Rangers saw their seven-match winning run come to an end at Dundee last weekend but they will expect to bounce back when St Johnstone head to Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
After a sticky start to the season under Derek McInnes, which included an ignominious European exit, Rangers appeared to find their feet with a seven-match winning run.
However, that sequence ended at Dens Park last weekend, as a second-half Callum Jones goal meant the Gers had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
That leaves McInnes' side second in the Premiership standings, but with leaders Celtic not in action until Sunday, they can close the gap on their Old Firm rivals to a solitary point with a victory.
St Johnstone will not make life easy for Rangers, with the visitors having impressed following promotion back to the top flight last season.
Simo Valakari's side lie fifth in the standings and have momentum behind them, losing only one of their last six games.
Rangers v St Johnstone Tips Summary
Best Bet - Rangers to win by one goal @ 3/1
Alternative Bet - Under 2.5 goals @ 7/4
Bet Builder - Rangers to win to nil, Djeidi Gassama 3+ shots, Josh Fowler 1+ shots on target & Ruari Paton 1+ shots @ 6/1
Rangers v St Johnstone Prediction
Best Bet: Rangers to win by one goal @ 3/1
Rangers had developed a handy winning knack prior to their draw with Dundee, although they had hardly been blowing their opponents away.
Five of their seven victories during their winning run were by a solitary goal and a lack of cutting edge in the final third has made it difficult for the Gers to put teams away.
The Glasgow giants have scored just 13 goals in their nine Premiership games, 10 fewer than Celtic and seven less than third-placed Hearts.
St Johnstone will prove stubborn opponents for Rangers, with all nine of the Saints' league matches this season either being drawn or decided by just one goal either way.
The visitors' record against Rangers is poor, they have lost each of the last nine head-to-heads and are winless in 12 at Ibrox since a 3-1 success in December 2017.
That poor run is unlikely to be improved upon this weekend, but the Saints can keep this competitive and another edgy one-goal win for Rangers could be on the cards.
Alternative Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ 7/4
If this game is to be decided by one goal, then the likelihood is it will not be high scoring, which has been a theme of recent meetings between the pair, with seven of the last nine head-to-heads featuring a maximum of two goals.
Rangers' tally of 13 league goals is underwhelming, but they have been keeping things tight at the back, conceding just seven times, a record only bettered by Celtic.
St Johnstone have both scored and conceded 11 goals in their nine games, but that tally is enhanced considerably by their 4-3 win over Kilmarnock on the opening weekend of the season.
Since then, six of the Saints' eight games have gone under 2.5 goals - the other two saw only three scored - and their last four matches have finished either 1-0 or 1-1.
Expect a cagey encounter at Ibrox, with goals likely to be at a premium.
Rangers v St Johnstone Bet Builder Tip
Rangers to win to nil
Djeidi Gassama 3+ shots
Josh Fowler 1+ shots on target
Ruari Paton 1+ shots
Pays 6/1
Rangers may not be scoring as many goals as they would like, but it has not been for the want of trying, particularly on the part of winger Djeidi Gassama.
Only Hearts forward Claudio Braga has had more efforts on goal in this season's Premiership than Gassama's total of 33, with the Mauritania international firing off at least three shots in six of his last seven league games.
At the other end, St Johnstone's main goal threat will come from Josh Fowler, who is the joint leading scorer in the league, netting six of his side's 11 goals.
Fowler has scored in his last two games and while that run may end at Ibrox, he can at least trouble the target.
Like Fowler, Ruari Paton has had 12 shots this season, 11 of which have come in his last six games.
The Irishman is not quite as accurate as his fellow forward, scoring just once, but expect him to keep firing off efforts, even if opportunities in the final third are limited.
While Saints do boast a threat in the final third through Fowler and Paton, Rangers will back themselves to not only win, but keep a clean sheet for the fifth time in their last six home fixtures.
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Key Match Stats
- Rangers have won their last nine meetings with St Johnstone by an aggregate score of 18-1
- St Johnstone are winless on their last 12 visits to Ibrox, a run that stretches back to December 2017
- Rangers are on a six-match winning run on home soil, keeping four clean sheets during that time
- Six of Rangers' last eight victories in all competitions have been by a one-goal margin
- All nine of St Johnstone's league matches this season have been decided by a maximum of one goal
- Only Hearts' Claudio Braga (36) has had more shots in this season's Premiership than Rangers winger Djeidi Gassama (33)
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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.
