Celtic vs St Mirren Prediction: Can away side get something from the champions?

Celtic will look to get back to winning ways after being held to a 0-0 draw by Hibernian at the weekend. With Rangers’ late turnaround against Hearts their lead at the top is now five points, after ten matches. Next up at Celtic Park they face an impressive St Mirren side and below we have previewed the clash. 

Team News

Brendan Rodgers has a few absentees to deal with here. Reo Hatate won’t play until 2024, while Liel Abada and Stephen Welsh are also out. Marco Tilio could return after being pictured in training, while Alistair Johnston had a clash of heads against Hibs, but should be given the all clear to play. 

Defenders Gustaf Lagerbielk and Maik Nawrocki both missed the last squad but the latter could return here. For St Mirren, Jonah Ayunga remains out with a long-term injury. 

Match Odds

Celtic are 1/5 to win this game on home soil, while the away side can be backed at 12/1. A draw is available at 11/2, while BTTS is priced at 11/10. Over 2.5 goals is 1/2, and under 2.5 goals is 6/4.

Double chance: Draw or St Mirren @ 16/5

With Celtic so short in the betting market, it makes sense to look elsewhere for some value, and this weekend I believe backing against them could be the way to go. It’s always a risk in the Scottish Premiership, given they’ve been the dominant force for some time now and win most weeks, but St Mirren have shown enough in my eyes to give them a real game at Celtic Park. 

The Paisley side come into this one off the back of a rampant 4-0 win over St. Johnstone at the weekend. That victory means they now sit third in the table, three points behind Rangers with a game in hand. They’ve only been beaten once in the league so far and that was after an early red card gave Rangers a penalty - the first goal in an eventual 3-0 home defeat. 

With eleven men on the pitch, they’ve been competitive in every fixture and under former Morecambe boss Stephen Robinson, are looking good this term. Meanwhile, Celtic failed to score at Hibs, and have a couple of games sandwiched in between their crucial Champions League double-header with Atletico Madrid. There’s a chance they could take their eye off the ball again here. 

Under 2.5 goals @ 6/4

If St Mirren are going to get a result from this game, it is likely to be a tight encounter. The away side have scored 15 and conceded ten across nine league matches so far, so their games are not usually jam-packed with goals. Meanwhile, there is always a risk that Celtic could run riot, but they are coming up against a well-drilled St Mirren side who have a lot to play for. The 6/4 on offer for under 2.5 goals feels particularly generous. 

Check out our other Football Bettings Tips on Betfred Insights here.