St Mirren v Livingston (Premiership)

While a home win in this fixture looks probable, better value can be found in backing against both teams to score given that they are both sides that thrive in low-scoring matches. 

This will be St Mirren’s fifth home league match of the season, with the Paisley Saints coming off the back of a remarkable 2-0 win over Celtic prior to the international break. The league leaders enjoyed much of the pressure in that game but Steve Robinson’s side were well-organised and didn’t break, picking up their fourth win in five matches. It was also their fourth clean sheet in five games.

Remarkably, both teams have scored in only one of their eight league matches to date, while at home goals have been scarce at both ends. Prior to the visit of Celtic, they had played out three successive 1-0 results, two going in their favour, one against.

Livingston, too, are a side that are dependent on their defensive strengths. They come into this match off back-to-back 1-0 wins against Hearts and Kilmarnock. Like their hosts, the vast majority of their fixtures have seen one team of the other keep a clean sheet. Indeed, five of their last six league matches have ended that way.

With both sides strong defensively but unspectacular going forward, this is likely to be a hard-fought game in which one goal could be decisive.

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Ayr v Inverness (Championship)

Ayr have provided something of a surprise package in the Championship to date, with the Honest Men leaping to the top of the table before losing that status following a 3-2 loss against Raith Rovers before the international break.

Although they recorded a Friday night win over Dundee back in August, their home record has been rather modest. Draws have come against Arbroath and Hamilton, while they have so far specialised in picking off the weaker sides away from home. An in-form Inverness side represents arguably their greatest challenge to date. 

ICT make the long trip south off the back of successive away league wins over Raith and Dundee that have dragged them right back into the promotion mix. Their sole defeat on the road this season was a 4-1 loss to league leaders Partick in an awkward Friday night kick off slot. 

Meanwhile, they have a great record in Ayr. Last season, the teams played out a couple of 2-2 draws, while prior to that they won five of their six previous trips. Since both these teams have been in the Championship since the 2018-19 campaign, ICT have lost only one of seven trips to Ayr and this journey to Somerset Park will hold few fears for them given their strong recent form.

Both teams are set to have the majority of their squads available for this match, although the guests are primed to be without midfielders Roddy Macgregor and Tom Walsh.

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Falkirk v Clyde (League One)

Falkirk should have too much for Clyde when they host the Bully Wee on Saturday. The Bairns have an excellent home record this season, having won five of their six home games in all competitions to date. Included in this run is a 1-0 success over Saturday’s opponents in the League Cup in July.

Falkirk, meanwhile, have improved since these teams previously met. Although they have failed to win either of their last two league matches, they performed well away to league leaders Dunfermline a fortnight ago, when they picked up a 1-1 draw. On top of this, they beat Championship leaders Partick Thistle 2-0 last weekend in a Challenge Cup match.

Manager John McGlynn’s men have weathered an early season injury crisis and have found a system that appears to suit them, and they are slowly building some significant momentum, particularly in front of their home support.

By contrast, Clyde’s unexpectedly good start to the season is now firmly a thing of the past. They have lost their last four league matches. In their last two matches, they have been catastrophic defensively, conceding nine on aggregate against Alloa and Dunfermline. A 1-0 Challenge Cup win over Caernarfon stopped the rot somewhat last weekend, but just how good a result that was is difficult to judge against opponents playing in Wales.

Falkirk have won four of their last five home matches with Clyde and more of the same should be expected here.

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Elgin v Annan (League Two)

Elgin and Annan have consistently produced goals in their matches this season, and there is unlikely to be a change when the sides meet at Borough Briggs on Saturday. 

Remarkably, Elgin have scored 13 goals in just seven league matches but have won only one of these. Far more common for Gavin Price’s side have been high-scoring draws. They produced three successive 2-2s in August while their previous league match against Stenhousemuir a fortnight ago ended in a thrilling 3-3 scoreline. 

There is little doubt that the strength of the City is in their attacking play, where Kane Hestor and Russell Dingwall, with six and three league goals already this season, are absolutely crucial. Few teams can match that quality but they are not nearly as good at the back.

Annan are similarly prone to being involved in high-scoring matches. Each of their last six League Two games has produced more than three goals, while two of their last three have ended in Elgin’s favoured result of 2-2. 

Annan won all four fixtures between these clubs last season, with three of these games coming in at over 2.5 goals. Indeed, in six of the last nine encounters between these clubs, this would be a winning bet. With the hosts set to be at full strength, the result of this match probably tends towards a draw or a home win more than anything else, the value is on backing another entertaining and goal-laden game.

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Bonnyrigg v Stenhousemuir (League Two)

Bonnyrigg start their Saturday match with Stenhousemuir as favourites for the win, but given the recent form of the two clubs, this does not appear to be an accurate reflection of the way this game is likely to go.

The home side, who have the advantage of their strange pitch that slopes wildly, have lost three of their last four matches after making a strong start in League Two. Indeed, they have scored just a single goal in this time, which was a debatable penalty. Included in this run was a disappointing 2-0 home loss against Albion Rovers, who are presently the bottom side in the league.

Stenhousemuir, meanwhile, are a club on the up. After losing three of their first four this season, manager Stephen Swift has changed the system, which has led to a run of three wins and a draw. Included in this sequence are away victories against Forfar and East Fife, with the latter side far stronger on paper than the one they will face on Saturday.

The visitors’ will expect that their scoring power gives them an edge over their hosts. They have netted 10 times in their last four matches after struggling offensively in the early weeks of the season.

This is the first time that these clubs have ever met, and while Bonnyrigg will try to keep the match close, Stenhousemuir look the team in a better position to win it. As a result, backing the visitors on a draw-no-bet basis at a price above evens looks attractive.

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