Celtic and Rangers have dominated the Scottish Premiership over the last 40 years, but it is Celtic that looks like the best pick to win the title again this year.
Who do Bettors Favor?
According to the best bookmakers (and you can check out our top sportsbook reviews here) Celtic is the favorite with bettors to retain the Scottish Premiership title at around +140, while Rangers is priced at the -115 mark. The chasing pack is a long way behind but includes Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs.
| SPL Winner |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | -150 | -150 | -140 |
| Rangers | +115 | +115 | -50 |
| Hearts | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Aberdeen | `+10000 | `+10000 | `+10000 |
| Hibernian | `+15000 | `+15000 | `+15000 |
| Motherwell | `+35000 | `+35000 | `+35000 |
| St Mirren | `+50000 | `+50000 | `+50000 |
| Kilmarnock | `+50000 | `+50000 | `+50000 |
OSB Scottish Premiership Betting Briefing
The Scottish Premiership has only 12 teams in it, making ist smaller than many of the top divisions in European football, although the teams play a full 38 games in a season.
The Premiership was created in its current form in 2013 but including the previous incarnations of this tournament, there have been 127 editions, and between them, Rangers and Celtic have won 108 of those 127 tournaments. The Premiership has been one by another team just 19 times over that history, and the last time that happened was in 1984/85, when Aberdeen won it.
It is also worth noting that the Premiership has a slightly unusual structure as it consists of two phases. In the first, all twelve teams play one another three times and in the second, the league divides into two, with the top six playing for the Premiership and European qualification, and the bottom six fighting to avoid relegation to the Scottish Championship.
OSB Scottish Premiership Favorites
Both of the top two Scottish football clubs, Rangers and Celtic, have experienced turmoil this summer, but Celtic seems to be in a stronger position than Rangers, due in part to its economic edge.
Brendan Rodgers, who has previously managed the Premiership champions and led them to two titles in 2016–17 and 2017–18, has taken over as the club's new manager. Although Celtic's former manager Ange Postecoglou was well-liked, Rodgers has all the expertise required to ensure that the club's standards don't slip. Jota's departure is regrettable, but the organization has the funds to sign whatever players Rodgers desires, and it is difficult to overlook Celtic in the Premier League market.
There hasn't been a management change at Rangers this summer, and Michael Beale has been given the opportunity to train with the team for the entire preseason, but there have been some significant departures. As a result of the exits of Ryan Kent, Alan McGregor, and Alfredo Morelos the club is in a state of flux, which could make it easier for Celtic to defend its championship.
OSB Scottish Premiership Contenders
Could 2018 be the year that Celtic and Rangers' hegemony over Scottish football ends? That appears to be very unlikely. The difference between Rangers and Aberdeen last season was a full 35 points, which is not particularly remarkable in a league where the two Glasgow clubs have dominated for nearly 40 years and where other Premiership contenders have been few and far between.
Could Aberdeen and Hearts Fight for the Title?
Due to its excellent 2022–23 season finish after a sluggish start and the addition of Leighton Clarkson and Rhys Williams from Liverpool, Aberdeen is seen alongside Hearts as the primary contender for third place in the odds this season.
Aberdeen, which will be engaged in European competition until at least Christmas, will once again face the issue of sustaining a challenge in Europe and the Premiership at the same time. Manager Barry Robson, however, could find more improvement from his team and if you can find a bookmaker with a market on a top-three finish, Aberdeen looks like a good bet to be the best of the rest.
Aberdeen's prospects are improved thanks to the uncertainties surrounding its two biggest competitors. The success of the managerial collaboration between Steven Naismith and Frank McAvoy will be crucial to Hearts' hopes, but there needs to be enough uncertainty surrounding it to make betting on Hearts risky.
No Change for the Hibs
For the other Edinburgh club, Hibs, an early loss to an Andorran team in the Europa Conference League qualifiers does not bode well, and the pressure will be on Lee Johnson's team to find more consistency in the upcoming season.
The three contenders are not that far ahead of the other teams, and Motherwell seems to be the team best positioned to close the gap. Although Kevin van Veen will undoubtedly be missed, Motherwell ended the season well under Stuart Kettlewell. Kettlewell's squad is likely to continue to get better and with a full preseason to prepare under his guidance, Motherwell could be an interesting pick for the top three.
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