How the bookies reacted to Old Firm win

Celtic are back on top of the Scottish Premiership and edging closer to what would be a memorable title win for Ange Postecoglou and his boys. After losing three of their first six games under the new manager, the knives were out, with a growing number of critics suggesting Celtic would be lucky to finish second behind rivals Rangers, let alone challenge for the trophy. How times have changed and less than six months later, the Hoops aren’t only challenging, but they are in control.

They hit the top of the league thanks to a resounding win over Rangers in the rearranged Old Firm Derby, which was initially scheduled for New Year’s Day but was played at Parkhead a month later. Despite suffering a narrow defeat at Ibrox earlier in the campaign, Celtic tied the head to head at 1-1 for the season with a thoroughly impressive 3-0 victory. Celtic didn’t beat Rangers in the derby. They trounced the light blues, blowing the title race wide open in the process.

While an overdue win in the Old Firm Derby was welcome and sent Celts racing to the top of the league, there’s still plenty of football to be played in the coming months. The battle was won, but the war isn’t over, and you can bet those based across the city in Govan will be plotting their response. The latest soccer betting odds offered by major bookies tells the story of a race that will go right down to the wire.

Another two-horse race in Scotland

There is one point in it at present, with Celtic setting the pace on 60 points after 25 games while Rangers have collected 59 points. The Scottish Premiership is, again, a two-horse race involving Celtic and Rangers, but which team will come out on top. Will the Celts fight back from last season’s bitterly disappointing failed 10 in a row bid and the hurt that accompanied it or will Rangers, boosted by the arrival of Aaron Ramsay from Juventus and Alfredo Morelos from international duty, find the form needed to return to the summit of Scottish football?

It’s anyone’s guess at this stage, but we can take our clues from the betting and how traders working at the world’s biggest and best betting apps see this season playing out. The bookies aren’t always correct, of course. They have made some famous blunders over the years, including paying out early on Celtic winning 10 in a row, only to have to pay out winners who backed Rangers for the 2020/21 title. They won’t want to make the same mistake again and, having had their fingers burnt, sportsbooks will want to keep on top of this season’s title race.

The betting industry do get it wrong, on occasion, but it’s not often they are wide of the mark. We can get a feel for how the season is going by the movement in the Scottish Premiership betting odds. Rangers started as the bookies’ team but have oddsmakers changed sides, jumping on the Celts bandwagon following that Old Firm win or are they sticking to their original call?

Bookies make the Bhoys favourites

All major betting apps are in agreement on this one, pinning Celtic to the head of the market. They haven’t only made Celtic the league title betting favourites, they have made them firm favourites, coming down hard in support of the Hoops. All respected betting apps listed on reliable betting odds comparison sites have Celtic at odds-on. The prices at present suggest that Rangers have run their race and will now drop off, allowing Celtic to gain momentum and charge clear.

That may be jumping the gun somewhat as there’s no doubt the team from across the city will bounce back stronger for that Old Firm defeat, but will Celtic kick on from here and strengthen their position? Postecoglou doesn’t appear to be a man that would allow his team to celebrate too much until the job is done. He won’t allow his players to become complacent on the back of that famous win over the Gers. The side enjoy a remarkable winning streak, but there’s more to come from the squad. Watch this space, football fans and bettors.