While this is far from a vintage Celtic side, I still think they will get the job done on Saturday with relative comfort. The Hoops will be in high spirits following last week’s title-clinching 3-1 win over Hearts. What’s more, it was only a couple of weeks ago that Celtic beat Old Firm rivals Rangers by the same scoreline. Martin O’Neill’s men also picked up an away win at Motherwell either side of those victories, so they come into this season’s Scottish Cup final in strong form.

While Dunfermline have defied expectations to reach this season’s Scottish Cup final, this looks like a bridge too far. The Pars will arrive at Hampden having suffered a play-off semi-final defeat to Partick Thistle, losing the second leg 2-1 away from home last Friday night. Without stating the obvious, Celtic represent a significant step up in class, which is why I’m backing the Hoops to overcome a -1 handicap.

I also think that Celtic will be guarding against complacency after last season’s Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen, as well as their Scottish League Cup final loss to St Mirren earlier this season, neither of which bodes well for Dunfermline’s chances.

There has been no shortage of goalmouth action in Celtic’s matches for a number of months now, which is why I’m siding with over 2.5 goals at Hampden on Saturday. No fewer than 10 of the Hoops’ final 11 Scottish Premiership victories of the season saw both teams score, and a consolation strike for Dunfermline can’t be ruled out here either.

That said, Celtic are more than capable of clearing the over 2.5 goal line on their own - something Martin O’Neill’s men managed in four of their five post-split fixtures in the Scottish Premiership, which included wins over Rangers, Motherwell and Hearts.

It’s also worth noting that Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final tie against St Mirren finished 2-2 in normal time before the Glasgow giants eventually ran out 6-2 winners after extra time.

The case is further strengthened by the fact that 4 of Dunfermline’s final 6 Scottish Championship away matches of the regular season featured over 2.5 goals, as did their play-off semi-final second-leg defeat away at Partick Thistle last time out.

It’s hard to look past Daizen Maeda in the To Score or Assist market at Hampden on Saturday. The Celtic talisman underlined once again last weekend that he is the man for the big occasion, scoring Celtic’s crucial second goal against Hearts. That latest strike means Maeda has now notched in each of Celtic’s last five matches, registering seven goals in that run and adding one assist for good measure.

Further encouragement for siding with this angle comes from the fact the Japanese forward scored one goal and provided one assist in Celtic’s semi-final victory over St Mirren in this season’s Scottish Cup.

Dunfermline’s impressive run to this season’s Hampden showpiece has been built on a solid defensive foundation, but it would be fair to say this represents their toughest test to date by some distance. What’s more, Neil Lennon’s side looked far from watertight at the back across both legs of their play-off semi-final defeat to Partick Thistle last week, which only adds to the appeal for Maeda to register another goal involvement here.

Callum Morrison will be one of Dunfermline’s biggest attacking threats on Saturday afternoon, and I think he looks worth backing to register two or more shots. The Pars winger has impressed since his move to East End Park in the January transfer window, chipping in with six goals in 18 appearances across all competitions, the most recent coming in the first leg of Dunfermline’s play-off semi-final tie with Partick Thistle last midweek.

Morrison is the sort of forward who needs very little encouragement to get a shot away, and rarely hesitates when the opportunity to pull the trigger presents itself.

While Celtic will be expected to control the game at Hampden, they’ve shown enough defensive lapses this season to suggest it won’t be entirely one-way traffic.

Moreover, Dunfermline will carry a counter-attacking threat through a number of dangerous players, with Morrison central to that. It is also worth noting that Morrison is not afraid to try his luck from free-kick situations, which only adds weight to siding with this selection.