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Motherwell v Celtic
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Kick Off: Sunday 25th February at 12:00
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Competition: Scottish Premiership
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Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
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The pressure is firmly on Celtic as they travel to Motherwell for a Scottish Premiership encounter at Fir Park.
For the first time this season, Brendan Rodgers’ side have been knocked off the top of the table. Having enjoyed an eight-point advantage at the start of the year, this was not in the script. Draws against Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, though, have the Hoops playing catchup to rivals Rangers going into the weekend.
It’s a tense time for everyone associated with the Parkhead club. The players are underfire for poor displays, Rodgers finds himself criticised for unimaginative tactics and the board are being pilloried for successive transfer windows in which they have been asleep at the wheel.
Anything less than three points here will be seen as another catastrophic blow to the credibility of the club and will make Rodgers’ position very fragile indeed.
Motherwell, meanwhile, are winless in their last three but a positive beginning to 2024 has seen them move away from the worst of the relegation dogfight. Manager Stuart Kettlewell’s deal will automatically be extended until 2025 should he keep the club in the top-flight, and the odds are now stacked in his favour.
The Steelmen could go a long way to sealing their place in the Premiership next season with a shock victory at Fir Park, which would also keep them on the fringes of the race for the top six.
Motherwell v Celtic Cheat Sheet
This Cheat Sheet and Preview was created using predicted lineups.
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🏆 Match stats: Action at both ends
Celtic are understandably favourites to get the win but at 1.25, their price is unappealing. They have scraped home in recent matches, winning three by a single goal and drawing two. As such, backing Motherwell on a sizeable handicap has merit.
The home team have lost only twice at home this season by more than a single goal and have not been defeated by a margin of three since Celtic’s League Cup visit back in October 2022. The Hoops are far less formidable now than that side marshalled by Ange Postecoglou.
Conservative bettors can back Motherwell +2.5 at 1.29 relatively safely but supporting the hosts with a +1.5 advantage at 1.83 looks strong value.
Previous matches against the Old Firm this season support that. Motherwell have had two single-goal losses this term against Rangers and Celtic, and even drew their last outing against the Hoops.
Similarly, goals do seem likely. Motherwell are a capable offensive side, as they displayed in dismantling Ross County 5-0 in their last home outing. They also concede freely, with their defence breached 41 times this season.
Even an out-of-form Celtic should be looking to profit, but equally after failing to keep a clean sheet in their last three, the odds on Motherwell also finding the net are good. Well have only been shutout twice at home this season.
Predictions:
⚽ Motherwell (+1.5 handicap) @ 1.83
⚽ Both teams to score @ 1.90
🎯 Shooting stats: Bair to grill Celtic defence
Celtic’s attacking players are all cold at present. Luis Palma leads the Celtic stats when it comes to shots, yet he has not netted in his last 10 Premiership games and is likely to give the penalty duties to Adam Idah after missing two of his last four.
Similarly, Matt O’Riley, who has been Celtic’s talisman this season, has netted only once in nine, with his slump symptomatic of the Hoops’ overall offensive slowdown.
It is vital, therefore, that Kyogo Furuhashi continues his slow improvement. Hotly favoured to be the league’s leading marksman this season, he has scored three in eight – hardly stellar form but the best Celtic have to offer at present. He is their likeliest scorer, but it’s hard to justify backing him at 1.91 anytime given his overall form.
O’Riley to break his recent duck at 2.8 still offers superior value. He was his side’s chief threat against Kilmarnock last weekend, getting six shots away, including three on target. He is priced at 18.0 to better that in this match, with the Celtic stats showing that he averages 1.1 shots on target per 90.
The form player on the park will be Motherwell’s Theo Bair. The forward’s level was doubted when he joined the Fir Park side at the start of the season, yet he has netted eight times in his last nine league matches.
Similarly, on-loan Blackburn striker Jack Vale has scored twice in 193 minutes of action since arriving in January but has so far been most impactful off the bench.
Bair to net anytime at 4.0 looks a strong bet and, with the Canadian full of confidence, to simply get a shot on target at 1.57 is excellent value.
Predictions:
⚽ Matt O’Riley to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.33
⚽ Theo Bair to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.57
⚽ Theo Bair to score anytime @ 4.0
🛑 Fouls stats: Motherwell’s wing-backs are targets
Injury news should be taken into account when making a Motherwell v Celtic bet builder, with home boss Kettlewell tight-lipped on his squad status. Unhelpfully, Davor Zdravkovski and Georgie Gent, their two leading foul makers, are impacted. Zdravkovski could drop out if Andy Halliday proves his fitness, while Gent is likely to be one of the players being monitored after picking up a knock last week.
Motherwell, though, are likely to be competitive. No club in the Premiership have picked up more yellow cards than them.
The areas where the free kicks are likely to be conceded are out wide. When Celtic last visited Fir Park, Brodie Spencer and Stephen O’Donnell, the wing backs, gave up three and five free kicks respectively. Spencer has departed and O’Donnell was on the bench last weekend, although the latter may well start out of position on the left if Gent is not fit. This is an area of interest.
Right-sided centre back Dan Casey is another who could give up free kicks, with Daizen Maeda operating in his area. The Japanese stands fourth on the Motherwell v Celtic Cheat Sheet among visiting players who win free kicks, on 1.07 per 90.
Celtic’s central midfielders could be pressured into giving away free kicks. Motherwell’s play tends to flow through the middle, and even with injury doubts over Blair Spittal and uncertainty over whether Zdravkovski starts, this is likely to be the case. Matt O’Riley and Callum McGregor could be asked to perform more extensive defensive duties and be put under additional pressure as a consequence.
With so many doubts in the Motherwell side, it could be worth hanging on to check the team lines before committing to a Celtic bet builder.
Predictions:
⚽ Stephen O’Donnell to commit 2+ fouls @ 2.50
⚽ Callum McGregor to commit 1+ fouls @ 1.36
* 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
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