The Scottish Premiership was on hold for almost five months, but the 2020/21 campaign gets underway this weekend. This could be the year that sees Celtic win their 10th successive Scottish title, as long as Rangers and Steven Gerrard haven’t found a way to stop them.
When the league was halted back in March, Celtic had a 13-point lead at he top. There’s little doubt that the Bhoys deserved a ninth straight championship. That’s kept their dream of 10-in-a-row alive, with Neil Lennon now tasked with taking them over the line.
Of course, there’s more to Scottish football than the Old Firm. The return is set to bring a four-way fight for survival, while there’s changes at one of Scotland’s most reliable sides. With everything heating up ahead of the restart, we have picked out four Scottish Premiership outright predictions for the new campaign.
You can find analysis of every game across the season in our Scottish Premiership match predictions
Scottish Premiership winner prediction: Celtic
While Rangers did take a step forward last term, we still don’t think that they’ve done enough to close the considerable gap between the Old Firm pair. Gerrard has done well in Europe, but it takes an incredible consistency to keep pace with Celtic at the top of the table. Before the league stopped last term, the champions had won 26 of their 30 games.
Rangers struggled to match that record with forward Alfredo Morelos, but they’re set to be weaker in his likely absence. The striker is linked with a £20million move to Lille, with reports suggesting he’s already agreed terms.
While it’s understandable that the Gers would want to cash in for 20 times his original price, replacing him is a test that Gerrard hasn’t faced yet. Finding a player as good on a tighter budget is a tall order.
It isn’t just consistency in the league that Rangers have to match. Celtic have won the last 11 domestic trophies in Scotland. It was 2016 when they last were eliminated from either of the domestic cups. The only thing preventing them from a fourth-consecutive treble was the shutdown, which has pushed the 2020 Scottish Cup to the end of the year.
We think they can continue that level into 2021. Not only are they chasing that elusive 10th straight title, but they won’t want to let their grip of the other cups slip. While the Bhoys are available at 4/9 with Paddy Power to win the title, we like the jump up to 6/1 with Betfair on them to complete the domestic clean sweep yet again.
Scottish Premiership top-half finish: St Johnstone
Tommy Wright’s departure from St Johnstone is a huge moment for the Perthshire club. Replacing him after five strong years is a tall order, especially for a man in his first managerial job. While that’s a worry for Callum Davidson, the Saints have a great record of appointing managers after bringing Derek McInnes and Wright to the club.
Those smart appointments have seen them finish in the top half of the table in seven of the last nine Premiership seasons. Davidson has the credentials to follow suit, having been assistant to Wright during their Scottish Cup-winning campaign in 2014. Since then he’s worked with Gary Rowett at Stoke and Millwall.
Davidson has gained experience from some capable managers and he is already proving his connections. He’s brought in loan signings from Rowett’s Millwall, helping to improve a side who finished sixth last term. Based on that, we think the Saints are being overlooked slightly, so we’re backing them for a top-six finish.
Scottish Premiership relegation prediction: St Mirren
While there was little choice but to ultimately let Hearts drop, their demotion did save likes of Hamilton, Ross County and St Mirren. All three sides were within six points of the drop when the season was halted, while any of them could have fallen into the Championship. However, none of that trio have done enough to consolidate their top-flight position this term.
Dundee United are arriving back in the Premiership with the expectation that they can keep clear of the drop. We have faith in them doing just that, which leaves the other three in danger. Our focus is on St Mirren in particular, a side who have less depth than during last season’s struggles.
The Saints have also failed to make the required improvements up front after a poor season in front of goal. They were the league’s lowest scorers, only managing two goals more than Edouard hit on his own. With a lack of defensive quality and next to no cutting edge, St Mirren could well be on their way to the second-tier.
Scottish Premiership top scorer prediction: Odsonne Edouard
It doesn’t seem like Edouard is going anywhere in this window, especially in what is likely to be a deflated transfer market. That’s good news for the champions, as he finished nine-goals clear of his closest challengers in the scoring charts last season.
With Morelos set to depart, we don’t see anyone capable of challenging Edouard in the scoring charts. The Frenchman is incredibly talented and a few rungs above the rest of the division as he continues his development. As a result, we are expecting him to hold on to the golden boot.
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