- Motherwell have lost their last 5 fixtures.
- St. Johnstone have conceded an average of 1.0 goals in the last 5 head-to-heads in Perthshire, while Motherwell have averaged 1.0 on their travels in that time.
- Josh Fowler has scored 4 of St. Johnstone's 4 goals in their last 5 matches.
Saints’ solidity and Steelmen’s struggle on the road points to home win
Motherwell beat St. Johnstone 1-0 on their trips to McDiarmid Park in the League Cup 2025, so they have recent positive memories of this venue. However, the hosts are much improved in 2026-2027 and have much more about them than the visitors in this one.
Simo Valakari has his St. Johnstone side drilled to defend with a compact, flexible back four that can deal with any kind of system and it is clear from their results that the Saints have become an awkward team to break down. They come into this game after a decent 1-0 away win against Aberdeen and a 1-1 draw at home to Dundee United, so they'll be bringing some momentum to the pitch.
This won't be a run-away game for St. Johnstone as Motherwell, who have lost five on the spin, will be trying to play through pressure. They counter-press very well and their coach Alfred Johansson, who took over on 1 July 2026, backs a possession-heavy, rotation-driven approach. However, they are a work in progress and may need time to get used to playing with the ball.
Johansson’s men have a leaky backline on the road
Motherwell have won once, drawn once and lost three away in the Premiership 2026-2027 and their form book does not look good here. In fact, they've lost 3 of 5 away, so St. Johnstone, who are 5th with 12 points from 9 games, look a better bet than their 61/50 odds here, compared to Motherwell's 41/20 and draw 49/20.
Motherwell are 10th with eight points from nine games and they have conceded ten goals in five away games this term, so they have real issues at the back on the road. Johansson has the right ideas, but the Steelmen's results have been poor of late, with away defeats at Dundee FC and Kilmarnock and a home loss to Celtic in their last five.
St. Johnstone have won twice, drawn twice and lost once in that run, which is a solid set of results at McDiarmid Park, where they have a sturdy base (2-2-1). It is a good time to play Motherwell and a St. Johnstone win is likely, but the odds are against that and the clash of styles suggests a cagey affair, so an alternative angle is Under 2.5 goals at 19/20.
