Rangers vs Dundee Prediction: Back a strong home win for Gers

Welcome to this week’s second round of fixtures from the Scottish Premiership. Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse previews the game in Govan, where Rangers host Dundee…

Rangers are back at Ibrox for the second time in less than a week after beating St Mirren here last Sunday. Philippe Clement’s title challengers aim to score back-to-back home wins, and they’re favourites with the Betfred trading team to achieve that goal. Gers are pushing Celtic for the title and know they must avoid a slip-up when Dundee arrive in town.

Dundee are the underdogs and will feel they have nothing to lose in their most recent trip to Glasgow. Tony Docherty’s men have performed better than expected this season, and they’re pushing for a rare top-six finish. Nothing will be decided here, but Dundee knows they must improve on their recent efforts if they are to stand any chance of taking something back to Dens Park to show for their efforts.

Team News

Rangers continued their unbeaten run under the guidance of Belgian boss Philippe Clement. Gers added an important three points at Tynecastle on Wednesday, beating Hearts by a 1-0 scoreline. On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima scored the game’s only goal, firing through the legs of Jambos keeper Zander Clark. Rangers missed several guilt-edged chances to extend their lead but were wasteful in attack, with Brazilian striker Danilo guilty of fluffing his lines in front of goal. They also found Clark in inspired form.

That hard-fought midweek win for Rangers over Hearts - advised in our preview and predictions - kept James Tavernier and co second in the league on a week they beat third-placed Hearts and fourth-placed St Mirren to pull clear of the chasing pack. That win in the capital came at a cost, with midfielder Tom Lawrence hobbling off injured within 20 minutes. The Welshman will likely miss the weekend’s visit of Dundee, and it’ll be interesting to see if Borna Barisic returns to the fold.

Dundee’s Form Dips

Dundee has performed better than many expected this season, with most respected pundits predicting a tough campaign for the Dens Park club, ending in relegation. Dropping to the Championship remains a possibility at this stage, but the visitors arrive in Glasgow in seventh, already eight points clear of basement club Livingston. A top-six finish is their goal, and it’s certainly within the grasp of Docherty’s men.

Dundee arrives in Govan with their stats for the season showing four wins, six draws, and four defeats, scoring 18 goals but conceding 20. A closer look at the numbers shows Dundee has scored more goals than two of the six teams above them in the pecking order, but they’ve conceded just two more than bottom club Livi, with the defence a cause for concern. The visitors are winless in their last two, following back-to-back wins with a defeat to Hibs and a draw with Motherwell.

Rangers vs Dundee Odds

The pre-match betting odds on Rangers vs Dundee are available to all Betfred customers on the website and app. There are no surprises in the match-winner market, with Rangers being the red-hot favourites for victory. Gers are priced like losing isn’t an option, and although we know by now never to take things for granted in Scottish football, the betting is accurate.

This is the third game in a week for Rangers after beating St Mirren at home last Sunday and Hearts in Edinburgh on Wednesday. There could be a few tired legs in the squad, but the home crowd and the chance to narrow the gap on Celtic to five points will help pull them through. Back Rangers to win at 1/7, or try your luck on a shock win for Dundee at 14/1. The draw is yours at an eye-catching 5/1.

Bet 1: Rangers win to nil @ 8/11

Rangers are firm favourites to add another three points to their improving tally, and we see no reason to oppose the traders in this game. The hosts are improving and showed it with that important victory over Hearts in midweek. More of the same is required on Saturday at a packed Ibrox.

The 1/7 quote is too short for most backers, so we are looking for an alternative at more generous odds. Back Rangers to win without conceding again at a decent 8/11, which could work as a single or would do a job in your Saturday accumulators. Backing Rangers to beat Dundee to nil would’ve returned a profit in six of the last seven meetings of the teams, including a 5-0 win for Gers at Dens Park in November.

Bet 2: Danilo first goal @ 4/1

Brazilian striker Danilo was Rangers fans’ main hope of finding a proven scorer this season. He has started well, bagging six goals so far, but he must be more consistent to build momentum. The forward would’ve been bitterly disappointed in the chances missed at Tynecastle, and he’ll be desperate to make amends at Ibrox.

If Danilo gets the nod from Clement to start this game, he’ll be out to prove a point to himself, his critics, and the Ibrox faithful. He’ll enjoy plenty of service from the wide areas and has the quality to open the scoring and get his team on the front foot. The 4/1 offered on Danilo scoring first is worth a shot.

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