Rangers vs Celtic Odds & Prediction – Scotland Premiership August 29

• Rangers host Celtic on Sunday, August 29th at 7:00 AM EST in the fourth round of the Scottish Premiership
• Sunday marks the 426th Old Firm Derby, a head-to-head match that Rangers have won 166 times and Celtic have won 159 times, while the sides drew on 100 occasions
• Get the odds, our analysis and betting prediction below

After just three matchdays in the Scottish Premiership, fans are being treated to a classic Old Firm Derby at the Ibrox Stadium on Sunday. The match, played between Rangers and Celtic, both of Glasgow, is one of football’s oldest, most historic and most fierce rivalries.

Across 426 meetings between Rangers and Celtic, the Gers have a slight advantage, with just seven more wins. That statistic alone, emulates just how close this derby truly is. Nonetheless, in the last decade Celtic have held the majority of the bragging rights.

Rangers vs Celtic Odds

Odds as of Aug 27 at DraftKings

As Rangers faced liquidation in 2012, they were forced to go into the bottom tier of Scottish football. After four years of clawing their way back, Rangers spent two years finishing in third place and two more years finishing as second-fiddle to Celtic. Finally, ten years after their triumph in 2010-11, Rangers won their first Scottish Premiership last summer under Steven Gerrard.

After finally lifting silverware, it is safe to say this Scottish rivalry is back at its peak. However, both Rangers and Celtic have not found the beginning of the new campaign to be going quite as smoothly. Each side has lost a game in the Scottish Premiership, while also not having the best of performances in European qualifying. Nonetheless, after a few days of rest, we all should still be in store for a cracking Old Firm match, especially with fans in the ground!

Covid to Have Major Impact on Rangers’ Dressing Room

In Rangers’ final Europa League qualifying match against Alashkert on Thursday evening, they managed to draw 0-0, pushing them through to the group stage.

However, Gerrard’s side had to do so with an extremely rotated side, one that did not even include the gaffer. This is because there has been a major Covid outbreak within the team, leaving several stars sidelined. In fact, Gerrard and six of his players are still self-isolating, with no sign of who will be available come Sunday’s kick off.

Rangers will take Covid-19 guidance before they know who will be available for Sunday's Old Firm clash against Celtic, according to Gary McAllister.

— Sky Sports (@SkySports) August 27, 2021

Gary McAllister managed the team in Armenia and might even have to do so this weekend. Clearly, this is a major disadvantage for Rangers, a team that has won five out of the last six head-to-head matches against Celtic.

On top of this crisis, Rangers simply have not started the season off at the levels they were at last year. In 2020/21, the Gers did not lose a match and only drew six times. So far in the new campaign, Gerrard’s side has already lost in the Scottish Premiership to Dundee United and suffered multiple defeats at the hands of Malmo, abroad.

With that being said, if Rangers do have more players available for Sunday, then they surely have the quality to beat Celtic. The likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Glen Kamara are all massive impact players that would be a threat against mostly anyone in Europe.

Kyogo Furuhashi is the X-Factor for Celtic

Furthermore, even though Rangers have their disadvantages in this match, Celtic have their back up against the wall as well. Not only do they have to travel to what will be a full, and raucous Ibrox Stadium, but they have to do against a side that has just had their number as of late.

Gerrard and his players seemed to have cracked the code on Celtic last season. In turn, it will take a lot of effort and even some luck to overturn that title result from last season.

Rangers vs Celtic Scottish Premiership Statistics

Still, in these massive derbies, games are often decided by a dynamic players who love the spotlight, or through just silly errors. For Celtic, the player that could change the game for them is Kyogo Furuhashi. The Japanese international already has seven goals in just eight games at the club so far.

Celtic are through to the #UEL group stage off the back of another Kyogo Furuhashi goal 🍀
 
Stan Sport, the New Home of UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League & UEFA Europa Conference League. pic.twitter.com/7rgUvtG6hO

— StanSportAU (@StanSportAU) August 26, 2021

The 26 year-old forward did pick up a slight knock against AZ Alkmaar in the midweek. His presence or absence in this match could define the result for Celtic.

Rangers vs Celtic Best Bet

Overall, the best bet in this match is the Rangers moneyline with odds of +165. I do think Rangers get Gerrard and some players back for Sunday, and in front of a full Ibrox crowd, it is hard to see them falling at the hands of their rivals.

Pick: Rangers moneyline (+165)