The Aberdeen v Rangers rivalry resumes on Tuesday night in front of the TV cameras and our props column has a player card bet which looks overpriced.
Aberdeen v Rangers
Tuesday 18 January, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event
This column doesn’t dip into the Scottish Premiership too often but there’s good reason to on Tuesday night as the season’s resumption gathers pace.
Leaders Rangers will bid to reopen their six-point gap at the top but they will be fully aware that a trip to Pittodrie is never easy.
They’ve only won on five of their 10 visits since their return to the top flight and while a 50% success rate would be great in many leagues, it isn’t in this one for a member of the Old Firm.
A big factor behind that statistic is the rivalry between the clubs, one which has simmered constantly since Neil Simpson’s infamous tackle on Ian Durrant in 1988. Youngsters – look it up on YouTube. On second thoughts, don’t – it’s horrific.
The matches between the sides are usually pretty spicy, with cards aplenty.
The referee here is Kevin Clancy, who is showing over 4.3 cards per game this season – well above the Premiership average.
The Aberdeen fans love nothing more than a victory over the Gers and this will be the first clash at Pittodrie in front of a crowd since the pandemic began which should add a little something extra.
So which card bets looks good here?
Well, former Celtic star Scott Brown has been carded in 25 of his 50 matches against Rangers so has to be considered.
On the Rangers side, Alfredo Morelos has seen a card in seven of 14 appearances against the Dons. They include three reds.
However, the man I’m siding with for a card is Aberdeen’s Lewis Ferguson.
The tough-tackling midfielder is a player who has got sucked into the frenzied atmosphere in the past and has racked up seven cards in 14 games for the Dons against Rangers. Throw in a game for Hamilton and it’s eight in 15.
The 22-year-old has already received a card in seven of his 18 league games this season, figures which suggest a 39% chance – slightly above what the odds of 13/8 make it.
Throw in that excellent card history in the fixture, plus the rivalry, and it’s a price which looks decent.
For those seeking something bigger, creating a Bet Builder along with Morelos and/or Brown makes plenty of sense.
Source: BetFair Tips
