Friday 31 July sees another Scottish Premiership season begin. Last term, Hearts were eventually run out of the title by Celtic, though to be honest, the way they won it now looks like a dress rehearsal for the show put on to get Argentina to the World Cup Final. Better leave that one there.
There’ll be more controversy this season. There’ll be highs and lows, on-field battles, questionable refereeing and constant banter between Rangers and Celtic, as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow. The SPFL isn’t the strongest setup these days, but I’m here for all of it.
I’ve picked out three Scottish Premiership outright bets in advance of the curtain raiser at Tannadice Park on Friday night. Let’s gie it laldy!
Scottish Premiership Outright Bets: My 56.5/1 Treble
| Market | Selection | Points (/5) | Odds | Bookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title Winner | Rangers | 4 | 27/20 | 10Bet |
| Top Goalscorer | Lawrence Shankland | 3 | 4/1 | William Hill |
| To Finish Bottom | St Johnstone | 2 | 4/1 | William Hill |
| Acca | 1 | 56.5/1 | William Hill |
Odds correct at 12:00 BST on 29/07/26. Odds subject to change.
Roll up and spend your last dime! Rangers’ time is coming, and it could be now. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the early Scottish Premiership betting odds available. Rangers are potentially up for a big season, and I’m backing them to belatedly get back on track in their perennial Old Firm battle.
Don’t just think I’ve slapped a couple of Rangers-related bets together, mind you. My full breakdown of why I think these Scottish Premiership predictions will come true is below.
William Hill, one of the best football betting sites, is showing up best overall so far, and you can get £30 in free bets when you join them now.
EXPIRING:
31/12/2026
Bet 1: Scottish Premiership Winner – Rangers
The odds got me here first of all – 27/20 versus a general 5/6 for Celtic doesn’t sit right. That needs back-up though, and the key thing that stood out to me is that after their recruitment, Rangers have a squad worth around £17 million more than Celtic’s at current market values going into the new season.
As well as that, the average age of the Gers’ squad is a full year younger than Celtic’s, opening it up to the possibility of more improvement as the season develops. I can’t ignore that.
I’m not forgetting that Rangers briefly became favourites to win the title last season at a late stage. There was a clear breakdown at the club however, involving then-manager Danny Röhl, who has since left.
In comes Derek McInnes to replace him, the man who did such a sterling job with Hearts last term. A lifelong Ranger, McInnes has even managed to bring Hearts’ best two players from the last campaign along the M8 with him, Cammy Devlin and top scorer Lawrence Shankland.
Things are rosy now in Govan. Over in Parkhead, there is the fear of a manager bounce now that old timer Martin O’Neill is in permanent charge – something I also expect to happen at Man United this season with Michael Carrick, for what it’s worth.
Pre-season results and performances for the Old Firm clubs were similar. The final piece of the Premiership puzzle will perhaps be the easier midweek opposition Rangers will face in the Europa League, compared with Celtic’s upcoming tasks in Europe’s leading competition. This is a 4-star bet for me.
Bet 2: Scottish Premiership Top Goalscorer Tips – Lawrence Shankland
Going hand in hand with my first bet is Lawrence Shankland to finish as the league’s top scorer at 4/1 with Hills. That’s a cracking price.
The Glaswegian striker starts the campaign as Rangers’ main hope up front, and he comes into this challenge having netted 16 goals in 29 league appearances for Hearts in 2025/26. That meant he shared second place in the charts with Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren, and was one behind Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise, who played 38 and 35 games respectively.
The Scotland international forward is off the mark having hit the target against St Etienne in pre-season. If he stays fit, then he’s a worthy favourite. You can claim free bets when you sign up and back Shankland with William Hill.
Bet 3: St Johnstone to Finish Bottom
I wasn’t keen at all on the available top six betting, the bottom six prices, or the Scottish Premiership relegation odds. Instead, what caught my eye was an outstanding candidate, if it’s not too cruel to call them that, for a rock-bottom finish.
First of all, I checked on all the obvious candidates, those with low-value squads and who are expected to be in the bottom six come the split after 33 games. What I noticed was that there are some positives among them.
Dundee have generally been in good form in the League Cup this summer, while Falkirk have an excellent manager and can surprise a few people again. Kilmarnock don’t give much away defensively, while St Mirren are scoring plenty of goals.
Contrast all of that with St Johnstone, who lost at Inverness recently, and were beaten on penalties by East Fife of all clubs. The Perth side was promoted last year, but they haven’t strengthened enough, and their main challengers are in better shape. 4/1 to finish bottom looks fair value to me.
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Our Scottish Premiership coverage doesn't stop here. We'll also be previewing Dundee United v Rangers on Friday night, and Celtic v Dundee on Monday.
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