St Johnstone are back in the big time but their return to the Scottish Premiership may not be straightforward against Kilmarnock, who finished last season with four straight victories.
St Johnstone proved to be a cut above the opposition in the Scottish Championship last season, easing to the title by an 11-point margin, but life looks set to be tougher now they are back in the top flight.
An opening clash with Kilmarnock, who finished just above the play-off place last season in 10th, will be regarded as a winnable fixture if they are to extend their stay in the top flight, but the Rugby Park outfit have got themselves on a bit of a roll.
By closing the campaign with four straight victories, there should be cautious optimism at Kilmarnock and they can make a strong impression in the opening match of their league campaign.
St Johnstone v Kilmarnock Tips Summary
Best Bet - Kilmarnock draw no bet @ 5/4
Alternative Bet - Joe Hugill to score at any time @ 2/1
Bet Builder - Both teams to score, Robbie Deas to be booked and under five Kilmarnock corners @ 7/1
St Johnstone v Kilmarnock Prediction
Best Bet: Kilmarnock draw no bet @ 5/4
This looks set to be a hotly contested Scottish Premiership opener and while St Johnstone will be riding the wave of optimism following their Championship title success, don’t rule out their visitors Kilmarnock.
Killie finished 10th last season but they completed the campaign in fine fettle with four straight wins in which they scored 13 goals.
Four unbeaten games in the Scottish League Cup helped them build on that and while they scored just two goals in those matches, four clean sheets was a notable achievement.
So the Saints, who won the second tier by 11 points, are unable to take anything for granted and the visitors look worthy of support in the draw-no-bet market.
Alternative Bet: Joe Hugill to score at any time @ 2/1
Striker Joe Hugill made a decent impression at Kilmarnock after making the move from League Two Barnet in the January transfer window and he can endear himself to the Rugby Park faithful even further by finding the net in their Scottish Premiership opener.
He scored eight goals in 12 starts after making the move north and would not have wanted the season to end after scoring a brace in both of his final two games against Dundee and Livingston.
Hugill opened his account for the season by scoring the last winner in the 1-0 Scottish League Cup win over Elgin and he may not have to wait long before setting the ball rolling in the league.
St Johnstone v Kilmarnock Bet Builder Tip
Both teams to score
Robbie Deas to be booked
Under five Kilmarnock corners
Pays 7/1
There should be a strong emphasis on attacking in this game even if Kilmarnock’s four Scottish League Cup games produced just two goals.
Killie’s strong end to the campaign suggests they will push forward while the Saints will view the match as just as important in their quest for early points, so we should expect goals at both ends despite both teams’ impressive recent defensive records.
Kilmarnock defender Robbie Deas is expected to be at the heart of the action and he managed to pick up 12 yellow cards last season, so don’t be surprised if another caution comes his way in their opening league match of the campaign.
The visitors have a great chance of leaving Perth with the points, but that does not necessarily mean they will earn a host of corners.
They forced more than four in just two of their final eight away games of the last league season, winning just a solitary flag-kick on three occasions on their travels towards the end of campaign, so they may not reach five on their trip to McDiarmid Park.
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Key Match Stats
St Johnstone have kept two clean sheets in their last seven league meetings with Kilmarnock
The Saints won the Scottish Championship by 11 points last season
Kilmarnock won their final four games of the last Scottish Premiership campaign
Six of Kilmarnock’s final seven games of last season featured at least three goals
St Johnstone were unbeaten in their final 14 league games of last term
The Perth-based outfit kept six clean sheets in their final eight games on their way to the Scottish Championship title
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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.
