We are delighted to continue a tie up with Scottish Football Tips who will be providing us with a regular series of free football tips. These guys have a great track record of success in tipping and are well worth a follow on twitter too (@FitbaTips).
It’s the Scottish Cup fourth round this week and the beginning of a new year, betting wise. I have spent most of the early part of this week reviewing my performance and you can see my End Of Year Betting Review on my own site.
One of the things I noticed was the potential for a lucrative bet in the shape of an Even Money Double as part of my Scottish Football Accumulator Tips section. Doubles at evens are nothing new in betting but it is something I haven’t utilised. My review suggests that I should. I will be sharing that bet with Pie & Bovril readers each week, too, alongside my usual NAP and IWAC.
This review is a little earlier as my bet of the weekend comes on Friday night when Patrick Thistle travel to Paisley to face Saint Mirren. The Buddies have seemingly improved under their new management team of Alex Rae and David Farrell with two wins from three since Rae took charge.
Sandwiched in between those wins was a 1-4 home hammering by a, lets say inconsistent, Livingston. Their inability to win at home still plagues them with just one win all season, a 4-0 victory over an off-colour Dunfermline in the Petrofac Training Cup.
Even their recent form pales in comparison to the turn around at Thistle. Thistle’s season started by looking like Kingsley was putting the shiters up everyone at Firhill. No wins in their first ten games left them staring relegation in the face but since their eleventh game, a 3-0 over Dundee Utd, things have changed.
It’s just two defeats in their last eleven with Dundee Utd, Ross County, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone and Inverness all falling by the wayside. But for a last minute goal for Celtic last weekend they were on the verge of six away games without loss.
They were but a bawhair away from going to the two best teams in the country and keeping clean sheets in consecutive games. Ask yourself this, do you think Saint Mirren would keep the goals below two at Celtic or Aberdeen? Do you think Thistle’s performances suggest that they are streets ahead of the Paisley side as things stand? I do.
I suggested at the beginning of the week that Thistle would go off at a best 1.73 (8/11) having opened at 1.91 (10/11). You can back them now at 1.8 (4/5) with Coral and McBookie and I am now thinking that a best priced 1.73 by Friday night could be optimistic.
The good news is that you can still back them -1.5 Asian Handicap at 3.4 (12/5) with 888Sport and I think that is in with a chance.
Elsewhere I like the look of Inverness -1 at even money with Paddy Power. There has been plenty of talk on the forums about Motherwell -2 and of course that should be one that they win convincingly but it’s not for me. Good luck to those that are on it though.
For the Even Money Double I am keeping it simple by backing both Rangers and Celtic minus a goal. Rangers should beat Cowdenbeath with plenty to spare given they have scored four goals in four of their last five home games.
Celtic are a different proposition though and I think anyone thinking Celtic are going to give Stranraer an absolute mauling should think again. I can see that one being won by a two goal margin with a few fringe players getting a run out. The double is priced at 2.08 (27/25) with Boylesports.
NAP
Partick Thistle WIN @ 1.8 with McBookie and Coral
IWAC
Partick Thistle -1.5 Asian Handicap @ 3.4 with 888Sport
EMD
Celtic -1 & Rangers -1 @ 2.08 with Boylesports