Motherwell vs Rangers Prediction: Back the Bears to blunt the Steelmen

Premiership football returns to our screens on Saturday with Kilmarnock hosting the recently promoted Livingston at Rugby Park in the sole 15:00 kick-off. When the action ends in East Ayrshire, attention turns to Fir Park, where Motherwell welcome Rangers for a 17:30 start, which you can follow on Sky Sports Main Event.

Both clubs open the 2025/26 campaign under the guidance of new managers. Denmark’s Jens Berthel Askou leads out the Steelmen, while Russell Martin takes charge of the Gers for the first time in the Premiership. Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse aims to get off to a flying start with his Motherwell vs Rangers Predictions for us here at Betfred Insights with his opening SPL preview of the season...

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

Motherwell endured a chaotic season in the 2024/25 Premiership, going through two managers as they slumped down the pecking order, missing out on their pre-season target of a top-six finish. The aim will be the same for the Steelmen this term, with Askou challenged to secure a top-half finish and mastermind a strong run in both cup competitions.

The former Norwich City defender will walk down the tunnel and into a baptism of fire when facing a Rangers side with a point to prove. Which boss will secure a dream start?

Rangers should be ahead of their hosts in terms of fitness and match sharpness. The Gers enjoyed an excellent summer training camp at the impressive St George’s Park, where the Three Lions prepare, taking advantage of the first-class facilities.

They also travel to Fir Park, having played Greek side Panathinaikos home and away in a Champions League qualifier, battling to a 3-1 aggregate win. With minutes under their belt, Rangers look to secure all three points at the first time of asking, something they failed to do when drawing at Tynecastle last season under Philippe Clement.

Motherwell vs Rangers TV

Rangers' trip to North Lanarkshire will be broadcast live on the Sky Sports Football channel in the UK. Coverage begins at 17:00 with half-an-hour of buildup before kick-off at 17:30. You will also be able to live stream the match via Sky Go.

Motherwell vs Rangers Odds

Fancy Rangers to beat Motherwell? The away win is 2/5 with a draw trading at 4/1. You can get 13/2 for Motherwell to take all three points.

Motherwell may enjoy the home advantage and backing of a vocal support inside Fir Park Stadium, but they’ll start as the betting underdogs, with Betfred traders quick to rule out an important win for the locals.

Interestingly, the Steelmen won one, drew one and lost one of their three Premiership games with Rangers, including a 2-1 victory at Ibrox and a four-goal draw at this venue in December. The home win is priced at 13/2, and you can place your bet now using your laptop or mobile app.

It has been a summer of change in Govan, with a new board from the United States overseeing a clear out. Russell Martin replaced Barry Ferguson as manager, with the former Rangers and Scotland defender working tirelessly to cut off the deadwood and bring a freshness to the team that will hopefully propel them towards trophies.

It has been a challenging few seasons for Rangers fans, but those in blue packing the away end behind the goal hope Saturday is the dawn of a new and more successful era for the historic club.

Rangers win and both teams score

My first of two picks on Saturday evening’s live match is for both teams to score in a Rangers win. The light blues kept a clean sheet when beating Greek Super League runners-up Panathinaikos 2-0 at Ibrox in a Champions League qualifier last week.

How they escaped with the zero is anyone’s guess following several astonishing errors at the back, Panathinaikos missing great chances to score, and goalkeeper Jack Butland looking back to his best between the sticks.

Despite looking fragile in defence, Rangers won thanks to two stunning goals to complete sweeping moves. Martin’s side built from the back before surging forward with pace and intent. Goals for Finlay Russell and Djeidi Gassama secured the win.

Checking the head-to-head stats, we note both teams scored in each of the four games involving Motherwell and Rangers last term. That run extends to the previous five, with 2-1 the score in four of those games. That’ll catch the eye of those chasing a correct score bet. You can read all about BTTS Betting Strategy with our educational guide.

Danilo to score

It remains to be seen who Martin will choose as his main striker this season, but the boss appears to have faith in Brazilian forward Danilo. The goalscorer was ever-present in pre-season, helping himself to a few goals behind closed doors. He was also given the nod by his new boss against Paninthaikos and is expected to start on Saturday.

He’ll have to be patient and wait for his chance, because I don’t expect a dominant performance and win for last season’s silver medallists. But he’ll get the necessary service, and has the skills to hit the net.

Danilo won’t be at his sharpest and fittest just yet, but he does have more competitive minutes under his belt than the defenders he’ll face here. Follow my pick and back Danilo to score, or aim higher and chance him to net the opener.

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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...