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Dundee United will take on Rangers on Friday, 31 July, as the new Scottish Premiership season gets underway.
It is once again the dawn of a new era at Rangers, with Derek McInnes now in the hot seat. The former Hearts man replaced Danny Rohl in the summer, and he is tasked with winning Gers their first Scottish Premiership title in six years this season.
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 expert predictions.
Dundee United vs Rangers key stats
- Dundee United haven't beaten Rangers at home in five years.
- Rangers have lost just one opening round fixture in the last 12 years.
- Both teams have scored in each of Rangers' last eight league matches.
Dundee United vs Rangers preview: Strong start expected for McInnes
Dundee United vs Rangers — Tale of the Tape
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After turning his back on Hearts despite going so close to winning the title last season, there is a lot of pressure on McInnes to get it right with Rangers this season.
Although toppling Celtic will be no easy task, if he fails, then many people in the Scottish media will say that the decision to jump ship from Edinburgh to Glasgow was the wrong one.
It's difficult to judge how his Rangers side have fared so far, as they elected to play just two pre-season matches this summer, due to the quick turnaround between the end of last season and the beginning of this and the World Cup.
In their two matches, Gers have recorded a win over St Etienne and a draw against West Ham United, so the positive for McInnes is that he is yet to taste defeat as the club's manager.
In terms of team selection, Lawrence Shankland, who also moved from Hearts to Rangers this summer, is expected to make his competitive debut, while Jose Cifuentes and Ross McCrorie have been ruled out due to injuries.
As for Dundee United, they will be hoping for a better season than last, where they failed to finish inside the top six.
There is an argument that Jim Goodwin set the bar too high by leading United to a fourth-placed finish in their first season back in the top flight, but that's exactly where they are going to want to be this time around.
Goodwin will believe that his side have a real shot of getting something on Friday night, purely on the basis that his squad should be closer to full match fitness than their opponents. The Tangerines have already played four competitive matches in the Scottish League Cup, winning three of them to qualify for the next round.
New signing Lochlan Rose has already scored three times for his new club and will be their dangerman on Friday, while Miller Thomson misses out due to an ankle injury.
Dundee United vs Rangers form guide & betting tips
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Whispers predicts: Dundee United 1-2 Rangers
This will be a tough test for Rangers, but they haven't lost to Dundee United since 2021 for a reason. Rangers to win has been best priced at 1/2.
Both teams have scored in each of the last six matches between these two teams. BTTS has been priced at 8/13.
Lawrence Shankland has scored 72 league goals over the last four years. Shankland to score anytime has been priced at 5/6.
> Rangers to win at 1/2 (1.50) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS at 8/13 (1.62) | Likelihood: Probable
> Shankland to score anytime at 5/6 (1.83) | Likelihood: Possible