Celtic's start to the Scottish Premiership suggests they will be hard to knock off their perch as they prepare for a trip to St Johnstone on Wednesday night.
The Bhoys have returned the maximum 15 points from their first five matches, leaving them three points clear of second-placed Hearts and a further two in front of St. Mirren (third) and Rangers (fourth).
As for St Johnstone, they have won two, lost two and drawn one of their opening five games to sit in seventh position heading into this difficult visit from the reigning Scottish Premiership champions.
St Johnstone v Celtic Tips Summary
Best Bet - Celtic to win and both teams to score @ 7/4
Alternative Bet - Hyun-Jun Yang to score or assist @ 21/20
Bet Builder - Over 10 corners, Reece McAlear to be booked & Camilo Duran anytime goalscorer @ 15/2
St Johnstone v Celtic Prediction
Best Bet: Celtic to win and both teams to score @ 7/4
Winners of the Scottish Championship last season, Saints have made a solid start on their Premiership return, collecting seven points from five matches.
A 2-1 win at home to Hibernian on Sunday snapped a three-game run without a victory, while it also means they have scored at least once in seven of their nine fixtures this season.
Defence is the area of concern for the Saints, who have conceded eight goals in the league to leave just Hibs (nine), Dundee United (11) and Kilmarnock (14) with worse records.
St Johnstone's weak backline looks set to be exposed by a Celtic side who are the leading scorers in the division with 13 and have netted twice or more in four of their five league assignments.
But the Bhoys have also looked fragile in defence and Saturday's 2-1 win at St. Mirren means they have conceded in three of their last four outings in all competitions.
St Johnstone can trouble the reigning Scottish champions and a goal is anticipated for the hosts, but Celtic have too much firepower and they can claim another three points, just as they have done in 15 of their last 16 visits to McDiarmid Park.
Alternative Bet: Hyun-Jun Yang to score or assist @ 21/20
While the likes of Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh have been stealing the headlines for Celtic, the performances of Hyun-Jun Yang have not gone unnoticed and he can impress again.
The South Korea international has scored in each of his last two games and also registered an assist in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round loss to LASK.
It means Yang has three goal involvements in his last four matches and he looks capable of adding to either his goal or assist tally in Perth.
St Johnstone v Celtic Bet Builder Tip
Over 10 corners
Reece McAlear to be booked
Camilo Duran anytime goalscorer
Pays 15/2
Six of Celtic's seven games this season have produced more than 10 corners and there looks to be a strong chance this contest against St Johnstone will go over that mark.
Reece McAlear has committed at least three fouls in his last four Scottish Premiership appearances and his affinity for getting stuck in could see him pick up his second booking of the season, having been cautioned in the Scottish League Cup in July.
Duran has enjoyed a sensational start to his Celtic career, scoring six goals and registering three assists, and his impressive performances will reportedly see him handed a first senior call-up for Colombia in the upcoming international break.
The 24-year-old can celebrate this news by notching for the seventh time this term.
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Key Match Stats
St Johnstone have scored in seven of their nine fixtures this season.
The Saints are unbeaten at home in normal time in their last 11 matches.
Celtic have started off their Scottish Premiership title defence with five wins in a row.
The Bhoys are on a six-game winning run away from home on the domestic stage.
Camilo Duran has nine goal involvements in eight games for Celtic.
Celtic have won five of the last six meetings against St Johnstone.
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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.
