Celtic vs Rangers Prediction: Back Tavernier to score in high-scoring Old Firm Derby

It’s the final Old Firm derby of the Premiership season, and there’s all to play for in Glasgow as Celtic host Rangers. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday lunchtime, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30.

Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse previews what’s certain to be an explosive and decisive match as he gives us his full Celtic vs Rangers predictions...

Celtic enjoy the home advantage over Rangers in Saturday’s Old Firm derby at Parkhead. This match kicks off at 12:30 GMT and will be broadcast to a global audience live on Sky Sports.

The Bhoys enter in pole position and know another victory would see them race towards the title, leaving their rivals choking in their dust. But will Brendan Rodgers continue his unbeaten record against Rangers this season? The early betting available at Betfred certainly suggests so.

Rangers make the short journey across the city without fans as the standoff between the clubs continues.

Philippe Clement knows he must mastermind a win on Saturday if his team is to have any chance of overthrowing the Hoops and returning to the summit. The rivals shared a six-goal draw at Ibrox last time with one of those awarded Goal of the Season. Armchair fans hope for more of the same in this renewal.

Celtic vs Rangers Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Celtic vs Rangers market page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Betfred traders published their Old Firm derby betting odds early in response to the excitement surrounding this game.

Celtic holds the home advantage, sit on top of the league and are unbeaten against their rivals in the league this season. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to see Betfred traders side with a home win and backers find the locals available at 19/20 to secure a vital three points.

They may be the underdogs playing catch up on their opponents without any fans in attendance, but Rangers know anything can happen in this fixture. The teams have already scored a combined ten goals in three games, including that thriller last time.

Saturday is a must-win for the away team, and that’s sure to bring out the best in them. Will this Rangers squad stand and deliver or crumble under the pressure? An away win is 13/5, or you can try your luck on another draw at 11/4.

Over 2.5 goals @ 8/15

Saturday will be an emotional rollercoaster for all involved, but we’re sure it will live up to the pre-game hype and deliver a few more goals. Celtic were 2-0 up at the interval in the previous Old Firm before Rangers fired back to level the game at 3-3 in the dying seconds of play.

There wasn’t too much defending done that day, and the teams will pick up where they left off. Both managers are confident they have what it takes to win the game and out-score their opponent, making for a thrilling renewal.

We will follow the stats and back over 2.5 goals as our main bet at 8/15, which is sure to feature in a fair share of weekend accumulators.

Backing over 2.5 goals would’ve returned a profit in each of the last two renewals of this derby and three of the previous four. Tension will be in the air, leading to individual errors, with both teams fragile in defence. Follow the trends and play over 2.5 goals.

Tavernier to score @ 3/1

One man who is reliable for Rangers in this fixture is club captain James Tavernier. The Englishman has scored in each of his last two starts against the Hoops. He bagged a stunning freekick at this venue in the New Year derby and followed that with a penalty at Ibrox last time to get his team back into the game.

Tavernier hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks, leading some fans to suggest he may be headed for the exit this summer, bringing an end to a remarkable Rangers career.

If he does go, he’d love to sign off with a title win, and leading his team to victory at Celtic Park gives him a chance to achieve that. Back Tav to score for the third derby in a row.

Frank Monkhouse primarily 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...