by
Kilmarnock and St Johnstone are locked in a four-way relegation battle in the Scottish Premiership and the draw looks the best pick when they meet on Saturday.
Who do Bettors Favor?
According to the best-rated online sportsbooks Kilmarnock is the favorite with bettors to win this one, with home advantage. Derek McInnes’ team is around Evens to win here, while St Johnstone is rated as a +285 chance and the draw has been priced up around the +225 mark.
| Kilmarnock v St Johnstone |  |
| Kilmarnock | Evens |
| Draw | +225 |
| St Johnstone | +285 |
Scottish Premier League Betting Briefing
The Scottish Premier League has a relatively unusual structure, though one or two nations around Europe have a similar season. The 12 teams in the league play one another three times before the league is split and the teams in the two halves play one another once more.
The top six play to determine the SPL winner and the European qualification tickets, although this year, Celtic has already wrapped up the league title. The bottom six play to determine which team finished bottom and faces automatic relegation, while the team that finishes next to bottom enters the Premiership playoff final where it takes on a rival from the division below, the Scottish Championship.
Kilmarnock Fighting Hard
Kilmarnock went into the post-split stage deep in trouble but scored a vital win against Livingston at the weekend. Derek McInnes’ team won 2-0 at Rugby Park, with both goals coming in the second half, and that lifted the team out of the bottom two, as it fights hard to stay in the Premiership.
It has been a long, hard season for the Killie faithful, but the team’s home form has kept it afloat. All but one of its wins has come at Rugby Park and this game represents an ideal opportunity to capitalize on that, ahead of the last two games against Ross County and Dundee United.
Currently one point outside the relegation zone, a victory here would enable it to leapfrog St Johnstone and take a huge leap towards safety, while those final two games of the season are against the current bottom two in the Premiership.
St Johnstone Has Work To Do
The tenure of Steven MacLean at St Johnstone got off to a solid start as the team beat bottom club Dundee United 1-0 in his first game. That was the first win that St Johnstone had managed in the Premiership since February, and it pulled the team clear of the bottom three.
Unfortunately, MacLean’s team slipped up against Motherwell last weekend, which enabled Kilmarnock to close the gap to just two points, and now it has plenty of work to do as it faces two games on the road, before a tricky final fixture against Livingston, which is already safe.
The good news for St Johnstone fans is that their team has a good record on the road this season despite its poor form overall. It has won six times away from home and will be confident of a good result here.
SPL Betting Head-to-Head
This is a rivalry that dates back to the 1923-24 season and it has proven to be well-balanced over the years, although the two teams have not always found themselves in the same division.
The head-to-head record shows that St Johnstone has won 18 of the last 34 meetings, going back to 2009, while Kilmarnock has 16 wins and there have been eight draws.
St Johnstone has won four of the last six games against Kilmarnock, but this season’s three previous fixtures have split evenly. The two teams took it in turns to win their two October games, but when they met again in the middle of March, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
SPL Betting Team News
Ben Chrisene is one of two long-term absentees for Kilmarnock and is still out with a knee injury he picked up back in January. The other is Innes Cameron, who has yet to take the field this year and is not likely to be rushed back into action for the remaining three games.
The team news for St Johnstone is slightly worse. It will be without its starting striker Nicky Clark until next season, as he has not recovered from an ankle injury sustained in March. Chris Kane and Murray Davidson are also likely absentees, due to knee and ankle injuries respectively.
SPL Match Betting
Given the relatively poor form of Ross County and Dundee United, both of these teams will fancy their chances of avoiding the drop, but until that is confirmed, neither can afford to ease off.
Kilmarnock’s home win against Livingston last weekend was a huge result and another game on its home turf could be ideal. Still, St Johnstone has been tough to beat on the road, and with neither side wanting to risk a defeat, this one could end up in a draw, which is the best match-betting pick.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on the SPL
Check out the best soccer betting sites below. You can enjoy the best soccer betting when you wager on the SPL with these recommended betting partners.
