be able to stay competitive after their promotion from the Championship to the SPL last season and that opens up the market.

Livi made the League Cup final last term and they enjoyed a purple patch in the middle of the season, which saw them go 14 matches unbeaten. However, it was clear from watching David Martindale’s side that their points tally was far ahead of what their performances merited.

Livingston managed an average of just 9.42 shots per game in the Scottish top flight last term with only bottom club Hamilton recording fewer. Scott Pittman was Livi’s top scorer in the league, with just six goals, and they recorded just the ninth-best expected goals total in the division.

Bruce Anderson has signed from Abderdeen, but Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has moved in the opposite direction and key defender Jon Guthrie has also departed the club. Those two players chipped in with ten league goals last term and shot-shy Livi will need to replace that contribution.

Dundee United are worth consideration after a season that saw their keeper Benjamin Siegrist emerge as their top performer. However, the market seems to be massively overrating Livingston and they look the bet to finish bottom of the SPL.

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