I don't think it will be pretty, but I expect Rangers to make a winning start on Friday night. 

New Gers boss Derek McInnes knows what it takes to grind out results at this level and should make the Teddy Bears tougher to beat. 

McInnes almost masterminded a historic Scottish Premiership title triumph at Hearts last season, notably guiding his side to victory at Tannadice on two occasions. 

While I'm also expecting an improved campaign from Dundee United, it is difficult to ignore the fact that they won only 4 of their final 13 league games last season.

Jim Goodwin's side also made heavy weather of some of their Scottish League Cup group stage fixtures in recent weeks, needing a 93rd-minute penalty to scrape past Scottish League Two outfit Stirling Albion before suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Montrose. 

The Terrors eventually progressed, but Rangers will represent a significant step up in quality.

Back Lawrence Shankland to either score or assist on Friday night. The newly appointed Rangers captain made the move to Ibrox in the summer following an outstanding campaign at Hearts last term, where he finished the season with 20 goals across 34 appearances in all competitions.

Shankland was particularly effective during the closing stages of the campaign, finding the net in three of Hearts' final five matches of the season, including strikes against both Rangers and Celtic. 

He also scored against Dundee United at Tannadice last term.

However, Shankland's game is not solely based around scoring goals, underlined by the fact that he provided 6 assists last season.

With that in mind, Shankland looks well placed to register a goal involvement on his competitive debut, particularly against a Dundee United side that failed to keep a clean sheet in 31 of their 38 Scottish Premiership matches last season.

I'm keen to back new Dundee United signing Dylan Tait to attempt at least one shot on Friday night. 

Tait is a box-to-box midfielder who is not afraid to try his luck from distance when the opportunity arises. That is reflected in his numbers last season, where he averaged 1.42 shots per game. 

A closer look at the statistics shows that Tait attempted at least one shot in eight of his final 13 appearances for Falkirk last season. 

It is also worth noting that he has already shown an eye for goal during his short time at Dundee United, finding the net in their 4-0 victory over Spartans in the Scottish League Cup group stage. 

Having been appointed vice-captain at Dundee United, Tait will be eager to make an impression, and I think he looks worth backing to register a shot against Rangers on Friday night.

I think this has the potential to be a fiery fixture under the lights at Tannadice on Friday night, which is why I'm keen to side with Rangers to collect a minimum of two cards.

I'm expecting Rangers to be a more physical and aggressive side under Derek McInnes, who will look to restore some order and raise standards at Ibrox. 

Rangers were also reliable in this market last season, averaging 1.95 cards per game in the Scottish Premiership.

Interestingly, Hearts recorded the exact same average under McInnes last term.

What’s more, Rangers collected 3 bookings on their only trip to Tannadice last season, and with little love lost between the sides, another 2+ card tally looks well within range. 

With referee Nick Walsh averaging north of four yellow cards per game in the Scottish Premiership last season, the case for Rangers to collect two cards becomes even stronger.