Celtic vs Young Boys Prediction: Back the hosts to win but concede

Celtic welcome Swiss Super League champions Young Boys to Glasgow on Wednesday in a match you can follow live on TNT Sports 3 from 20:00. Victory would ensure Brendan Rodgers’ side secure a spot in the knockout stages, and they’re favourites to beat the Champions League whipping boys.

Will Celtic use their home advantage to bag a third win in seven games, stretching their unbeaten record to five games in a row? Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse enters in great form, tipping another first scorer over the weekend as he brings you his Celtic vs Young Boys Predictions...

*You can check out all of our Football Odds over at betfred.com

It’s round seven of the UEFA Champions League group campaign as we enter the business end. Celtic have performed much better than most expected in the revamped format, placed 21st in the ladder with their stats showing two wins, three draws and a single defeat.

The Hoops are four points behind Lille and a place in the finals and two above PSG, who are currently outside the top 24 playoff spots. Anything can happen this midweek, but Celtic’s fate is in their hands, and fans can’t ask any more than that at this stage.

It has been a season to forget for Young Boys, who are stuck hard at the bottom of the table. The Swiss side have played six games and suffered six defeats, scoring three goals but conceding 22.

The new and improved Champions League doesn’t appear to suit Giorgio Contini’s men, but they can save themselves further embarrassment by winning in Glasgow and moving up the pecking order. A huge improvement is required from Young Boys if they are to shock their opponents.

Celtic vs Young Boys Odds

Celtic are far from reliable when betting on the Champions League, but they are holding their own in high-class company and have already secured some impressive results.

The Scots were last in action, drawing 0-0 with Dinamo Zagreb on the road in mid-December. They’ve also drawn 1-1 with Club Brugge in Glasgow and hammered RB Leipzig 3-1 here in November. You can back the home win at 1/3 with Betfred now. That quote proves traders can’t see past the Bhoys.

The form of the visitors does little to inspire confidence in an away win. Young Boys have stumbled from one convincing defeat to the next in their previous six games, and a seventh loss on the bounce would come as no surprise to followers.

Young Boys are one of only three teams without a point on the board, and the visitors have the worst defensive record in the competition, leaking a dozen more goals than the hosts at this stage. That explains why you can back the away win at 7/1 with Betfred while the draw is 9/2.

Maeda to score

This season’s Champions League is as unpredictable as ever. I wouldn’t put anyone off shooting for the higher price here, but the traders look to have this one spot on, and Celtic are worthy favourites, given the form of both sides.

There’s little point in backing a home win as a single, but I expect it to appear in a fair share of midweek multiples.

Instead, we return to the goalscorer market, which has given us some fantastic winners recently. Take Daizen Maeda to score anytime during the play and enjoy a handy 7/4 quote.

The Japanese attacker has found the net in each of his last two games, scoring against Dundee Utd and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park. He was also on the scoresheet against Bratislava and Borussia Dortmund in this competition. Take Maeda to score anytime and continue to impress on the big stage.

Both score and Celtic win

Another pick good enough to follow as a single or add to your accumulators is both teams to score in a Celtic win at odds of 7/5. The stats show Celtic have scored ten goals, but conceded ten in the process.

That’s far from impressive, but it’s much better than Young Boys, who have scored three and conceded 22. The Celtic attack will have no problems piling pressure on a nervous defence.

Both teams to score in a Celtic win would’ve landed you a profit in two of the home team’s previous three games. They beat Kilmarnock 2-1 here and Ross County 4-1 on the road.

The spare in that three-game run was an enthralling 3-3 draw with Dundee at Dens Park. The locals have played six games this year but have already allowed eight goals. They’re good enough to beat Young Boys, but the visitors have nothing to lose and look value for a goal to keep things interesting.

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...