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Scotland v Northern Ireland Bet Builder Stats & Predictions

Scotland v Northern Ireland Bet Builder Stats & Predictions

Monday 25 March, 20242 min read
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Robin Bairner

Robin is a specialist in Scottish and French football and has been with us since 2022. He loves championing the young talent that Ligue 1 produces on a seemingly perpetual basis as well as the chaos of the unique world of SPFL football. He is currently based in central Scotland and can be found weekly taking in games and rating pies at windswept venues across the country.

In this article...

Scotland v Northern Ireland

📅
Kick Off: Tuesday 26th March at 19:45
🏆
Competition: International friendly
📺
Watch Live: Viaplay Sports 1

We have coverage from around the globe this international break, with international football bet builder tips and expert predictions on all the biggest games happening whilst club football is on hold.

The Euro qualifiers are also covered on our bet builder stats tool which is a great resource for bettors ahead of the summer, you can also check out Andy Robson’s Euro 2024 Supporters Guide to whet your appetite ahead of the tournament in Germany. We are committed to keeping you up-to-date with Euro 2024 tips and insight throughout the international break.

Scotland host Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on Tuesday with the aim of bouncing back from a heavy defeat against the Netherlands on Friday and ending a six-match winless streak.

Although the Scots were beaten 4-0 in Amsterdam, much of the content of the performance was very encouraging. For three-quarters of the match, Steve Clarke’s side were the better team, yet a late collapse gave the game an unflattering complexion and leaves questions over both the strength in depth and morale of the squad.

Scotland, after all, have conceded 18 goals in their last six internationals, suffering four defeats in that time. But while the hosts have lost games, the standard of opposition has been of the highest quality. All these losses have been against teams in the top eight of the FIFA Ranking.

Northern Ireland, meanwhile, are seeking to build on a creditable 1-1 draw achieved in Romania on Friday. Jamie Reid marked his international debut with a goal after just three minutes in Bucharest. Although Michael O’Neill’s side were subsequently pegged back, it was a creditable result for a side that ended 2023 with a victory over Denmark.

With a squad that only boasts Liverpool’s Conor Bradley as a Premier League-based player, Northern Ireland are seeking to go undefeated for three matches for the first time since facing Lithuania, Italy and Luxembourg two years ago.

Here is the best advice for your Scotland v Northern Ireland Bet Builder.

Scotland v Northern Ireland Cheat Sheet

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🏆 Match stats: Scotland to bounce back

Both sides are likely to make substantial changes for this game, under pressure from clubs to keep players fit ahead of weekend commitments and also because both managers will want to experiment in this non-competitive environment. There is, however, a little pressure building on Clarke’s side and the expectation will be that they will play for a win. Indeed, with the momentum going against the Scots for the first time in months, this fixture does appear to be of significantly more importance to the hosts than their opponents. Scotland should be confident of the victory, too. If the positives can be drawn from much of Friday’s performance, morale should not be too low, and with creditable depth in the squad, a price of 1.57 on the hosts to get the win looks generous. Recent Scotland matches have been high-scoring affairs, with the defence struggling to keep opponents out. While a clean sheet will be an aim for Clarke, the rearguard is the one area of the team where depth is lacking, and it would not be a huge surprise if the visitors scored. This would break a four-game duck against Scotland without scoring. Odds of 2.2 on both teams to net appear on the generous side.

Predictions:

⚽ Scotland to win @ 1.57

⚽ Both teams to score or over 2.5 goals @ 1.75

🎯 Shooting stats: Centre-forwards offer value

Given that Scott McTominay leads Scotland in terms of goals and shots on target in 2024, it is rather surprising to see the Manchester United man priced at 1.5 to muster one effort on goal. It is unlikely that Steve Clarke will be under too much pressure to restrict the midfielder’s minutes given he is not a fixture in the Red Devils’ starting XI, unlike, for example, Aston Villa’s John McGinn. McTominay is one of five players who averages one or more shot on target per 90 in this Scotland squad based on the recent European qualifiers. Of the others, Che Adams, Lewis Ferguson and Stuart Armstrong can all expect significant game time here given they did not start in Amsterdam. Adams and Ferguson look certain starters and are both priced at 1.36 to muster a shot on target. For Northern Ireland, it is a Scottish-based player who offers arguably the best value, with St Mirren winger Conor McMenamin priced at 2.1 to have a shot on goal. He has shots on target in three of his last five internationals and will be particularly eager to impress in his adopted country as he seeks to win regular club football after struggling to win his place back after injury. Isaac Price is an interesting option at 2 but given he played 90 minutes on Friday his opportunities could be restricted here. Potential centre-forward starter Dion Charles is on offer at 1.57. The Bolton striker is likely to play a significant portion of this game and has managed shots on target against strong opponents in Finland and Denmark in his last two starts, suggesting he can replicate that at Hampden.

Predictions:

⚽ Scott McTominay to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.50

⚽ Che Adams to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.36

⚽ Dion Charles to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.57

⚽ Connor McMenamin to have 1+ shots on target @ 2.10

🛑 Foul stats: Shea Charles big odds to be targeted

When it comes to winning fouls, John McGinn is Scotland’s ace. He earns nearly 2.5 free kicks per 90, and even if he has his minutes restricted in this match, he is a virtual certainty to win at least one foul, reflected in a price of 1.07. At 1.44 to win a couple of free kicks, he also looks good value but the bet here is whether he is on the park long enough to get them. It may be Lewis Ferguson who attracts the attention should the Bologna man start. He has been fouled at least twice in 13 of his last 16 matches domestically, making his price of 1.4 to win two free kicks in this game a very healthy offer. Ferguson also posts a high crime count of his own, so odds of 1.17 on him making one infringement are a nice way to boost a Scotland v Northern Ireland bet builder. From a Northern Irish perspective, Dion Charles committed more than 2.3 fouls per 90 in Euro 2024 qualifying, and with the striker in line to start here is capable of racking up another significant crime count. Michael O’Neill’s forwards are all physical options who will put themselves about and Charles is no different. Southampton’s Shae Charles is the player they will look to in order to win free kicks. He was fouled 2.53 times per 90 in European qualifying and should be in the thick of the action again. A price of 3.6 on him to be fouled multiple times looks like excellent value.

Predictions:

⚽ Lewis Ferguson to commit 1+ fouls @ 1.17

⚽ Lewis Ferguson to be fouled 2+ times @ 1.40

⚽ Dion Charles to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.44

⚽ Shea Charles to be fouled 2+ times @ 3.60

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