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Celtic will look to pile the pressure on Hearts and Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table this weekend by overcoming St Mirren at Celtic Park.
The Bhoys looked down and out just two weeks ago, but a 2-1 away win at Dundee last weekend has brought them right back into the title race following Hearts' surprise draw against Livingston.
Their opponents on Saturday, St Mirren, have plenty of incentive to make life difficult for Celtic, though. With just six games of the season to go, they sit just three points above the relegation playoff position, so every point is precious.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our Today's betting tips page for more of our free expert Scottish Premiership predictions.
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Celtic vs St Mirren key stats
- Celtic have won four of their last five Scottish Premiership home matches.
- St Mirren have won just one of their last 12 Scottish Premiership away matches.
- More than two goals have been scored in seven of Celtic's last eight league matches.
Celtic vs St Mirren preview: Bhoys to hit top gear
| Celtic | vs | St Mirren |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Position | 10th |
| 64 | Points | 30 |
| 58 | Goals For | 27 |
| 35 | Goals Against | 47 |
| 12 | Clean Sheets | 8 |
| 4th | Home Rank | 9th |
| 1st | Away Rank | 9th |
It's crazy how the entire mood of a football club can shift in just one week. Last weekend, Celtic fans had given up on the league title, but now they are talking about a final-day title decider with Hearts.
There are certainly nerves hitting the Hearts camp in the capital, and it may well transpire that Celtic's biggest hurdle to the title are their old foes, Rangers, but for now, Martin O'Neill's side need to just take things one match at a time.
With the Scottish Premiership split set to take effect following this weekend's fixtures, finding top form is paramount. Looking beyond the league, a big win here could have a psychological impact ahead of next week when these same two sides will go toe-to-toe at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
O'Neill will surely be confident that his side can, at the very least, find a way to win this fixture. After all, they have won nine of their last 10 league meetings with St Mirren.
For the clash on Saturday, O'Neill will remain without a host of long-term injury absentees, including Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Kasper Schmeichel and Arne Engels.
As for St Mirren, they will be looking to recapture some of the spirit that led them to a famous 3-1 victory over Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final back in December.
Interestingly, neither of the two managers who sat in the dugouts that day - Stephen Robinson and Wilfried Nancy - are still in charge at their respective clubs. St Mirren's interim boss, Craig McLeish, has done a sterling job so far, though, winning two of his three matches in charge.
Without those two victories over Aberdeen and Falkirk, the Saints would now find themselves staring a relegation playoff in the face. While that could still happen, they have given themselves a chance of avoiding all of that stress altogether.
For the match against Celtic this weekend, McLeish will still be without Keanu Baccus, Marcus Fraser and Malik Dijksteel, meaning there is no real reason for him to change what worked so well last time out.
Celtic vs St Mirren form guide & betting tips
| Celtic | vs | St Mirren |
|---|---|---|
| W-W-W-L-W | League Form | L-W-L-W-W |
| 10 | Points | 7 |
| 3rd | Form Table | 6th |
| 9 | Goals For | 6 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 5 |
| W-L-W | Form (all comps) | L-W-W |
Whispers predicts: Celtic 3-0 St Mirren
While St Mirren's form has been good in recent weeks, there is a feeling that Celtic's tails are now up and they are the experts at finishing the season strongly. Celtic to win with a -1.5 handicap has been priced at 7/8.
Martin O'Neill has brought goals back to this Celtic team since taking charge earlier in the season. A total of 12 goals have been scored across the last three matches played at Celtic Park, and over 2.5 goals to be scored this weekend has been priced at 4/9.
Benjamin Nygren is Celtic's top scorer this season with 19 goals to his name in all competitions. Nygren is priced at 1/1 to score anytime on Saturday.
> Celtic to win with a -1.5 handicap at 7/8 | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 2.5 goals at 4/9 | Likelihood: Probable
> Benjamin Nygren to score anytime at 1/1 | Likelihood: Possible