Celtic vs Falkirk Prediction: No backache expected for Hoops’ keeper

The Premiership season is now two games old, with Hearts and Celtic the only two teams boasting perfect starts. The pursuit of points makes way for the second round of the Scottish League Cup this weekend.

Celtic open the show with a home game against Falkirk on Friday evening in Glasgow, live on Premier Sports. The hosts are red-hot favourites to progress from this all-Premiership clash, but will the champions deliver? Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse provides his Celtic vs Falkirk Prediction in his match preview...

*You can check out all of the Football Odds from the plethora of games available to bet on over on betfred.com

Celtic scooped the League Cup last season with a famous win at Hampden Park in Glasgow, and added the Premiership a few months later to secure a double for Brendan Rodgers. The Hoops are also favourites in the pre-match betting to end Falkirk’s adventure at Parkhead.

The visitors make the trip from Falkirk to Glasgow with manager John McGlynn hoping to inspire a huge upset. They are the underdogs here, as you’d expect, but we know anything can and often does happen in knockout football. Can Falkirk secure a rare win over Celtic to book their place in the next round? You can have your say at Betfred on the website or app.

Celtic vs Falkirk TV

This is a Premier Sports 1 match with kick-off set for 19:45 on Friday evening. Live Streaming will be available via the Premier Sports Player service.

When Celtic drew a home match against Falkirk, the champions were immediately chalked up as the most likely winner in the betting. They famously beat the same opposition in the same competition at this venue last year, strolling to a 5-2 victory.

The winners didn’t hit top gear that day, but they didn’t need to, proving themselves too strong and clinical in attack. Falkirk have since been promoted from the Championship to the Premiership. Will that make much difference to the result? You can bet on Celtic to win in normal time at odds of 1/8.

Falkirk arrive at Parkhead knowing they have nothing to lose. They’re no-hopers according to those who decide the betting odds and to most football fans outside of Falkirk. History isn’t on their side either, with Falkirk’s best effort in this competition ending in a silver medal finish behind East Fife following a replay back in the 1947/48 season.

The head-to-head stats show that Falkirk have never beaten Celtic in this competition, losing 11 times and drawing three games. A Falkirk win is 14/1 with the draw yours at 13/2.

Celtic win to nil

My first bet on Celtic vs Falkirk in the second round of the Scottish League Cup on Friday evening is for the locals to win to nil. With this approach, the final score isn’t important, and neither is the scorer of the goals.

As long as Celtic beat Falkirk without conceding, your bet’s a winner and the profits will appear in your balance at full-time. It’s a good way to bet on a match like this when there’s a solid favourite with little value in the match-winner market.

A bet on Celtic to win to nil would’ve landed you a profit in the champions’ most recent outing, when beating Aberdeen 2-0 at Pittodrie on Sunday afternoon.

It was also the smart move in a 1-0 home win over St Mirren when Rodgers’ side were last in town. They won’t be at their strongest, but the team set out by Brendan will be good enough to secure an impressive victory to keep their cup dreams alive.

Idah to score

Celtic paid big bucks for striker Adam Idah, but it’s fair to say they haven’t yet seen a strong enough return on that investment.

Many fans believe Idah isn’t the long-term solution to Celtic’s search for a reliable goalscorer, and the 24-year-old Irishman has endured a difficult start to life in Glasgow. He hasn’t exactly set the heather alight so far this season either. Fans want to see a response from the former Norwich man, and this game looks ideal for Adam to get back amongst the goals.

The Celtic number nine appears to be suffering from something of a confidence crisis in the opening few weeks of the 2025/26 season, meaning he’ll likely enjoy the distraction of cup football. He scored a double when his men beat Falkirk 5-2 here last season, and I’m picking him to make a timely return to scoring ways ahead of a hectic schedule.

Mystery Free Spins Offer:

What’s the only thing better than slots Free Spins? No deposit Free Spins, with no wagering requirements, that is what!

Opt in for the chance to win daily Free Spins prizes to play on our superb Casino Slots.

All you need to do is opt-in via the banner below, then open a Casino game every day for your chance to win up to 50 Free Spins. How many will you get? That’s the mystery!

Frank Monkhouse Scottish Football P/L

25/26 Season:

• Points Placed: 18
• Points Returned: 9.22
• P/L: -8.78

24/25 Season:

• Points Placed: 257
• Points Returned: 252.25
• P/L: -4.75

Frank Monkhouse covers Scottish Football for us here at Betfred Insights. You can check out all of his work along with that of the rest of our Football Betting Tips desk on our main Football page...