Old Firm Betting

Saturday brings with it, not only the second old firm game of the season, but a chance to line your pockets. Some careful bets can be placed, and I'm going to highlight a few that caught my eye.

First of all the match odds. A home win is available in places at 6/4, not bad considering we've won every home game so far this season. An away win can be got at 7/4, which is also good value. Shopping around found the draw at best at only 9/4. Seems to me you takes your choice, and laces your bet.

More value can be found in the Specials Bets. On this site recently I was talking to someone who had a dream Rangers would win 4-3. If that comes true, you can get 100/1. 50/1 is the price for a repeat of the 3-3 draw at Parkhead, and a Cup Final repeat of 3-2 is 25/1.

Double results can be worth a look. A draw at both half time and at full time is 7/2, Rangers leading through the interval and still at the end would be 11/4/, where as if you fancy Rangers to be trailing at the break, but to win in the end, you can get 28/1.

I had a quick look at the first scorer betting. Nothing there, never seen it as a value bet, but Shota is 6/1 to open the scoring. An interesting bet is the 40/1 about Michael Ball scoring first. He's more like 40/1 to start a game this year !!!!!

If you really fancy yourself as a tipster, you can double the first scorer and correct score. Arteta and 3-3, a repeat of the first OF game is 450/1, but de Boer and 2-0 is more likely, and a more realistic 40/1.

Number of goals is usually a good bet. More than 2 goals is a short 4/6, but given recent history not a bad bet. Personally I'll be having a few on Exactly 2 at 3/1. Remember 1-1 or 2-0 either way would give a return.

Hills have also priced up a match of Shota v Larsson. Simply the number of goals scored. As the celtic man takes their penalties, and they DO get quite a few, the 7/4 looks quite good value. We could win 3-1, he could score their goal, Shota could not score any of ours, and you'd get a decent return.

There are prices to keep a clean sheet, or to score in both halves, but OF games are so unpredictable, I'd avoid these. Others to avoid are players to score hat tricks, remember no-one's got one in an OF game since Super Ally, pre Souness.

Two final bets you may be interested in are an Own Goal to be scored (14/1) and a substitute to score (2/1). Finally do you think Mr Clark will give a penalty? If so it's 3/1 for one to be awarded and scored.

Whatever you decide, don't let it spoil your enjoyment of the game. One of my funniest moments was at Rugby Park, when Brian Laudrup dances through the Killie defence only to square for Miko to score the opening goal. The guy in front of me was livid as he'd bet on Laudrup to score the opening goal!!!!

If you9re going to have a bet online you can help FF - at no cost to yourself - by signing up with the excellent Stanley Racing website at the special FF Registration Page -