Kilmarnock boss Neil McCann accepted most of the blame for Sunday's heavy home reverse against Celtic and will be hoping his side can give their fans a lift by disposing of Ayr United in the Scottish League Cup on Friday evening.
McCann insisted he asked his players to be too open and adventurous as Kasper Hogh scored a first-half hat-trick for the champions on Sunday and the Bhoys ran out 5-1 winners.
Killie also leaked goals alarmingly in their first two Scottish Premiership games and that should give Championship outfit Ayr some hope visiting Rugby Park.
Kilmarnock v Ayr United Tips Summary
Best Bet - Kilmarnock to win & Both teams to score @ 12/5
Alternative Bet - Correct score: Kilmarnock 3-1 Ayr @ 12/1
Bet Builder - Kilmarnock to win & Both teams to score in the 1st half @ 7/1
Kilmarnock v Ayr United Prediction
Best Bet: Kilmarnock to win & Both teams to score @ 12/5
Killie boss McCann told the press "that's on me" in the wake of Sunday's 5-1 defeat to Celtic, before adding: "I'm not a guy who takes a step backwards."
That suggests we can expect more of the expansive approach from Kilmarnock that has seen 13 goals scored across their opening two games in the league.
McCann felt that his side were taking the fight to Celtic on Sunday before the Hoops' second goal after 33 minutes. They fashioned six shots on target and might well have scored before Michael Schjonning-Larsen's consolation goal on 56 minutes.
Ayr have won five of their six games this season, scoring in all of them. They can continue that trend, but perhaps a first reverse of the campaign is looming in this Rugby Park derby.
Alternative Bet: Correct score: Kilmarnock 3-1 Ayr @ 12/1
This is the first competitive meeting of these Ayrshire rivals since a 3-1 success for Killie at Somerset Park in the Championship in March 2022. They've had one friendly win each since then.
A repeat of that scoreline is forecast now. Ayr have been in good scoring form, with 13 so far in six league and cup games this season.
Kilmarnock lost 4-3 at St Johnstone despite scoring three times on the opening weekend before coming unstuck against Celtic.
Despite that result, boss McCann appeared content with lots of things his side did and their quality should ultimately come to the fore now, with Tom Lowery and Aaron Tshibola capable of pulling the strings in midfield.
Kilmarnock v Ayr United Bet Builder Tip
Kilmarnock to win
Both teams to score in the 1st half
Pays 7/1
Killie have won four of the past five derbies at home, the most recent of those a pre-season friendly last summer.
There were positives despite the nature of the scoreline against Celtic and they also scored three on the road at St Johnstone in their Premiership opener.
There have been five first-half goals in those two games.
Ayr have scored five first-half goals in three games recently, with both sides netting in the opening 45 minutes in their weekend 1-1 draw with Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park.
These Ayrshire rivals can get off to a quick start before McCann's side make their superiority tell.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
These two sides have met six times competitively since 2014, with two wins for Ayr and four for Kilmarnock
The last Ayrshire derby draw came in a League Cup semi-final in 2012, with Killie winning 1-0 after extra-time
Both teams have scored in the last three of the last four meetings, averaging 3.25 goals per game
Killie have conceded nine goals in two Scottish Premiership games this season
Ayr won all four group games in the League Cup last month and are unbeaten in two Championship matches
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
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.
