- St. Johnstone are the best team in the group and they travel to Linlithgow Rose as 7/50 favourites.
- Saints are on a run of 10 unbeaten across all competitions (W8, D2) after their 3-0 and 2-4 away wins over Montrose and Cove Rangers.
- Linlithgow Rose are the big minnows in the group and have won three and lost two of their last five.
St. Johnstone to be ruthless against Rose
St. Johnstone should be ruthless against the minnows in this group and are the clear favorite in the outright market at 7/50 ahead of Tuesday's visit to Linlithgow Rose.
Saints are in red-hot form, winning five on the spin after a 3-0 away win at Montrose and a 2-4 win at Cove Rangers in their last two outings (both away, both friendlies). Simo Valakari's men are a well-drilled unit after he took over as head coach on 1 October 2024 and his structure-first approach has given them a real control and edge to their play this season.
Linlithgow Rose have won two and lost five of their seven home games across all competitions, conceding 11 times in the process.
That's not to say that Linlithgow are not a well-drilled team themselves as they are and they have a simple, direct style that is very pragmatic and effective. They don't have much quality or numbers in the wide areas, instead they set up a narrow block and hit on the counter. The damage is done mostly from set-pieces, so the clash of styles should suit the Premiership side here, but the hosts can make it scrappy if they win the second balls and slow down the buildup.
Saints are ruthless on the road
Saints have turned away trips into a weapon with six wins and a draw from their seven games on their travels across all competitions, averaging 2.57 goals per game scored and only 0.57 per game conceded.
Opposing Linlithgow in this tie is a bit like going to the fair with a bucket of chips because you have to take them with you everywhere you go. The hosts are on a mixed run of form across all competitions (W4, D0, L6) and don't look up to the task against Premiership opposition. A Saints win to nil is the way to go here if they can keep the home team quiet in transition.
Over 2.5 goals is overpriced at 23/100, but there is more sense in taking BTTS at 69/100 if you fancy a game where the visitors dominate but the underdogs get some joy.
