Motherwell vs Rangers Prediction: Steelmen will buckle under heavy pressure

Scottish Premiership title challengers Rangers visit Fir Park from midday on Christmas Eve. Fresh from tipping a 9/2 winner on Wednesday, Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse previews…

There’s one final game to play from the Scottish Premiership this weekend as Rangers travel to Motherwell from noon on Sunday. Gers face their second match of the week following Wednesday’s hard-fought win over St Johnstone at Ibrox, and Philippe Clement’s side is favourites for another three points.

Followers of our Scottish football predictions enjoyed a profitable midweek after backing Rangers to win without conceding and 2-0 in the correct score market. Will Sunday bring more joy? I’m hoping so and have picked two bets at great odds, which would send us into Christmas on a high. Keep reading as we preview the game, study the stats, and offer expert Scottish Premiership predictions.

Team News

Motherwell started the weekend stuck down in 11th place in the Scottish Premiership, with just bottom club Livingston beneath them in the pecking order. The hosts have 16 points on the board, which is five more than the Lions and just one point less than Ross County in safety. Pressure is mounting on home boss Stuart Kettlewell to turn things around before it’s too late. A home win over Rangers would be the ideal Christmas gift to fans.

The hosts have drawn four and lost one of their last five games as Kettlewell aims to make his Steelmen difficult to break down. They’ve drawn each of their previous two, and although Motherwell hasn’t been losing, they’ve not been doing nearly enough to win. They’ve conceded 29 goals, which is the worst defence in the league. Motherwell must tighten up at the back if they’re to stand any chance of competing on Sunday.

Gers lose Lundstrum and Roofe

It was a familiar story at Ibrox on Wednesday, with Gers winning the game but suffering more injuries to key players. Kemar Roofe hobbled off early in the contest with a muscle complaint before a shocking tackle on John Lundstrum - described as a leg-breaker - saw the Englishman sidelined. Diallang Jaiyesimi was ordered off following a VAR check with Lundstrum replaced by the intriguing Dujon Sterling at 45 minutes.

Rangers moved to within two points of leaders Celtic following that win over the Saints and the Gers have a game in hand over the champions. The title race is hotting up following a dip in results from the league leaders, but Clement knows his players must keep their foot on the gas, piling pressure on Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys. Beating St Johnstone at home was a valuable win following a tough week, but the players must recover and go again as they are in the midst of a hectic fixture list.

Motherwell vs Rangers Odds

Pre-match betting on Motherwell vs Rangers is available at Betfred, allowing members to make predictions and wager on the result at Fir Park. The odds reflect the form of both teams, with traders strongly supporting an away win, making Rangers favourites to take another three points back to Govan. Will the battle-weary visitors live up to expectations?

Motherwell is priced at 7/1 to make home advantage count and win on Christmas Eve in a game broadcast live on Sky Sports. Another draw for the visitors appeals at 4/1, while supporters of the away win can work with the 2/7 available. We’re backing Clement’s warriors to battle on but will look elsewhere for our share of the value.

Bet 1: Rangers win and both score @ 2/1

We’ve enjoyed some great results and profits in the Scottish Premiership this month but aim to sign off for Christmas with two picks at great odds. We start by backing Rangers to win against Motherwell and both teams to score at Fir Park.

The Gers beat Well 1-0 in this fixture at Ibrox earlier in the season, but the stats paint a different picture in North Lanarkshire. A bet on Rangers to win and both teams to score would’ve landed you a profit in The Gers’ last six visits here, and more of the same makes sense. Rangers fans have enjoyed some memorable games at this venue, including a 6-1 victory in 2021. They won twice here last season, scoring six goals and conceding three.

Bet 2: Dessers to score first @ 4/1

Our second play in the Motherwell vs Rangers game sees us back striker Cyriel Dessers to break the deadlock. The 29-year-old Belgian-born striker endured a tough start to life in Govan but appears to be finding his feet. He scored the only goal of the game when Rangers beat Motherwell at Ibrox in September, netting on 24 minutes.

Since replacing the injured Brazilian striker Danilo, Dessers has enjoyed a scoring streak. He netted Rangers’ first goal in a 3-1 home win over Dundee, scored a stunning goal in Seville against Real Betis in the Europa League, and netted the opener against Craig Levein’s team in midweek. That’s three goals in four games for the rejuvenated scorer, and we’re happy to stick with Dessers to continue his form.

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...