In this article…
Celtic v Kilmarnock
📅 Kick Off: Sunday 4th August at 16:30
🏆 Competition: Scottish Premiership
📺 Watch Live: Sky Sports Football
Celtic begin their Scottish Premiership title defence with a home game against Kilmarnock on Sunday afternoon. The Bhoys bagged their third Scottish crown in a row last season, making it 12 from the last 13, and they look well placed to retain their trophy this term. That triumph along with May’s Scottish Cup success was a massive step on the road to redemption for returning boss Brendan Rodgers.
As for Kilmarnock, they continued their upward trajectory under manager Derek McInnes by finishing fourth and securing Europa League qualification last season. The Killie manager will be keen to build on his successful tenure this term by having his team challenging at the top end of the table again as well as aiming to make a splash in both of the domestic cups.
All of the best Scottish football betting content is at your fingertips on ABC, including our Scottish football acca, on our Scottish football predictions page. While you’re here, make sure to check out the rest of the football betting tips we have available on our site, such as our foul predictions or card betting tips.
For all of the bet builder lovers out there, we still have our frequently updated shots on target tips and BTTS tips for you to put to use when crafting any of your accumulators this weekend.
To make sure you’re getting as much value as possible from the betting market, check out our list of the best betting sites for accumulators and the best bet builder sites. You can take advantage of all the latest free bet offers and weekly free bet clubs, while our collated list of the best UK sports betting sites is also worth browsing.
Our bet builder stats tool is a key resource for you to make the most of, as are our cheat sheets which come with a handy cheat sheet guide to ensure you use it to its full potential. Why not also check out our xG betting guide to level up your punting mind.
Celtic v Kilmarnock Best Bets
Kyogo Furuhashi was one of Celtic’s standout performers during pre-season and backing him to make the net bulge on Sunday looks an obvious angle of attack at 1.57 on Betfair. The Hoops hitman hit a combined total of four goals across his side’s two friendly fixtures with both Ayr United and Queen’s Park before notching against both Man City and Chelsea in the USA. As such, the Japanese ace will be brimming with confidence ahead of Celtic’s first competitive contest of the campaign. Furuhashi fired in 19 goals last season, one of which came against Kilmarnock when they last visited Celtic Park back in February.
While the season is still in its infancy, Killie have a quick turnaround after Thursday night’s Europa League qualifier in Belgium which is bound to have taken its toll on them ahead of their Scottish Premiership opener at Parkhead, making Furuhashi the standout option to capitalise on that.
Elsewhere, Kilmarnock also merit consideration for collecting the most cards during this clash at 1.36 on Betfair. Like the majority of teams who visit Celtic Park on domestic duty, Derek McInnes’ men will be assigned plenty of defensive work on Sunday afternoon. On top of that, Killie had the second-highest average for yellow cards received in the Scottish Premiership last season, whereas Celtic were one of the best-behaved teams in last term’s top-flight. This selection would have proven profitable in four of the five meetings between the pair last season and supporting a repeat looks a sensible option to take at 1.36.
📂 Celtic v Kilmarnock Cheat Sheet
📊 Celtic Form and Stats
Celtic ended last season with six straight victories in the Scottish Premiership and they appear to have carried that momentum into pre-season. Brendan Rodgers’ side kicked off their tour of the USA with a 4-0 demolition of DC United before claiming the scalps of Premier League heavyweights Man City and Chelsea in a matter of days. Those two victories against elite opposition were made all the more impressive by the fact that the Hoops hit four goals in both triumphs.
The Bhoys boasted the deadliest attack in the Scottish Premiership last season, scoring 95 times en route to the title. It’s also worth noting that Rodgers’ side racked up multiple strikes in each of their final nine league games of the season. What’s more, Celtic also held the best defensive record in the division last term, conceding just 30 goals across the course of the campaign.
Unsurprisingly, Celtic were also the most prolific corner takers in the Scottish Premiership last season, averaging north of nine flag kicks per game. Expect to see that trend continue this season given that Celtic tend to dictate the tempo of games in the majority of their domestic assignments.
Matt O’Riley was Celtic’s main man last season, scoring 18 goals in the Scottish top-flight, and chipping in with a league-high 13 assists for good measure. The Celtic midfield maestro has since attracted significant interest from across the continent due to his standout performances last season. O’Riley has been joined in Glasgow’s east end by compatriot Kasper Schmeichel, who has been drafted in as a replacement for the now-retired Joe Hart, while Paulo Bernardo has made a permanent return to Celtic following his loan spell last season.
📊 Kilmarnock Form and Stats
Having entered this year’s Europa League at the preliminary stages, Kilmarnock have already had a taste for competitive action ahead of their Scottish Premiership opener with Celtic on Sunday.
Derek McInnes’ side battled to a well deserved 1-1 draw with Cercle Brugge last Thursday night before falling to a 1-0 defeat in the return leg in Belgium earlier this week. Consequently, Kilmarnock will now parachute into the Europa Conference League qualifiers next midweek where they will take on Norwegian outfit Tromso.
Kilmarnock proved a tough nut to crack for most throughout the majority of last season, losing just ten times on their way to finishing fourth in the Scottish Premiership table.
In fact, the Ayrshire outfit go into the latest Scottish Premiership season having avoided defeat in 19 of their last 23 league games, with their four losses across that period coming against either Celtic or Rangers.
A very solid defence proved to be the foundation for Killie’s success last season, with McInnes’ men conceding just 44 goals across their 38 top-flight fixtures last term, a tally bettered only by the three teams who finished above them in the final league standings.
The Rugby Park side were among the most ill-disciplined teams in the Scottish Premiership last season, averaging just over two yellow cards per 90 minutes. With a backs-to-the-wall performance anticipated from Killie on Sunday, expect to see them throw their weight around against a technically superior Celtic team.
⚔️ Celtic v Kilmarnock Head-to-Head
While Celtic will be expected to hit the ground running on Sunday, they will be coming up against a Kilmarnock side who were a bit of a bogey team for them last season.
Kilmarnock inflicted Celtic’s first-ever cup loss under Brendan Rodgers by battling to a 1-0 win in the Scottish League Cup last August before earning a second Rugby Park win in a row over the champions in December. The Ayrshire outfit again proved a thorn in the Hoops’ side by pinching a last-gasp point in a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park in February earlier this year.
That being said, Celtic did claim a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Parkhead last October, not to mention Rodgers’ side ran riot at Rugby Park to wrap up last season’s title with a stunning 5-0 victory towards the tail end of the campaign.
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
18+ please gamble responsibly.
