Kilmarnock come into this clash having just been involved in a seven goal thriller against St Mirren, which they won 4-3. John Jules netted a hat trick in that game with a combined xG of 4.92 being generated by the two sides from 35 match shots. They now welcome a title chasing Celtic side, who can leapfrog Rangers and move to within three points of Hearts with victory here.

This has the makings of a very consequential weekend in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers and Hearts play later in the day so Celtic will be eager to put plenty of pressure on that fixture with a commanding victory. Celtic covered this like on their own in the most recent head to head meeting between the sides, running out 4-0 winners. Each of the last four head to head meetings has seen 3+ goals.

Kilmarnock have unravelled at the back at times in recent weeks, conceding three goals last time out - but also tallies of five and four against Rangers and Motherwell within their last five matches. Kilmarnock have only won three of their 13 home matches in the Scottish Premiership this term, but these games have been entertaining with 37 goals across these fixtures (2.84 per game).

Celtic have shown a knack for winning ugly of late, and I suspect it could be a similar story on Sunday against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Martin O’Neill has overseen an impressive nine wins from 10 Scottish Premiership matches across his two spells as interim manager this season, even if the performances have often been solid rather than spectacular. That includes narrow victories away at the likes of St Mirren, Hibernian and Falkirk, and it could be more of the same in Ayrshire this weekend.

What’s more, Celtic have the added incentive of knowing a win at Rugby Park would see them make inroads on the two teams directly above them in the table, with Rangers and Hearts set to face off at Ibrox later in the afternoon.

While Kilmarnock have shown signs of improvement under Neil McCann, their two defeats have come against Motherwell and Rangers, and I think they are likely to fall short once again when they come up against another of the division’s stronger sides in the shape of Celtic on Sunday.

While I’m expecting Celtic to eke out a victory on Sunday, I think Kilmarnock are more than capable of contributing to the scoring. The hosts have looked much improved over the past month, winning each of their last two home games and racking up seven goals across those victories. It's also worth noting that Killie scored a consolation goal away at Rangers last midweek - made all the more impressive as they were reduced to 10 men early in the game.

Neil McCann will have his players fired up for this clash, and I think they could make their mark against a Celtic side that have conceded in each of their last two home games against Scottish Premiership strugglers Dundee and Livingston. Celtic won the latter of those matches 2-1 in midweek, as they did when last visiting this venue earlier in the season, and I think the same scoreline is a strong possibility on Sunday. The fact that both teams scored during Celtic's most recent Scottish Premiership away game at Hearts adds further weight to siding with a repeat this weekend.

I like to target high corner counts in Celtic matches, and I think over 7.5 should be well within range at Rugby Park on Sunday. Celtic have once again been the corner kings in the Scottish Premiership this season, averaging just under seven flag kicks per game. That healthy total is helped by the fact that the Hoops’ matches generate an average of 10.48 corners per 90. It’s also worth noting that Celtic have cleared the over 8.5 corner hurdle single-handedly on several occasions this season, including in each of their last two league outings against Falkirk and Livingston, where they racked up nine and 10 corners respectively.

Kilmarnock are averaging just under 4.5 corners per game this season, but recent morale-boosting home wins under new boss Neil McCann suggest they can add to the corner total here. Notably, Killie have forced seven and nine corners in their last two home league games, indicating they can chip in against Celtic on Sunday, particularly in front of their own supporters.

Benjamin Nygren’s numbers in front of goal this season make him the standout option in the to Score or Assist market here. The Norwegian midfielder has proven to be a shrewd signing for Celtic, already racking up 15 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this season. 12 of those strikes have come in the Scottish Premiership, four arriving in his last five outings. What’s more, the 24-year-old has also contributed six assists this season, with four of them coming away from Celtic Park.

Although Kilmarnock have shown signs of life of late, their 4-3 win over St Mirren on Wednesday highlighted that they remain defensively vulnerable. What’s more, McCann’s men shipped five goals away at Rangers last midweek, albeit while playing the majority of the game with 10 men. Nevertheless, Killie still looks shaky at the back, and I think Nygren is the prime candidate to capitalise on that by registering another goal involvement at Rugby Park on Sunday.