* 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.
Scottish Premiership Outright winners: Rangers
Rangers were so utterly dominant during their unbeaten title-winning campaign last season that it is difficult to look past them this time around. Steven Gerrard’s side dropped a mere12 points and conceded just 13 goals as they sauntered to a first Scottish Premiership title in a decade and it is unlikely that they will have to wait another ten years before their next title.
Arch-rivals Celtic find themselves in a state of transition having sacked Neil Lennon towards the tail end of last season, while the newly appointed Ange Postecoglou remains an unknown quantity in European football. The Bhoys were simply not good enough last season, dropping needless points home and away against teams that they would normally swat aside with ease.
They finished a staggering 25 points behind their Glasgow rivals last May and it would be an incredible achievement if they managed to close the gap on Rangers in just one season. Like their new manager, Celtic’s signings represent something of an unknown quantity in Scottish football and it remains to be seen whether they can help close the significant gap between Celtic and Rangers.
With talisman Odsonne Edouard linked with a move away from Celtic Park, it appears highly unlikely that Postecoglou will land silverware in his debut season, but his youthful side should make a better fight of it than last season. Rangers will almost certainly not be as ruthless and efficient as they were last season, while Celtic will likely show more conviction against weaker teams, but all signs still point to a second Rangers title on the bounce.
Betting Without Celtic & Rangers: Hibs
Hibs finished third behind Celtic and Rangers last season and may just establish themselves as the third-best team in Scotland if they can repeat the feat this season. But it won’t be easy.
Four different teams have finished in third over the past four seasons of the Scottish Premiership and, with the exception of Rangers, those teams have fallen off drastically in subsequent seasons. Motherwell, who finished third in 2020, stuttered to an eighth-place finish, while Kilmarnock now play their football in the Scottish Championship.
Hibs, however, have been steadily improving under Jack Ross and have managed to retain the bulk of the squad that carried them to a third-placed finish last season. Aberdeen – Hibs’ main competition for third place – have made modest acquisitions over the summer with manager Stephen Glass prioritising the club’s youth set-up.
It remains to be seen whether Glass’s faith in youth will inspire Aberdeen to finish above Hibs and finish in the top three for the first time since 2018.
Top goalscorer: Alfredo Morelos
Morelos endured a relatively disappointing season for someone who played an important role in an unbeaten title-winning team, scoring just 12 goals in 29 league appearances. His return of 17 goals in 44 games in all competitions marked his worst goalscoring return since moving to Ibrox and he will be desperate to improve his personal tally in order to help Rangers prolong their status as Scottish champions.
Odsonne Edouard, who finished as the league’s top scorer in each of the last two seasons, looks set to depart Celtic Park with many Celtic fans already resigned to losing the French striker this summer.
His departure would further boost Morelos’s chances of claiming the golden boot for the first time since 2019 and there is no reason to think that the Colombian forward will endure a second consecutive uninspiring season in front of goals.
Rangers were comfortably the highest scorers in the division last season and scored at a rate of 2.5 per game in the league. They undoubtedly boast the best attack in the league at present and will present Morelos with plenty of opportunities over the next nine months.
Scottish Football outright betting tips
Scottish Premiership Outright winners: Rangers
Betting Without Celtic & Rangers: Hibs
Top goalscorer: Alfredo Morelos
* 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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