Scotland were relegated from the top division of the UEFA Nations League last year and they kick off their Group B1 campaign away to Slovenia on Saturday.
Steve Clarke stepped down as Scotland manager after their disappointing group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Clarke's successor is former Monaco boss Sebastien Pocognoli and the Scots also face Switzerland and North Macedonia in their UEFA Nations League group.
Slovenia v Scotland Tips Summary
Best Bet - Draw @ 21/10
Alternative Bet - Lewis Ferguson to be booked @ 3/1
Bet Builder - Under 3 goals, Ben Gannon-Doak 1+ shots on target & Aaron Hickey 1+ fouls @ 21/4
Slovenia v Scotland Prediction
Best Bet: Draw @ 21/10
Scotland qualified for the 2026 World Cup with an unforgettable 4-2 home win over Denmark but their performance at the finals was far less memorable.
A scrappy 1-0 win over Haiti boosted their hopes of making the knockout stages before defeats to nil against Morocco and Brazil condemned them to an early exit.
Scotland's new era begins on Saturday and they are back in the second tier of the Nations League following a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Greece in a promotion/relegation play-off in March 2025.
They had competed well in League A, drawing 0-0 with Portugal and beating Croatia 1-0 and Poland 2-1 in their final three group matches.
Winning promotion from League B will not be easy as Scotland are in the same group as Switzerland, who took Argentina to extra-time in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The draw looks the best bet when the Scots travel to Slovenia in their first game under new manager Pocognoli.
Scotland are missing two of their biggest attacking threats, Scott McTominay and Lawrence Shankland, while Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko is sidelined for the hosts.
Slovenia failed to qualify for the World Cup, picking up only four points from six games against Switzerland, Kosovo and Sweden.
They struggle for goals even with Sesko leading the line and his absence suggests it will be a low-scoring contest on matchday one.
Seven of Slovenia's last nine competitive internationals were level after 90 minutes and they also drew 1-1 at home to Cyprus in a June friendly.
Alternative Bet: Lewis Ferguson to be booked @ 3/1
Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson is an influential player for Scotland and he looks a big price to be booked in Saturday's clash with Slovenia.
Ferguson has always enjoyed a midfield scrap, racking up 43 yellow cards and one red in his four full seasons with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.
He was booked five times and sent off once for Bologna in Serie A last season, despite starting only 17 games in the Italian top flight.
Ferguson regularly attracts referees' attention when he is on international duty as well.
The 27-year-old was cautioned in five of his last 10 competitive appearances for Scotland, including both legs of last year's Nations League play-off tie against Greece.
Slovenia v Scotland Bet Builder Tip
Under 3 goals
Ben Gannon-Doak 1+ shots on target
Aaron Hickey 1+ fouls
Pays 21/4
Scotland suffered 1-0 friendly defeats to Japan and Ivory Coast in March and scored only once in three World Cup group fixtures so under 2.5 goals is a good Bet Builder selection.
Ben Gannon-Doak looked bright at the World Cup, racking up four shots in two starts against Haiti and Brazil. The Bournemouth winger also scored in Scotland's last away qualifier in Greece.
Scotland full-back Aaron Hickey was booked in his only World Cup outing against Haiti and averages more than one foul per 90 minutes in his Premier League career with Brentford.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Seven of Slovenia's last nine competitive fixtures ended in draws in 90 minutes
Slovenia had only 12 shots on target in six World Cup qualifiers
Slovenia have won only one of their last 10 games
One or both teams have failed to score in six of Scotland's last seven matches
Three of Scotland's last four losses were by a 1-0 margin
Only one of Scotland's eight 2024/25 Nations League matches had over 3.5 goals
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.
