Rangers can win the Premiership title this season...

[ian1964 10,409]

Rangers value for title glory

 

Gavin McGrane thinks Rangers are worth backing for title glory as they return to the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership this season.

 

Celtic are still heavy odds-on shots for the title despite Rangers' return to the top flight. I still think the defending champions are rightful favourites but I won't be rushing to back them at 2/7. Rangers have played a fluid and exciting brand of football in the Betfred Cup (the revamped Scottish League Cup) in the last few weeks and I think they could run Celtic very close, especially if the rumours of more exciting arrivals ring true. I'll back them at 3/1 and expect a good run for my money.

 

A little further down the table, Dundee have impressed me with their transfer business despite losing Kane Hemmings to the riches of Oxford United and Sky Bet League One. Danny Williams and James Vincent have both been excellent for Inverness over a number of seasons and will add real impetus to the Dundee frontline. The Hemmings sale could be a blessing in disguise as it may allow Paul Hartley some financial breathing room as Rangers test the water for their other star striker, Greg Stewart. If the Dens Park outfit are able to stand firm on that one I'd expect them to be challenging for the top three.

 

It's a potential minefield trying to pick out a top scorer from the Hearts squad as their starting forward line has been muddied by a number of handy acquisitions. My pick of those, however, is Tony Watt who has arrived on loan from Charlton following a couple of years in the wilderness. Scottish football followers will remember his famous winner against Barcelona in the Champions League while playing for Celtic. Since then he's been to Belgium and back via Cardiff and Blackburn with varying degrees of success and arrives at Tynecastle with a serious point to prove. Dogged by largely unfounded accusations of a bad attitude, this Hearts team feels like a perfect fit and if he can stay fit and in the side he could easily fulfil the promise of those early years.

 

Much is being made of the battle between Hibernian and Dundee United for the title this season and maybe even a cameo from Falkirk but I'm looking at another former Premiership stalwart in St Mirren. Alex Rae made a steady if unspectacular start to his tenure following the short reign of Ian Murray but they improved slowly but surely throughout the season and I think that the good work done, combined with some very shrewd signings, could be about to bear fruit. John Sutton and David Clarkson are excellent strikers at this level. In another life they could both still be plying their trade in the Premiership and if they can fire up a partnership early on then the double-figure prices quoted on the Paisley side could look very silly indeed.

 

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/2/10516458/scottish-premiership-football-betting-tips-for-new-season