Rangers can close on Celtic before Sunday's games begin
Harvey Watkins previews Scottish Premiership MatchDay 13, from the gap at the top to third against fourth at Tynecastle and a meeting of the bottom two at Pittodrie.
By Harvey Watkins,
The order of play shapes this round. Rangers visit St. Mirren at 20:00 on Saturday, and Celtic do not host Kilmarnock until 16:00 on Sunday. Celtic lead on 28 points from 12 games. Rangers have 24 from 11, so a Rangers win would cut the gap to a single point overnight, with their game in hand still to come.
The form lines favour Rangers. They are unbeaten in five, with 12 goals scored and five conceded. Celtic have gone two without a win, a defeat followed by a draw. St. Mirren have lost three of their last five and conceded 11 in that spell, a record only Kilmarnock can better for leakiness. The most recent meeting was tight, though. Rangers won it 1-0, and a narrow margin is not the same as a comfortable evening.
On paper Celtic have the kinder task. Kilmarnock have conceded 13 in their last five, have not won in three and carry a goal difference of minus 15. Celtic won 5-1 at Kilmarnock last time out against them. Even so, two matches without a win is enough to make a third worth watching, and Celtic will know the Saturday night result before they start.
Third against fourth at Tynecastle
Hearts against Falkirk on Sunday is the other meeting with a direct bearing on the upper half. Hearts are third on 20, Falkirk fourth on 18. Falkirk have won four in a row and conceded three goals in their last five. Hearts have scored 11 in theirs but let in 10, which makes them harder to read. Falkirk also won the most recent meeting 2-1. A Falkirk win would lift them above Hearts into third. A Hearts win would put five points between the sides.
Two points cover fourth to sixth
Behind Falkirk, Dundee FC have 17 points and Dundee United 16, and both have winnable-looking fixtures that come with a caveat. Dundee FC travel to St. Johnstone, who have drawn three of their last five and sit on 14. The last meeting finished 1-1, so the gap in form may count for less than it looks.
Dundee United are unbeaten in five and host Motherwell, who have 12 points. The caveat there is sharper: Motherwell won the last meeting 3-0. They have also steadied themselves with a win and a draw after three straight defeats.
The bottom two meet at Pittodrie
Aberdeen against Hibernian on Saturday evening matters most at the foot of the table. Hibernian are bottom on 8 points, without a win in five and with four goals in that run. Aberdeen are tenth on 11 and have lost their last two. The last meeting was drawn 1-1. A Hibernian win would bring them level with Aberdeen, and if Kilmarnock lose at Celtic it would also leave Kilmarnock bottom. An Aberdeen win would open a six-point gap over Hibernian.
What PLZ Predictor members have gone for
Between 14 and 15 PLZ Soccer members have entered predictions for each match in the PLZ Predictor. All 14 who entered for Celtic v Kilmarnock picked a home win, most often 3-1. Rangers were backed by 73 percent for a win at St. Mirren, and Dundee United by 80 percent against Motherwell. Hearts were picked by 64 percent against Falkirk, with 2-1 the most common score. The closest split was at Pittodrie, where half went for a Hibernian win and 36 percent for Aberdeen.