Very rarely is an OF game included in the Fab Foursome, but on these few occasions the confidence has proven well-founded as the teddies brought home the goodies with all three points in the bag each time. But we have had to wait two painful seasons before chancing it at Parkhead, and this time round the bookies are apparently being a little over generous as punters ignore Rangers obvious improvement and put all their bets on the bare stats alone which favour a Celtic side that has remained stagnant in stark contrast to the head of steam being gathered down Ibrox way.
Perhaps new recruit Mr Bellamy will address Celtic’s obvious weakness in attack, or maybe this game has come too soon for the striker with the OF encounters often proving a debut graveyard for the unwary. The Rangers team that hammered Dundee United 7-1, despite being under the cosh for the first 20mins of the second half in the CIS game, and followed this up with their best performance of the season seeing off Scotland’s “Third Force” Hibs to the tune of 3-0 going on ten last week, is not the same side that Celtic struggled to beat in the corresponding fixture way back in August 2004.
Whether it is “same old Celtic” or not this time, will be the deciding factor as to who will come out tops, Bellamy apart we have no evidence of any tangible improvement from Celtic that matches the Rangers in this respect. There are no certainties in OF encounters, but rarely do we get offered the carrot of generous odds under such favourable circumstances. So let’s bite.
Odds and forecasts for Sundays Game:
CORRECT SCORE for Rangers win.-1-0 15/2, 2-1 9/1, 2-0 12/1, *3-1 25/1*, 3-2 28/1, 3-0 33/1, 4-0 100/1, 100/1 bar.
DRAW: 1-1 11/2, 0-0 17/2, 2-2, 12/1 3-3 50/1, 100/1 bar.
FIRST SCORER (Rangers): Novo 11/2, Thompson 13/2, *PSRO 13/2*, Arveladze 7/1, Buffel 9/1, Ferguson 12/1, A Rae 12/1, Namouchi/Djordic 16/1, Ball 25/1, Kyrgiakos/Ricksen 33/1, Smith/Andrews/Malcolm/Ross/Hutton 40/1, Vignal 50/1.
FIRST SCORER (Celtic)- Hartson 5/1, Sutton/Bellamy 6/1, Maloney 8/1, Petrov, Sylla, McGeady 9/1, Juninho/Thompson 12/1, Wallace 14/1, McManus 16/1, Varga/Balde 25/1, Laursen/Lambert/Mcnamara 40/1, Henchoz/Lennon 50/1.
HT/FT DOUBLE-Celtic - Celtic 5/2 , Draw - Draw 4/1 , Draw - Celtic 9/2 , *Rangers - Rangers 9/2*, Draw - Rangers 5/1 , Celtic - Draw 14/1, Rangers - Draw 14/1, Celtic - Rangers 28/1,Rangers - Celtic 28/1 
THIS WEEKS FAB FOUR:
CHAM-Brighton v SUNDERLAND 21/20
Third placed Sunderland last loss was on Boxing Day and since then they have climbed steadily upwards with two draws and three wins the latest last week 4-2 at home to Wigan. A visit to Brighton should give them no worries as two wins in their last eight games have consolidated Albion’s 18th place and they are surely heading for the drop in May.
LGE2-Chester v YEOVIL EVS
Although 19th-placed City are currently on two wins on the trot the stats still show a total of only three wins in their last seventeen games. Any prospects of recovery must surely be put on hold when league leaders Yeovil visit on the back of nine wins from their last 12 games and surely it is beyond Chester to add to their tally of only two defeats over the same period.
LGE2- WYCOMBE 6/5 v Darlington
Wycombe in 10th place have woken up since ending December with a straight treble of defeats , kicking off January with three draws on the trot before chalking up a win at Shrewsbury. A defeat from Boston slightly marred their record but a brace of wins away to Rushden then defeating 2nd placed Scunthorpe means they have enough fire in the engine to over take Darlington who are one place ahead of them and falling courtesy of only two wins from their last six games their latest defeat at home to 20th placed Notts County last week should be encouragement enough for Wycombe to go for the jugular here.
SPL- Celtic v RANGERS 19/10 (SUNDAY 20/2/05 12:30 KO)
Celtic start this encounter as hot favourites as the punters money piles on the back of their 100% record at home versus the Gers over two seasons. However wiser heads do not factor these two almost entirely different Rangers teams together but will consider this season’s team entirely on it’s own merits.
Therefore the true blue League Record versus Celtic stands as won one, lost one, and that loss at Parkhead was the Rangers only league defeat of the season, but that was almost seven months ago with a makeshift Rangers giving as good as they got with only a desperate Celtic goal in the dying minutes separated the two sides.
Since then Rangers have improved beyond recognition with several new signings closing the midfield and defensive gaps, and despite the changes this scrooge-like defence has not been breached in over half the 25 games so far, and indeed have only once allowed two goals to violate the Rangers net. On the other hand Celtic have shown no improvement over the season, and in stark contrast to free-scoring Rangers have had to contend with wins from the odd goal. The signing of Bellamy may address this deficit, but the OF encounter may come too soon for him and therefore too late for Celtic’s league ambitions.
Suggested bet: Perm all four trebles plus the foursome @ £1 per unit =£5.00 total stake.
Trebles Return:
Sunderland/YeovilWycombe returns = £9.02
Sunderland/Yeovil/Rangers returns = £11.89
Sunderland/Wycombe/Rangers returns = £13.08
Yeovil/Wycombe/Rangers returns = £12.76
All four returns £26.16 plus all four trebles @ £46.75 =£72.91 total returns.
BEST OF THE REST:
LGE1-COLCHESTER 6/5 v Bristol City
LGE1-Port Vale v HARTLEPOOL 11/8
LGE1-Torquay v SWINDON 7/5
SPL- Motherwell v HEARTS 7/5
SFL1-HAMILTON 11/8 v Partick Thistle
SFL2-FORFAR 11/8 v Arbroath
SFL2- STIRLING ALBION EVS v Alloa
All prices quoted from Wm Hills. Odds may vary elsewhere.
BA