IT’S Scottish Cup semi-final weekend and hot favourites Hearts and Celtic might not get it all their own way.
Bookies make a Jambos-Hoops final just 4-6 (sportingbet) while to win in 90 minutes at Hampden the double is 7-5 at Marathonbet.
It’s incredibly skinny when you consider how awkward Inverness are likely to make it for a team weaker without Steven Naismith and reliant up top on Uche Ikpeazu.
And the pressure has been ramped up on Neil Lennon to bring home the treble treble against an Aberdeen side believing they can win in Glasgow.
A Hearts v Aberdeen final is 19-1 at Skybet and to win in normal the double pays 41-1 with tournament sponsors William Hill.
I’m not saying it’s going to happen but there’s a decent chance both games will go to extra time and potentially penalties. Two draws after 90 minutes pays 16-1 at Betfred.
Hearts hammered ICT 5-0 in the Betfred Cup but that was at Tynecastle and before a huge improvement in John Robertson’s side who are set for the play-offs and ICT have a great cup tradition recently – winning the trophy in 2015.
The Jambos come into the game on a run of three defeats in four and pressure building on boss Craig Levein.
He needs a big game from Ikpeazu who is 4-1 at McBookie to score first while penalty taker Sean Clare is 9-2.
Celtic won five out of five cups under Brendan Rodgers but last time Lennon was in charge he lifted two out of four Scottish Cups with defeats to Ross County and Aberdeen.
The Dons have won just one trophy under Derek McInnes despite being Celtic’s main contenders in recent seasons and the manager is desperate to improve that record.
They’ve been extremely competitive against Celtic this season – one draw and three one-goal defeats – and Lenny knows this will be a huge test for a team that’s not been firing on all cylinders.
Celtic are 1-2 with McBookie to win in 90 minutes tomorrow and again it’s short. I’d prefer to take Aberdeen +2 at the same price with Ladbrokes.
With no Premiership games the attention focuses on that crazy league that is the Championship.
The play-off spots look sorted and Dunfermline have nothing to play for but it’s fascinating at the wrong end of the table with four points separating the bottom five with four games to go or five if you’re Partick Thistle.
Alloa are punching above their weight and have climbed off the foot with three wins in a row and I fancy them at 5-2 at home to Queen of the South who will be minus 40-goal hitman Stephen Dobbie for the rest of the season.
The Wasps are level on points with Queens so how they can be such a big price is anyone’s guess. In three meetings this season Alloa have taken seven points.
Falkirk are also big at 7-2 to win at Dunfermline and it’s so big you can have Falkirk draw no bet at 23-10 with Paddy Power.
Partick, who may need that game in hand, have the toughest test at champions-elect Ross County and best bet here could be both to score at 4-5 with bet365.
Arbroath are 3-5 with Marathonbet to clinch the League One title with victory at Brechin and in League Two best bets are Cowdenbeath and Peterhead on the handicaps.
Beath battered Edinburgh 4-1 last week and won 4-1 at Elgin recently yet are as big as 13-8 with bet365 – and that’s already been cut a few times.
Peterhead have almost clinched the title and with the pressure off can beat Albion Rovers easily. Back the Blue Toon and over 3.5 match goals at 33-20 with Ladbrokes.
Recommended Bets
- Inverness draw no bet (4-1, 888sport)
- Alloa (5-2, McBookie)
- Falkirk draw no bet (23-10, Paddy Power)
- Cowdenbeath (13-8, bet365)
- Peterhead & over 3.5 goals (33-20, Ladbrokes)
The post Scottish Football Tips: Cup jollies won’t get it easy appeared first on MrFixitsTips.