SCOTTISH football bible Willie Duncan (@Willie_Duncan) is back with his best bet Sunday's Old Firm derby from Parkhead.
Celtic v Rangers | Saturday 12:00 | Sky Sports 1
Celtic face Rangers for the fourth time this season and Brendan Rodgers' Hoops will be relishing the opportunity to pile on the agony for their bitter rivals.
Celtic have been a class apart in Scotland so far this season; they've dropped just two Premiership points all season long and they could open up a 36 point lead over
Rangers should they rack up a 23rd consecutive league win on Sunday afternoon. The destination of the league title has been known, of course, for some time and it is now only a matter of time before Rodgers' side can formally declare themselves as Scottish champions again.
Rangers determined to spoil the party
Rangers, though, will be determined to spoil the party as best they can and their fans, who have had precious little to get excited about this season, would love to go down in the record books as the first Scottish team to beat Celtic this season.
Their chances of doing so, however, are about as remote as they've ever been in recent memory; back in the days when Scottish football needed a final day “Helicopter Sunday” to sort out the destination of titles between these two teams, it would have been unfathomable that Rangers would be as big as 7/1 to win a football match against Celtic.
It is painful enough for the Ibrox faithful that they are such a big price to beat the Hoops, but what is worse is that the price available would raise few eyebrows.
For it appears to be a reasonably fair reflection of the gulf between the teams at present; remember, in terms of points, Rangers are actually nearer the bottom of the Scottish Premiership than the top.
Celtic should prove too strong
Celtic have won three out of three against Rangers this season – the last two matches were close in terms of the scoreline – but Rodgers' side were rampant on the last occasion that the ‘Gers visited Celtic Park, with Mark Warburton's team thumped 5-1.
Warburton has since gone and it looks likely that Graeme Murty will be the man hoping to mastermind a famous win for Rangers on Sunday afternoon – and the ‘Gers will draw encouragement from their 6-0 Scottish Cup win against Hamilton at Ibrox last weekend.
Backing Rangers to upset the odds at the home of the champions-in-waiting, however, requires a remarkable leap of faith and more misery for the men from Govan may well lie in store.
Celtic have won seven of their last eight games by more than one goal and the 11/10 (Coral) quote for that trend to continue could offer value to punters.
Best Bets
Celtic v Rangers – Celtic -1 handicap (11/10 Coral)
