Celtic vs St Mirren Prediction: Back the Bhoys to win by two or more on Sunday

The defending Scottish Premiership champions open their campaign when unfurling the flag at Celtic Park on Sunday from 16:30 BST. St Mirren provide the opposition, with many expecting Brendan Rodgers’ side to explode out of the traps.

Will they secure all three points? Betfred’s Scottish football writer Frank Monkhouse thinks so as he takes us through his Celtic vs St Mirren Predictions for the Sunday afternoon clash...

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

The Bhoys are back in town and fans will pack Celtic Park for Sunday’s return, hoping their favourites pick up where they left off. Celtic dominated the Scottish Premiership last season, finishing well clear of Old Firm rivals Rangers and the chasing pack.

Brendan Rodgers’ side also collected the League Cup, but suffered an upset defeat to Aberdeen at Hampden in the Scottish Cup final. Is Sunday the start of a clean-sweep season?

St Mirren performed better than many expected last time, securing a top-six finish. Manager Stephen Robinson plans for more of the same, but knows his side has been handed a tough start.

The Saints have the unenviable task of visiting the home of the champions, but there’s a slim hope they’ll catch the Hoops cold. Upsetting the odds by beating the champs on their patch would send a statement of intent to their rivals.

Celtic vs St Mirren TV

Celtic vs St Mirren is part of a Sky Sports Football double-header this Sunday, as it follows on from Falkirk vs Dundee United on the same channel. Kick-off is set for 16:30. You will also be able to live stream the match via Sky Go.

Celtic vs St Mirren Odds

There are no surprises in the pre-match betting odds available at Betfred, but there is value available to those willing to work for it. The champions at home against an opponent that finished mid-table last season, who are working on a fraction of the hosts’ budget, explains why the local win is a firm favourite with traders. Do you expect Celtic to live up to expectations and bring the curtain up with a victory?

You can back the locals at odds of 2/11 with Betfred, and that’s sure to appear in most weekend accumulators.

St Mirren ended last season with a record of 14 wins, eight draws, and 16 defeats, scoring 53 goals but conceding 59. On closer inspection, we see the team from Paisley found the net more times than two of the five teams above them in the table. But it’s also useful to know the Saints' defence leaked more goals than four of the five above, and a dozen more than Hearts, who crossed the line in seventh.

The 14/1 available on St Mirren to win is attractive, but it’s unlikely to be too popular with bettors. The 13/2 on a draw seems a better approach after these sides finished level last time. That price means it’s best suited to singles.

Celtic -1 handicap

It’s not an exciting bet, but I’m confident that Celtic will hit the ground running and give their returning fans something to cheer. They beat St Mirren three times last season, winning by three clear goals on each occasion. The spare result was a four-goal draw here in May, but by that point in the season, Celtic had little to play for, having wrapped up the league prize.

The odds on Celtic in the match-winner market are a little better than I expected to find, and that’s likely due to it being the opening game of the campaign. I wouldn’t put anyone off adding the home win to their multiples, as the locals should deliver a good win without encountering too much fuss along the way.

Celtic beat St Mirren 3-0 home and away last season, so I’m happy to take a chance on the -1 goal handicap for a better price. If they can get their noses in front early, the Bhoys will put on a show.

Over 3.5 goals

Celtic and St Mirren have served up some memorable meetings in recent years. The pair shared an incredible 15 goals in four league games, with Celtic capturing three wins and the Saints battling to a draw in Glasgow. If you enjoy following the correct score market, you should know that Celtic 3-0 St Mirren was the outcome in two of those four games.

Following back-to-back 3-0 wins in Paisley and Glasgow, Celtic trashed St Mirren 5-2 on the opening day of March. I’m picking the Hoops to run riot, but don’t expect Robinson’s men to roll over for their big-name opponents. They’re capable of finding the net and will aim to hit their opponents on the counter. But the Celts attack will make light work of that shaky backline. When betting on over 3.5 goals, it covers both teams combined.

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Frank Monkhouse Scottish Football P/L

25/26 Season:

• Points Placed: 4
• Points Returned: 3.52
• P/L: -0.48

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...