33 days since the last ball was kicked, the Cinch Premiership is back tonight!
It’s Rangers v Hibs live on Sky Sports and it’s been all change at Ibrox during the break. Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been replaced by QPR’s Michael Beale as the Rangers board rolled the dice in an attempt to claw back a 9-point deficit to rivals Celtic.
Beale’s appointment raised a an eyebrow for some, especially after a winless run of games at the end of his QPR tenure, but others considered him the natural choice following his role as part of Steven Gerrard’s backroom team during his time at the club.
A 3-0 friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen got the new era off to an encouraging start on Saturday but the proper stuff starts tonight and only a win will do against the Hibees this evening.
After such a long lay-off it’s difficult to place too much trust in the form before the break however we should expect a reaction to Beale’s appointment from a squad that underperfomed for its previous manager.
Hibs are another club who should be faring better with they squad they have. Lee Johnson’s side have flattered to deceive at times this season and despite being 8th in the table are just five points off third place and just one behind capital rivals Hearts.
Johnson has been in position for six months but could find himself on a sticky wicket with a tricky run of games coming up against Livingston (h), Celtic (h) and then the Edinburgh Derby at Tynecastle on January 2nd.
Martin Boyle will be a big loss for the remainder of the season but the prolonged break has allowed Aiden McGeady and Kevin Nesbit to return to the fold so there is cause for optimism.
You get the impression however that Hibs will get swept away in the hope and optimism of Beale’s first official match in charge and a comfortable home win looks on the cards but it won’t make us rich at just 3/10.
Instead look to the corner count. Both teams feature at the top end of that particular table. Rangers win the most at home (9.13) while Hibs’ away record (8.13) is only bettered by Celtic. Over 11 corners pays 6/5 but going one less at Over 10 at 4/5 looks more attractive.
Referee tonight is Nick Walsh, who takes charge of his fourth match at Ibrox this season. It’s sheer coincidence that the Gers have scored four on each of his three previous visits but more notable is the fact that the visitors have picked up most cards whenever he’s been on the whistle. Remarkably Bet365 have 12 Hibernian players priced up shorter than any Rangers player to be carded so the 8/5 on Hibs winning the -1 card handicap appeals.
Super Singles
Upcoming Match Previews & Tip
- Football Bet of the Day: Michael Beale to make a positive impact as new Rangers Boss
- Thu 20:00 Rangers vs Hibernian
Golf Tips
The Caddy takes a tentative look at the Mauritius Open, an event co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Sunshine Tour.
Racing Tips
Hickory was a winner for Rizzel on Wednesday, being his only selection of the day. Rizzel returns with two for Thursday
As always, let us know your best betting tips and predictions for today in the comments section below and good luck with all your bets!
The post Thursday’s Football Top Tips: Hibs Cards Marked on Premiership Return appeared first on MrFixitsTips.