SCOTTISH football aficionado Gerry Taylor (@thefurlongpole) takes a look at Monday night's match-up between Celtic and Hibs.
Celtic vs Hibernian | Monday 11th January 2021, 19:45 | Sky Sports
The win market prices, over the last 24 hours, has been very volatile to say the least. Hibs had been backed in from 7/1 to 10/3, when all the markets were removed around midday on Monday.
The reason being an announcement that 13 Celtic players were having to isolate, due to Christopher Julian’s positive COVID test. The Celtic management team it seems, will also be missing; so it's unclear what the Hoops line up will actually look like. It could still be a strong-ish XI, with some youngsters being called up to bolster the bench.
For all the personnel unknowns, I most definitely won’t be touching the win markets for this clash at Celtic Park. There could however, be a bit niggle in this clash, as Jack Ross and the Hibs directors were very unhappy that the authorities agreed to this game being delayed by a few days, to allow Celtic's well publicised trip to Dubai to take place.
Nick Walsh is the man in charge for this one – the eye-catcher in this referee's stats are on his red cards. In his last 17 Premiership matches, he has given a red card in 7 of those matches (41%). So my value angle into this tricky-to-call match – is William Hill’s 11/2 for Nick to brandish a red card, a nice price-play in my book, especially given all the interest and the spotlight that will be on this match.
In my column for the opening live on TV league match of the season between Ross County and Motherwell, I put up Nick Walsh to produce a red card, let's hope it lands once again.
Best Bets
Celtic vs Hibernian – A red card to be shown (11/2 William Hill)
