*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
We’ve roped in social media tipping star Andy Robson to preview two games from Saturday afternoon’s slate of games from the Scottish League Cup.
You can check out the rest of Andy’s bets this weekend at @AndyRobsonTips on Twitter.
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*A double with these bets pays at approximately EVENS with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
STRANRAER V DUNDEE – DUNDEE TO WIN
Dundee rid themselves of the entertaining but ultimately ineffective Mark McGhee after relegation from the Premiership. His replacement Gary Bowyer, who was out of a job after a stint with Salford, looks like a smart recruit to begin the new season with. They’ve still retained most of their Premiership squad bar big Charlie Adam, who was looking less like an athlete by the second.
I don’t think they’re the obvious candidates to go up. The squad that went up two seasons ago were stronger and they only stole 2nd towards the end of the season. However, they’re definitely going to be in the mix. A convincing 3-0 win in the last round against fellow Championship team Hamilton confirms this. They’re facing far weaker competition in Stranraer from the 4th tier this time and have every reason to win to stay top of the group.
League 2 Stranraer are turning up for essentially a friendly against Dundee. They’ve had two consecutive 5-2 losses against Hamilton and Queens Park, which makes their progression almost impossible. Without the use of trialists and five subs, Stranraer look in peril.
They’ve lost last season’s top scorer Matty Yates to Stenhouisehuir, second-top scorer Tommy Muir to Annan, and regular starters Ayrton Sonkur and Broque Watson have left the club. New additions have been made with the purse strings closed from lower leagues or colt teams and haven’t impressed in the pre-season matches.
They now only have one out and out striker in Daryl Duffy. It’s made even worse by the fact that he was vocal about not wanting to play for the club next season. Unsurprisingly, the fans are starting to get worried. This is taken from a fans forum, “I’ve not felt like this since we got relegated”.
The mood around the camp is that other teams have to be even worse than them rather than Stranraer playing well to avoid relegation. It looks like this is the start of a long hard fight for survival in League 2, probably not the best time to play the odds on favourites to win The Championship. Dundee to Win is a no-brainer for me.
RAITH ROVERS V STIRLING ALBION – RAITH TO WIN
Raith pinched Airdrie’s manager Ian Murray and their best player Dylan Easton over the summer and it looks like a move that’s paid off. They smashed Peterhead 6-0 in the last round and Easton was named the Star Man of the Premier Sports Cup Matchday 2. Granted, Peterhead had to field a thinned-out squad, but this is a team fresh off promotion to League 1 and to beat them by six goals is hugely impressive.
Easton was given the captaincy for the match and rewarded his boss’s faith with a hat-trick. A fan commented “If there was a heat map for Easton’s movement across the pitch, there would hardly be an empty space – keen to get on the ball no matter where on the pitch, and helps with the movement of players around him too, with that similar mentality.”
The midfielder has led by example to implement Murray’s high pressing style on Raith. Lower league Scottish teams are not used to this and fold under the pressure when in possession. If Murray can make a few more similar recruitments, Raith look in great shape for the season.
With all Stirling Albion’s problems off the field, it came as a big surprise that they beat Dumbarton 2-1 in the last round. There will be some fans who won’t celebrate the win as tensions with the board continue to rise, but it looks like the problems are being kept off the pitch for now.
The League 2 side face a huge step up in competition this week heading to Kirkcaldy to play on Raith’s plastic pitch. It will be well watered for Raith’s slick passing style, which lower league teams struggle to get to grips with. Peterhead managed a decent showing at Aberdeen in the previous game on a narrower pitch and on more familiar grass turf.
Peterhead were promoted from Albion’s league and were far more likely to have the tools to challenge Raith. This should be a one-sided affair from the outset and Raith to Win is my bet of choice.
- Check out the rest of Andy’s bets this weekend at @AndyRobsonTips on Twitter.
SATURDAY’S FOOTBALL TIPS
Stranraer v Dundee – Dundee to Win
Raith Rovers v Stirling Albion – Raith Rovers to Win
*A double with these bets pays at approximately EVENS with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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