Jim Delahunt gives his big Rangers vs Celtic prediction as Ibrox side bid for third Old Firm win in a row
SIMON Murray's goal was enough to give DUNDEE a 1-0 win at Hearts last week and I'm backing Tony Docherty's players to pull further away from relegation play-off peril by beating Motherwell at 6/5.
Dundee's win in Gorgie was enough for the Hearts board to pull the trigger on hapless boss Neil Critchley and a 4th win in 6 games can be another massive step towards Premiership survival whatever the outcome of Ross County against Hearts in Dingwall.
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Simon Murray celebrates
Credit: Alamy
The Staggies host the managerless Jambos off the back of 5 straight defeats which has them staring a third straight play-off in the face and Dundee have a huge incentive to go and beat the Steelmen whatever happens elsewhere.
The Dens Park side had beaten Motherwell home and away before a 2-1 defeat at Dens in February and while the visitors are trying hard to top the bottom six, Dundee can send nominated Murray off to tomorrow's Players' Player Of The Year Awards with another 3 points in the bag.
HIBS and ST MIRREN also make the top 5 from today's Premiership card but with the Chapionship settled last night and few attractive ties in Leagues One and Two, I'm off to England's lower leagues for the final two places in the Acca.
League One READING need Huddersfield to do them a favour by beating Leyton Orient but the Royals have to win their own game at home to Barnsley first and they look a good bet to do just that at 8/11 after winning their last two road trips at Mansfield and Bristol Rovers.
Leyton Orient may well hold on to that final play-off place by making it 6 straight wins at Huddersfield but they lost at home to today's hosts in November and the home side will be keen to end a losing run in front of their own fans for the final time this season.
BRADFORD haven't won any of their last 4 games as they've looked to secure the third and final automatic promotion place in League Two but they've drawn two of those matches and can finish with a much needed win over Fleetwood at 4/9.
The Bantams could falter and still go up if Wallsall's end of season collapse continues at Crewe but this is a glorious chance to get the job done at a banker price for Graham Alexander's players and the champagne is surely on ice at Valley parade.
Today's 12.pm kick-offs in the Championship are laced with tricky scenarios for punters to ponder but I'm going to suggest a treble with BRISTOL CITY, BURNLEY and SHEFFIELD UNITED all taken to win and pay out at better than 5/1 with most firms.
Bristol City need to beat Preston to be absolutely sure of securing a play-off place but the Robins have been in excellent form at Ashton Gate and relegation threatened Preston arrive after losing their last 4 matches by 2-1 margins.
Burnley are going all out for the title now that promotion has been secured alongside Leeds United and with the Elland Road side away to all but relegated but still battling Plymouth, defensively sound Burnley look rock-solid at 4/7.
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Sheffield United appear to be over their late season wobble as they're set to finish third and the Blades will want to maintain their winning mentality at 17/20 against visiting Blackburn after 2 wins and a narrow defeat at Burnley in their last 3 matches.
The home side can make sure they don't face Blackburn in the play-offs by ending Rovers' 4 match winning run today and that could leave the way clear for Frank Lampard's COVENTRY to secure that place by beating Middlesbrough at 11/10 although defeats for Millwall and Blackburn would make that task attainable with a draw.
European football has forced most of the key Premier League matches on to tomorrow and West Ham's match with Spurs strikes me as draw material at a general 27/10.
Manchester United's trip to Brentford and Liverpool's match at Chelsea look worth a swerve but NEWCASTLE should be firing on all cylinders in the 2pm kick-off at Brighton and look the Sunday best at 13/10.
Saturday SINGLE
CARLISLE have been relegated to the National League despite some excellent end of season results and I'm backing them to dent Salford's play-off hopes with a home win at 4/1.
Weekend ACCA
Dundee 6/5
Hibs 3/4
St Mirren 8/5
Reading 8/11
Bradford 4/9
5 homes across 3 divisions this week and the Saturday 3pm acca pays out at 23/1.
RANGERS V CELTIC Sunday 12noon Sky Sports
Rangers get one last chance to give their home fans something to celebrate this season but their home form has been awful for a while now and Celtic could be in the mood to pile on further Ibrox misery.
Rangers haven't won any of their last SIX matches at Ibrox since a 4-0 win over Ross County on February 2 and they'd actually lost a club record five in a row before their goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao.
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Ianis Hagi celebrates his goal in the previous Ibrox clash
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
Throw in the fact that Rangers haven't won ANY of their last 5 matches and you can see why Gers are available at 27/10 with my win selections CELTIC at 17/20.
HIBERNIAN V DUNDEE UTD
Hibs long unbeaten league run came unstuck at the 18th hurdle at Pittodrie last week but they're back at Easter Road against United where they've won 8 of their last 9 games.
I fancied David Gray's side to beat the Dons but they looked to be heading for a well deserved point when Kevin Nisbet produced his moment of magic and an appreciative Easter Road crowd can play its part here.
United found themselves hosting Celtic's title party last weekend but they might still be in the race for 4th if Aberdeen lose at St Mirren and HIBS can stay in the driving seat for third with a win at 3/4.
ST MIRREN V ABERDEEN
Saints landed my 14/5 draw tip with their 2-2 share of the points at home to Rangers last week and I'm backing Stephen Robinson's side to repeat November's 2-1 win here and make it 3 in a row after a 3-0 win at Pittodrie.
Mark O'Hara and Conor McMenamin scored successive equalisers for Saints against Rangers and a glaring miss from Mikael Mandron might have added another nought to the striker's new contract signed this week.
Nisbet will have to be fully shackled by Richard Taylor and Alex Gogic but Robinson's worked another miracle in getting ST MIRREN into the top six and the unshackled Paisley side can win this at a generous 8/5.
ST JOHNSTONE V KILMARNOCK
The Perth Saints have been holding up the bar in the last-chance saloon for weeks now but the win over Celtic was an oasis in the desert and today is surely a must-win.
St Johnstone have actually won 2 of their 3 meetings with Kilmarnock this season and current home form points towards this being a winnable fixture at a general 2/1 despite their current predicament.
Kilmarnock produced when they had to against Ross County last weekend but their road form has been desperate with 6 straight league defeats dating back to December and the home win looks the value.
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