The pressure is mounting on Dundee United in Scottish League Cup Group B and they cannot afford any further slip-ups when they welcome Arbroath to Tannadice Park on Saturday.
Jim Goodwin's team are yet to convince in this season's competition, following up a nervy 1-0 win over Stirling Albion - a result only achieved thanks to Zac Sapsford's 93rd-minute penalty - with last weekend's loss by the same scoreline against third-tier Montrose.
That means the Terrors are facing an uphill battle to top the group and secure an automatic place in the knockout stages, with Arbroath one of the teams hoping to capitalise.
The Championship outfit have only played one match in the competition so far, claiming a 2-1 win at The Spartans, leaving them and Montrose as the only teams in the group still boasting 100% records.
Dundee United v Arbroath Tips Summary
Best Bet - Dundee United to win @ 11/20
Alternative Bet - Under 2.5 goals @ 11/10
Bet Builder - Goals range - 1-2, Half Time/Full Time - Draw/Dundee United & Dundee United to win 1-0 @ 12/1
Dundee United v Arbroath Prediction
Best Bet: Dundee United to win @ 11/20
United ended last season poorly, picking up only two points from their final four games, and their disappointing form has carried over into this term following their narrow win over Stirling and defeat to Montrose.
Those results don't tell the whole story, however, as the Scottish Premiership side fired off 38 shots across the two games, hitting the target with 13 of those efforts.
Manager Jim Goodwin has also spoken about integrating new signings into the team - there were five involved against Montrose - and he will be hoping there is a bit more cohesion about his side on Saturday.
Arbroath hardly pulled up any trees against The Spartans, relying on a late Ryan Flynn goal to seal the three points, and their recent record against Dundee United is poor to say the least.
The teams last met during the 2023/24 Championship season, with Dundee United winning all four of their head-to-heads by an aggregate score of 17-0.
While the final result may not be quite as emphatic on Saturday, the host's top-flight quality should shine through as they look to get their season firmly up and running.
Alternative Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ 11/10
United failed to score in three of their final four matches of last season and finding the back of the net has been a concern in their opening two League Cup contests.
Their only goal against either League Two Stirling or Montrose of League One came from the penalty spot.
Goodwin will be desperate to find more attacking rhythm from his side, as defensively they have limited their opening two opponents to a combined five shots, only two of which were on target.
Arbroath were the joint-lowest scorers in the top half of the Championship last season, netting just 43 goals in 36 games, and they have failed to score in their last five competitive meetings with the Terrors.
The Red Lichties most recently got on the scoresheet against Saturday's opponents in February 2020, which was also the last time they recorded a victory in the fixture.
With both sides lacking an attacking edge, this meeting is unlikely to be one packed full of goals.
Dundee United v Arbroath Bet Builder Tip
Goals range - 1-2
Half Time/Full Time - Draw/Dundee United
Dundee United to win 1-0
Pays 12/1
Four of the Tangerines' last five competitive fixtures have featured either one or two goals - the only one that didn't ended goalless - and a similar total is expected when Arbroath head to Tannadice.
Patience may be the key for Goodwin's hosts, who have only scored one first half goal since April and failed to break down either Stirling or Montrose in the first half of their League Cup clashes.
With United struggling for form, particularly in the attacking third, they may struggle to break Arbroath down early on, with the visitors likely to adopt a defensive approach knowing a draw would be a decent result.
The hosts may, therefore, need to wait until the second half before they finally break the deadlock but one goal may be all that is required.
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Key Match Stats
Dundee United have only won one of their last six matches across all competitions
The Terrors have scored with just one of their 38 shots in this season's League Cup
Arbroath opened their League Cup campaign with a narrow win at The Spartans
Dundee United have won each of their last five meetings with Arbroath
The four Championship clashes between the sides during 2023/24 were all won by United by an aggregate score of 17-0
Arbroath's last victory over Dundee United was a 1-0 Championship success in February 2020
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
