COME ON SCOTLAND! Win this and we’re giving ourselves a great chance of making the Qatar World Cup next year. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves and start booking our flights, there’s the small matter of getting past our old foes Israel. And it does present us with a good chance of some Bet Builders and maybe even some bookings tips.

As excited/nervous as I am for this one, if ever a game looked perfect for a Bet Builder it was this game between two sides who have met six times in the last three years, with each side winning two of those half dozen games. Those matches averaged 4.1 cards per game and with referee Szymon Marciniak in charge we could see that average get even better. He averages 4.8 cards per 90 in European and international competitions this year, with his World Cup qualifiers delivering a chunky six cards per game. With this being an utterly pivotal game for both sides involved it seems perfectly set for some cards and tense action at Hampden.

With all that in mind, I’ve done my digging and found five bookings tips and five shot on target angles that have caught my fancy.

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Scotland v Israel Predicted Lineups

Scotland Predicted Lineup

Israel Predicted Lineup

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Bookings Tips

Dor Peretz to be Booked v Scotland

What a liability this man is. He’s picked up three yellows over the sextuplet of recent games against us and not just for persistent fouling like most players. Two of his yellows have come in petulant circumstances, one for diving and the other for mouthing off and sarcastically clapping the ref. Neither of those tend to sit well with your opposition or the ref and with him likely being the midfielder tasked with dealing with John McGinn (Scotland’s most fouled player) a fourth yellow in seven games against the Scots could be on the cards for Peretz. Dor is always open to finding himself in bother, something that will likely ring true if he returns to the starting XI at Hampden this weekend.

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Joel Abu Hanna to be Booked v Scotland

A wee bit of an outside shout this one, so I’d maybe wait to see if the Legia Warsaw defender is in the starting XI come 16:00 on Saturday afternoon. Hanna absolutely loves a yellow card and can’t seem to avoid them so far in his fledgling career. He’s averaging a card every 0.34 cards per 90 over his career thus far, a staggering record which equates to basically a yellow every three games. He could line-up on the left of a back three for this one and will likely be contesting with the irritating duo of Dykes and Adams which could see him get in trouble, with both capable of a bit of sh*thouserey to get their marker in trouble, especially if they’re as quick to foul as Hanna is.

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John McGinn to be Booked v Israel

McGinn is another with previous in this fixture, having found his way into referees notebooks against Israel before. McGinn is an absolute gem, an all-action midfielder who can win the ball, create and get in on the action (more on that later) but he does have a penchant for a foul or two. He commits 1.82 per game for Scotland and he picked up a Premier League high 12 yellow cards last season. He’ll be absolutely everywhere for Scotland in this one, with McGregor not yet at full fitness and Gilmour tasked with patrolling the back three, making the Villa star the main attraction for cards in the Scotland midfield.

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Sun Menachem to be Booked v Scotland

No Israeli has committed more fouls than Sun Menachem in these World Cup Qualifiers. The left-wing back certainly appears to be more at home with proper protection in front of him but Solomon doesn’t offer that, and Menachem is often left exposed. He does actually average a yellow every four games in his senior career, a very steady record. He commits 1.57 fouls per 90 and managed a yellow in each of his last games for club and country, finding his way into the ref’s notebook against each of Hapoel Beer Sheva and Denmark.

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Stephen O’Donnell to be Booked v Israel

Stephen O’Donnell is such an odd player and you’ve got to imagine his inconsistency at this level means his days in a Scotland shirt could be numbered. He’s got Nathan Patterson chapping on his door and his iffy displays in big games won’t help his cause. He’s up against Israel’s most fouled player in Menachem should they both start tonight, as well as having to deal with the likes of Dabbur and Zahavi a little further forward too. He’s picked up three yellows in just five Premiership games for Motherwell this season too, should he start this one then he looks a brilliant shout for a yellow.

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Shot on Target Tips

Eran Zahavi to have 1+ Shot on Target v Scotland

This man is a perpetual thorn in the side of us lot, he’s scored twice against us and he always seems to be so dangerous against Scotland. His shot stats from the last meeting were incredible, managing a whopping seven (SEVEN) and although he didn’t manage to convert any into a goal or hit the target he’s a constant threat as part of the dangerous Israel front three. He averages 5.8 shots per 90 if you want to go down that avenue but at 1.4 for a single SOT you’re getting a decent addition to a bet builder there. He’ll be an even better option if Shon Weismann misses out too, with the Real Valladolid striker a doubt it means one less replacement for Zahavi should Israel be needing a goal from the bench.

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Manor Solomon to have 1+ Shot on Target v Scotland

I’ve always been impressed by Solomon whenever I’ve seen him, be it for Israel or in the Champions League for Shakhtar Donetsk (I can’t say I’ve been following his progress in the Ukrainian top flight too closely though). He’s so lively and more than capable of deciding a game and at 2.2 for shot on target looks great value if you’re wanting to plump your bet builder out or as a generous single. He had three against us last time out, with the winger always keen to test the keeper from range.

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Sun Menachem to have 1+ Shot on Target v Scotland

Speaking of value, another in this Israel side that looks a tad overpriced is someone who I’ve already mentioned in this article, Sun Menachem. The left-wing back has averaged 0.98 shots per 90 in this campaign and should feature for the duration at Hampden in this one. He mustered two shots against Denmark, one against us in the 1-1 and one more against the Faroes. He’s a hefty 2.1 for a single shot here, or if you’re feeling a little bolder 5.0 for a shot on target might be worth a stab too, having registered two in this campaign so far.

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John McGinn to have 1+ Shot on Target v Scotland

McGinn is someone who I love for shots betting, especially when he’s got a Scotland shirt on. He’s 1.91 for a shot on target or 1.83 for two shots (a near staple of my Scotland bet builders in the past). The reason I rate him and this selection so much is the freedom Steve Clarke affords the Villa man in attack. He’s the third forward in this side and always gets so close to the front two. His goal record for Scotland is impressive, averaging better than one in four from midfield. He’s probably our most dangerous player alongside Dykes and he really could have a field day in this one against Israel’s more rigid 3-4-3.

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Lyndon Dykes to have 1+ Shot on Target v Scotland

Now I’m not tipping Dykes for a shot on target here coming from the value perspective, he’s short but for good reason. The QPR man is in fine form, scoring four times in nine Championship games this season as well as in each of his last two Scotland outings, getting the solitary goal against both of Moldova and Austria. He had two shots on target v Austria, one v Moldova and registered three during the Euros. He’s our next best bet behind McGinn but you could look for bigger prices not just in the multiple shots or goals routes, but potentially at backing him in a 1-0 scorecast at a big price, with it landing in the previous two internationals.

I’ll be sharing my own Bet Builder and a cheat sheet for the game on social media once the teams are confirmed, so make sure you’re following me. Links are below ⬇️

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *

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How to watch Scotland v Israel in the World Cup

📅   When is Scotland v Israel? / Saturday, 09 October 2021, 17:00 BST
🏟    Where is Scotland v Israel taking place? / Hampden Park (Glasgow)
📺   What TV Channel is Scotland v Israel on? / Sky Sports Premier League
📱   Online Live Streaming for Scotland v Israel / bet365
🟨   …And who is the referee for Scotland v Israel? / Szymon Marciniak 🇵🇱