SCOTTISH CUP SEMI-FINALS TIPS: 3 BEST BETS FOR HAMPDEN DOUBLE-HEADER
The road to the Scottish Cup final narrows to just four teams with a fascinating contrast of fixtures: an underrated cross-divisional rivalry on Saturday followed by a high-stakes Premiership encounter on Sunday.
Championship promotion hopefuls Dunfermline take on top-tier Falkirk in the curtain-raiser (Sat, 12:30). While the Pars are a division below their rivals, their quarter-final dismantling of Aberdeen proved they fear no one.
A day later (Sun, 14:00) Celtic return to Mount Florida looking to exorcise the demons of a turbulent season against a St Mirren side that has already caused them significant cup heartbreak this term.
With a place in the season’s showpiece event at stake, here are our three best bets for the Hampden double-header…
TIP 1 – DUNFERMLINE VS FALKIRK BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 13/20
Goals look firmly on the agenda on Saturday.
Falkirk have earned plenty of plaudits under John McGlynn’s stewardship this season, recently securing a top-six Premiership spot.
The Bairns arrive at Hampden fresh from a topsy-turvy 6-3 defeat to Rangers, a match that showcased their attacking intent if not their defensive solidity.
That result means both teams have now scored in all of Falkirk’s last six matches and in seven of their last eight.
Dunfermline might be the Championship underdogs but they are reliable goalscorers. The Pars have found the net in all nine of their cup ties this season and sit third in their league for goals scored.
Crucially, head coach Neil Lennon knows exactly what it takes to navigate this tournament having won it eight times as a player and manager.
While Lennon has an injury doubt over star man Andrew Tod, who has 16 goals this season, the Pars’ consistent scoring record suggests they have enough to at least trouble the Falkirk defence.
Given both sides' recent form, backing them to trade blows at 13/20 seems a smart play.
TIP 2 – CELTIC VS ST MIRREN UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 31/20
Sunday’s semi-final promises a much cagier affair.
These sides have met four times already this season, with three of those matches ending in 1-0 victories for Celtic. The only outlier was St Mirren’s 3-1 League Cup final win — a result that came during the now infamous Wilfried Nancy era.
The case for a low-scoring game is strengthened by Celtic’s uncharacteristically blunt attack.
It’s true the Hoops arrive at Hampden on a run of seven wins in eight under Martin O’Neill – and indeed he has taken a league-best 84.3% of available points during his two spells – but they are struggling to create and convert chances nonetheless.
After 33 league games this season they have scored just 59 goals, a dramatic drop from the 97 they had at the same stage last term.
St Mirren, now under their own interim manager Craig McLeish, have also seen their games tighten up with three of their last four matches featuring fewer than 2.5 goals.
With so much at stake and a clear pattern of low-scoring encounters between these sides, this looks a solid proposition for a low-scoring contest at 6/4 odds.
TIP 3 – BENJAMIN NYGREN TO SCORE ANYTIME @ 11/8
If there is to be a Hampden goal hero for the Hoops, the numbers point towards it being Benjamin Nygren.
The Sweden international has been the standout player in an otherwise stuttering attack, netting 19 times in all competitions. To put that individual dominance in perspective, he is the only Celtic player to even reach double digits this season.
Granted, Nygren is yet to score against St Mirren in three appearances this season – but there is crucial context to that.
He was an unused substitute in the League Cup final defeat, played a deeper midfield role in another league clash and was given only a brief cameo in the first meeting.
Now restored to his preferred attack-focused role, he is central to O’Neill’s plans.
Against a St Mirren side that will likely sit deep, Nygren’s knack for getting on the end of things in the box means he is worth supporting to find the net for the 20th time this season.
Fancy all our Scottish Cup semi-final selections to land? You can combine all three tips into a 17/1 Bet Builder. Add it to your betslip by clicking here.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
