- Team form: St. Johnstone have won eight of their last ten matches in all competitions.
- Opponents form: Kilmarnock have won four of their last five matches in all competitions.
Saints and Killie set to serve up an intriguing encounter
Saints look to have the momentum to carry into the Premiership in 2026-2027 as they have won eight of their last ten competitive matches, but Kilmarnock are even hotter, having won nine of their previous ten. Killie will make this a tough game for Saints.
St. Johnstone have won three and lost two of their last five fixtures to leave their form a little muddied. Simo Valakari has fashioned his Saints team into a ball-dominant unit that presses high and switches between back-three and back-four systems depending on the game.
They won 1-0 at home to Hamilton Academical before a 0-0 away draw at Peterhead that led to a penalty shootout defeat in the League Cup. Ruari Paton has been their main spark with three goals in those five games, while the Saints have struck ten.
Killie can hold up their end at McDiarmid Park
Form and management
Kilmarnock have opened the Premiership with a win and a draw, beating Hamilton Academical 1-0 at home and drawing 0-0 away with Peterhead. Neil McCann was appointed on 6 January 2026 with the brief of getting this club organised, confident and winning games, which is exactly what they have done.
Tactics and prediction
A close tactical battle is on the cards here, but our selection is St. Johnstone to avoid defeat at a narrow odds-on price. Head-to-head history, which slightly favours Kilmarnock, also pushes us in that direction with the visitors having won two of the last three meetings and two of their three visits to McDiarmid Park.
- Killie look to be a compact, direct and dangerous team on the break under McCann, with set pieces and wide delivery their most obvious weapons.
- Greg Kiltie has been their end product, having scored two of their five competitive goals this term, but they are a team that can make things happen in the attacking third.
BTTS looks best for goals
St. Johnstone are a good team that can get a move on if they want to, so Valakari's men will attempt to control the middle of the field and hit Killie on the counterattack. This could develop into a high-energy affair, but the goals markets make Under 2.5 at 2.0 and Both Teams to Score Yes at 1.65 look better.
St. Johnstone have scored 3.33 and conceded two per game at McDiarmid so far this term, which would be a fair result for both teams in this contest.
