Rangers vs Celtic predictions: Goals expected in title tussle

Gareth Freeman

Spotlight

Brendan Rodgers' Celtic have won both games against Rangers so far this season

- Just one point separates league leaders Celtic from Rangers below them
- Celtic have scored 74 goals in 31 Premiership games
- Recommended bet: Over 3.5 goals

Celtic lead the way in the Scottish Premiership but they are just one point ahead of Rangers, who have a game in hand, going into Sunday's title showdown.

A victory for either side would be huge in terms of the battle for Scotland’s top domestic prize, and for Celtic this is perhaps a must-win derby as Rangers have that potentially crucial extra game to play.

Team news

Rangers could hand Abdallah Sima his first start since early January after he returned from injury as a substitute against Hibs last weekend.

Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers are both available for Celtic and are expected to start, while skipper Callum McGregor could also make his comeback after recovering from injury but Luis Palma is unavailable.

The stats

Philippe Clement's Rangers have a game in hand on Celtic and may not see the victory as the be-all and end-all

There have been at least four goals scored in four of Celtic’s last six games, while the same can be said of three of Rangers' last four home league fixtures.

Celtic score on average 2.4 goals per game in the Scottish Premiership, with Rangers averaging 2.2.

Rangers have conceded in five of their last six games in all competitions.

The latest Rangers vs Celtic odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

There is so much at stake in Sunday’s Old Firm Derby that picking a winner is a tough ask.

If either team manages to claim a victory, they will have a huge advantage in the battle for the league crown and Celtic are probably the team who need the win the most as Rangers have a crucial game in hand.

The Bhoys have to go for it at some point and they head to Ibrox in good form with three wins in as many games across all competitions, scoring 10 goals in the process.

Rangers are also in fine fettle, particularly at Ibrox where they have 11 wins from their last 12 league games, so backing these sides to combine for a high-scoring game is perhaps the best angle in this one, and over 3.5 goals looks a good option.

Celtic have the best attack in the division with 74 goals scored in 31 games, an average of 2.4 per game.

Rangers average an impressive 2.2 goals scored per game themselves, which is improved to 2.4 when considering just their home games.

Over 3.5 goals has been a winner in four of Celtics’s last six games and in two of Rangers’ last four across all competitions.

With both teams likely to be gunning for a win on Sunday, an early goal could potentially open the floodgates so backing these teams to combine for at least four goals looks a strong play in this crucial Glasgow derby.

Back Over 3.5 goals at 17/10 with LiveScore Bet.