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Rangers v Celtic
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Kick Off: Sunday 7th April at 12:00
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Competition: Scottish Premiership
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Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Rangers and Celtic are gearing up for what is being billed as the most important Old Firm match in more than a decade at Ibrox, with the upper hand in the Scottish Premiership title race on the line.
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Whichever side comes away with three points will have a huge advantage in claiming the crown, although there is the promise of one final derby between these sides after the split.
This is the closest title race since the 2010/11 season when Rangers edged Celtic at the wire to pick up the trophy. Philippe Clement will be hoping history repeats itself this term.
Recent history, though, goes firmly against Rangers in this fixture. Despite dominating the opening match of the season between these clubs, they slumped to a 1-0 defeat. At Parkhead just before New Year, Celtic again came out on top, with Kyogo Furuhashi getting a glorious winner against a Gers side that finished with 10 men.
It was a match that swung the momentum of the title race in favour of the Hoops, who had established an eight-point lead at that juncture that has since evaporated.
Celtic have never truly recovered their composure after squandering that advantage, with defeat against Hearts on March 3 underlining their current vulnerability. Such is the delicate ecosystem in which the Old Firm exists, all that would change, though, with one positive result at Ibrox.
Ranger v Celtic Cheat Sheet
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🏆 Match stats: Rangers’ luck due to turn
Rangers are the form team coming into this match but Celtic have the better head-to-head record plus the title-winning credentials in their squad. As such, this is an incredibly tight match to call, reflected in the odds. Rangers to win is at 2.2 with Celtic out at 2.9. A draw is on offer at 3.5.
Although Celtic have won both Old Firm matches this season, they were battered upon their last trip to Ibrox with only the wasteful finishing of the home team – plus a controversially disallowed Cyriel Dessers goal – allowing them to pinch a 1-0 win.
The Hoops subsequent victory at Parkhead was skewed by a red card to Leon Balogun midway through the second half, but the Gers still managed to have more shots and generate a bigger xG figure.
This indicates that Rangers are doing the right things and have been a little unfortunate to lose both Old Firm games this season. Backing them with a +1 handicap at 1.33 appears a strong option.
Goals, meanwhile, are likely. Neither of these sides is defending particularly well at present while six of the last eight meetings between these teams have produced over 2.5 goals. Celtic, for example, had been seven without a clean sheet before their trip to bottom side Livingston last weekend but have scored at least three times in their last four games.
Equally, Rangers have conceded goals in their last three Premiership fixtures, but have netted at least twice in 17 of the 22 Premiership matches Clement has overseen.
Predictions:
⚽ Rangers (+1 handicap) @ 1.33
⚽ Both teams to score or over 2.5 goals @ 1.40
🎯 Shooting stats: O’Riley carrying value
Kyogo Furuhashi has been the man for the Old Firm matches so far this season. The Japan international has seven goals against Rangers during his career and already has a couple of match-winning strikes this term.
It’s not been a vintage season for Furuhashi, yet he has managed at least 2 shots on target in each of his previous two matches against the Gers. At 2.63 to do that again on Sunday, he is at an attractive price of 2.88, so he can be backed to defy his overall form and score anytime.
Incidentally, Matt O’Riley’s price of 6.5 for an anytime assist appears wildly out of sync given he is Celtic’s leader in this category with 11 for the season and has delivered four in his last four games. He also has two assists against the Gers this season.
The Denmark midfielder has 23 goal contributions this season for Celtic, eight more than anyone else in the squad, so the price of 3.1 for him to score or assist is superb.
Cyriel Dessers is overwhelmingly Rangers’ most dangerous threat. The Nigeria international averages nearly 4.5 shots per 90 this season with close to 50% of these hitting the target. His shooting has been wayward of late, though, failing to hit the target in three of his last four starts and never in two previous outings against Celtic.
Best value for the Gers is arguably Todd Cantwell. The Englishman is averaging 1.06 shots on target per 90 and tested Joe Hart in both previous Old Firm meetings.
Predictions:
⚽ Kyogo Furuhashi to have 2+ shots on target @ 2.63
⚽ Matt O’Riley to score or assist @ 3.10
⚽ Todd Cantwell to have 1+ shot on target @ 1.57
🛑 Fouls stats: Sparks to fly as rivals clash
Both previous matches between these clubs have been predictably fiery affairs, with upwards of 30 fouls coming in both games. If there were only two yellow cards shown in the first Ibrox match, there were 10 flashed towards players at Parkhead in December, plus Leon Balogun’s red card.
With so much on the line, this is likely to be a similarly hard-fought encounter, keeping with Rangers and Celtic’s usual league meetings.
Cyriel Dessers has been at the heart of the action in terms of free kicks in both his previous Old Firm games. He has given away seven fouls across the two matches, well above his usual average of 1.78 per 90. His price of 1.57 to give away a couple of free kicks looks very healthy.
Todd Cantwell is the other player to have given away multiple free kicks in both previous meetings this season. Odds of 1.17 on him committing one foul are attractive but backing him to once again commit a couple at 1.91 look a nice way to boost a Rangers v Celtic bet builder.
Callum McGregor is a player in the Celtic ranks to monitor. With just 0.77 fouls per 90 this season, he might fly under the radar in this market yet has fouls in both previous matches with Rangers this season. He committed six fouls in the previous game and is a giant 5.5 to replicate that here. It should be flagged that he is an injury doubt for this match, however.
One player who is bound to start and is a big price to give away free kicks is Reo Hatate. He has committed 1.8 fouls per 90 this season and, though this is a small sample size, it is because he has been injured.
Predictions:
⚽ Cyriel Dessers to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.57
⚽ Todd Cantwell to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.57
⚽ Callum McGregor to commit 1+ fouls @ 1.30
⚽ Callum McGregor to commit 3+ fouls @ 5.50
⚽ Reo Hatate to commit 1+ fouls @ 1.30
* 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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