Rangers are already four points adrift of league leaders Celtic and they will have to win their next SPL encounter on Saturday at 3pm against an unpredictable Aberdeen side.

Team news: 

Rangers trio Scott Wright, Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers were all brought into the starting XI for the narrow win over Motherwell in the league but there could be more changes afoot for Michael Beale. With a comfortable cup win in midweek, the manager should be able to refresh his side if he pleases.

However, he is still without Todd Cantwell, Danilo and Steven Davis. Meanwhile, Slobodan Rubezic is just one game away from suspension but aside from that, Aberdeen have a fully fit squad to choose from. 

Rangers to win to nil at 11/10

Despite the lack of enthusiasm, Rangers have won their last four matches without conceding. Since the 1-0 defeat to Celtic which seemed to burst the Mick Beale balloon, Rangers have turned a slight corner in terms of results. The injury to Todd Cantwell hasn’t helped things, but Beale still seems to be able to find a way with this team.

The 4-0 success over Livingston in the Scottish Cup was as straightforward as things got, as the away side failed to muster a single shot on target over the 90 minutes. Rangers have looked solid defensively over the past few weeks and should be able to secure another win and another shutout here.

Aberdeen hammered Ross County 4-0 at the weekend and won in midweek against Ross County in the Scottish Cup, but they’ve also lost against Hacken, Hibs and Hearts this season so far. When facing a step up in opposition, the fact of the matter is that they have struggled. 

Rangers to win both halves at 8/5

To squeeze some more value out of backing the home side, we can back them to win both halves at 8/5. They have scored in the first half and led at the break in each of their last two matches, while they proved in midweek they have what it takes to control a match in the second half, adding a further three goals. 

This is a match for Rangers to make a big statement. They need a big win to reassert their title challenge and with Celtic away at Motherwell in the early kick-off, could close the gap should Brendan Rodgers’ side drop points. I fancy them to blow Aberdeen away in this one.