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Ian Crocker and Andy Walker's Scottish Premiership Predictor

26/11/17 BETFRED CUP FINAL .. MOTHERWELL v CELTIC.. HAMPDEN PARK - GLASGOW .. Celtic's Moussa Dembele (centre) celebrates his penalty.

Graeme Murty is on the hunt for his first win as permanent Rangers boss against Motherwell on Wednesday after losing 2-1 to Kilmarnock in his opening game as manager.

While Brendan Rodgers will be hoping Celtic, who sit eight points clear of the Scottish Premiership, can build on their impressive 3-0 win over Aberdeen when they travel to Dens Park to play Dundee in the early Boxing Day kick-off.

Hibs can extend their lead over fifth-placed Hearts to eight points with a win at Tynecastle Park on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football. The hosts remain unbeaten in their previous six games with Neil Lennon's side only avoiding defeat once in their last three games.

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Watch the action from Saturday's Scottish Premiership matches including- Motherwell v Dundee; Partick Thistle v Hamilton Accies and St Johnstone v Hearts.

Kilmarnock will be full of confidence heading into the festive period - their win over Rangers ensured they continued their run of five games unbeaten. They head to Hamilton on Wednesday night, who have struggled in recent weeks, dropping nine points in their last four games..

Ross County are struggling at the bottom of the league - their last win came back in mid-November with a 3-2 victory over Motherwell. They will aim to change that record when they host seventh-placed St Johnstone on Wednesday night, the visitors have won three time in their last six.

Second-bottom Partick Thistle head to Pittodrie as they look to climb the table on Wednesday night, with Aberdeen looking to bounce-back after their loss at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Dundee v Celtic - Boxing Day 12.30pm

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Andy Walker - Dundee 0-2 Celtic

Key player - Moussa Dembele

Will he stay or will he go in January transfer window? Brighton have held talks with Celtic over the French striker.

Ian Crocker - Dundee 1-2 Celtic

Key player - Moussa Dembele

Must be time for the Frenchman to start firing again, he is without a goal in his last four games.

Opta Stats -

Dundee have gone 27 matches without a victory against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership (D5 L22); in fact, the Dee have won just one of their 39 matches against the Hoops in the competition (D7 L31), a 2-0 victory at Celtic Park back in May 2001.

Celtic are unbeaten in their 18 trips to Dens Park in the Scottish Premiership (W13 D5), conceding more than one goal on just one occasion whilst keeping nine clean sheets in the process.

This will be the second Scottish Premiership meeting between these sides on Boxing Day, with the only previous occasion coming in 2012, a 2-0 Celtic victory at Dens Park.

In fact, Dundee haven't won on Boxing Day in the Scottish Premiership since 2000, a 3-0 win away at Motherwell; they have lost all three such matches since then.

By contrast, Celtic have failed to win only once in 11 Scottish Premiership games on Boxing Day, a 2-2 draw at home to Dundee United in 2006. They have scored 26 goals in those 11 fixtures and conceded just seven.

Scott Sinclair has been directly involved in more goals than any other player in the Scottish Premiership this season (12 - eight goals and four assists).

Aberdeen v Partick Thistle - Wednesday 7.45pm

Andy Walker - Aberdeen 2-0 P Thistle

Key player - Ryan Christie

Aberdeen missed his creativity against Celtic.

Ian Crocker - Aberdeen 3-1 P Thistle

Key player - Ryan Christie

 Aberdeen's Ryan Christie celebrates his equaliser against Ross County at Pittodrie last weekend, one of his two goals in the 2017/18 Premiership.
Image: Aberdeen's Ryan Christie celebrates his equaliser against Ross County at Pittodrie last weekend, one of his two goals in the 2017/18 Premiership.

Couldn't play at Celtic so must be raring to go.

Opta Stats -

Aberdeen have won six consecutive top-flight matches against Thistle and have scored 10 goals in their last two league games against them; in fact, Aberdeen are enjoying an 11-match unbeaten run against Partick Thistle in the division (W9 D2), with their last defeat coming back in February 2014 (1-3).

Thistle have failed to score in six of their last seven trips to Pittodrie in the Scottish Premiership (D3 L4).

Gary Mackay-Steven has been directly involved in each of Aberdeen's last four goals in the Scottish Premiership (three goals and one assist).

Six of Partick Thistle's last seven goals in the competition have been scored inside the first 30 minutes of games.

Hamilton v Kilmarnock - Wednesday 7.45pm

Andy Walker - Hamilton 1-1 Kilmarnock

Key Player - Darian McKinnon

Strong influence in Accies midfield, they keep picking up points to steer clear of relegation trouble.

Ian Crocker - Hamilton 1-1 Kilmarnock

Kris Boyd celebrates scoring against Hearts at Murrayfield
Image: Kris Boyd celebrates scoring against Hearts at Murrayfield

Key Player - Kris Boyd

Scoring like the old days!

Opta Stats -

The Accies have gone six matches without a top-flight victory against Kilmarnock (D3 L3), their joint-longest run (also six matches between September 2010 and February 2015; D4 L2).

Killie are unbeaten in nine Scottish Premiership trips to Hamilton (W4 D5), conceding just two goals in their last seven visits.

Four of the Accies' last five league goals on home soil have been scored in the 70th minute or later.

Kris Boyd has netted five of Kilmarnock's last six goals in the Scottish Premiership, although only one of those strikes came away from home.

Hearts v Hibernian - Wednesday 7.45pm - live on Sky Sports Football

Andy Walker - Hearts 1-2 Hibs

Key Player - Olli Shaw

Always great to see someone coming through the youth ranks, Shaw won't be fazed by the occasion.

Ian Crocker - Hearts 2-2 Hibs

Key Player - Kyle Lafferty

Proved his appetite for a big game against Celtic.

Hearts match-winner Kyle Lafferty celebrates at full time against St Johnstone
Image: Hearts match-winner Kyle Lafferty celebrates at full time against St Johnstone

Opta Stats -

Hearts have lost three of their last six top-flight matches against Hibs (W3) having previously gone 13 matches unbeaten (W7 D6).

Hibs have won just one of their last nine trips to Tynecastle Park in the Scottish Premiership (D2 L6), failing to score in seven of those matches.

David Milinkovic netted a brace on his last outing in the Scottish Premiership (v Celtic), and has been directly involved in each of Hearts' last three goals in the competition (two goals and one assist).

Anthony Stokes has scored in each of his last two league appearances for Hibernian - he hasn't scored in three in a row in the Scottish Premiership since August 2014 (for Celtic).

Rangers v Motherwell - Wednesday 7.45pm

Andy Walker - Rangers 2-1 Motherwell

Key Player - Declan John

Signed on a permanent deal now from Cardiff, John can play in defence or midfield.

Ian Crocker - Rangers 2-1 Motherwell

Key Player - James Tavernier

Declan John in action for Rangers
Image: Declan John in action for Rangers

Sometimes the best option to make things happen.

Opta Stats -

Rangers are unbeaten in 38 matches against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership (W28 D10); in fact, the Gers have lost just three of their 54 top flight matches against Motherwell (W40 D11), with their last defeat against the Steelmen coming back on Boxing Day in 2002 (0-1).

Rangers are unbeaten at Ibrox against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership (W24 D4), failing to score in just one of the 28 matches played there in the competition; however, the Steelmen have held Rangers to a draw in two of their last three such visits.

Alfredo Morelos has netted three goals in his last four Scottish Premiership appearances, with two of those coming at Ibrox.

Craig Tanner has been directly involved in three goals in his last four games in the competition, scoring twice and assisting another.

Ross County v St Johnstone - Wednesday 7.45pm

Andy Walker - Ross County 1-0 St. Johnstone

Key Player - Ryan Dow

County need players like Dow to start producing a better level of performance to get them out of trouble.

Ian Crocker - Ross County 0-0 St Johnstone

Key Player - Steven McLean

Intelligent player to watch and may be due a start.

Opta Stats -

Ross County have won just one of their last eight Scottish Premiership matches against St. Johnstone (D3 L4), failing to score in three of the last five.

St. Johnstone have won their last four league trips to Ross County, scoring eight goals and conceding just three.

Craig Curran has found the net three times in his last four outings in the Scottish Premiership, although Ross County lost each of the three games he scored in.

Six of St Johnstone's last seven goals in the Scottish Premiership have been scored away from home.

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