The Scottish Premier League, or Premiership as it’s known, may just about be the most predictable league in world football right now. What was, for so long, a two-horse race, became even less competitive when one of those thoroughbreds was effectively told to go and race against seaside donkeys for a few years as punishment for off-the-pitch misdemeanours. Rangers have been absent from the top flight of Scottish football since 2012 and that has helped their Glasgow rivals Celtic win four Premier League’s in a row. The Bhoys began the 2015-16 season as odds-on favourites and despite a sticky start and some great performances from Aberdeen and Hearts, Celtic are now priced at best odds of just 1/100 to retain their title yet again!
There is clearly not much of a title race in Scotland at the moment, although with Rangers looking good for promotion back into the Premier League for next season that will improve. For now, read on as we take a look at who might challenge the Hoops, as well as the odds for the Premier League outright winner and the individual Premiership matches. Our live odds comparison is THE quickest and easiest route to the best odds so if you know what you want to bet on, head straight to that, or read on for our betting tips and predictions.
With Celtic at 1/100 it’s clear that the folk setting the odds see virtually no chance of an upset. Aberdeen are next in the betting at odds of 40/1 with Bet365 whilst Hearts, who were in the second tier last season, are third favourites at 80/1 with Paddy Power. Due to the nature of the league the bookies aren’t offering each way odds and so backing anyone other than Celtic is only for the die-hard fans of the respective clubs or those taking a punt that Celtic either suffer an implosion of Devon Loch proportions or suffer some form of penalty.
We can’t see either of those things happening, however, and so, in fact, we actually view Celtics’ odds of 1/100 as worth taking up. Of course, to eke out any sort of worthwhile profit at those odds you’d need to be betting a huge sum but, for what it’s worth, Celtic are our outright betting tip and we predict they will romp to yet another Premiership title.
Aberdeen, who finished second last term, are doing very well, and having won their opening eight games, including a 2-1 success over Celtic, looked briefly like they may be able to offer some serious competition to the Glasgow giants. They have since fallen away though and whilst they ended a run of five games without a win by taking seven points from nine, it really is impossible to see them overturning the seven point advantage Celtic hold.
For those looking to bet on the outright winner market itself there isn’t really too much else to say, although we should give credit to Hearts for making a decent show on the Premiership return. The Jambos are third and should be back in European action next term, a great effort, but only the blindest of their fans could back them for the title, even at huge odds approaching triple digits.
The race for the Premiership will be a little closer next term, we hope, although we predict that Celtic will once more triumph. It will take Rangers a little while to adapt, both off the pitch and on it, to life back in the top flight and so perhaps a better tip for the outright winner of the Premiership is to back Celtic for success in 2016-17 – shop around and you might even get odds-against!