Celtic’s Euro woes make Rangers value FA Cup pick

After being smashed 4-1 by Legia Warsaw in the Champions League punters should be steering clear of Celtic in the Scottish cup competitions this season.

Ronny Deila’s men will no doubt win the Scottish Premier League at a canter, as odds of 1/40 suggest, but their embarrassing display in Poland – Warsaw missed two penalties that could have made the score 6-1 – means punters should look elsewhere for a return from the cup competitions.

Celtic are still the evens favourites to win the FA Cup this term, with Aberdeen (7/1) second in the running.

However, with Celtic seemingly not geared up for cup football, it could pay to take the longer odds of 10/1 on Ally McCoist’s Championship favourites Rangers.

Like their Glasgow neighbours Rangers are expected to cruise to the league title this season and finally complete their long journey back to the top flight north of the border.

And what better way for the Ibrox outfit to fire a warning shot to the Bhoys for the season beyond than by claiming the country’s highest-profile cup competition?

Rangers last lifted the cup in 2009 before their well documented fall from grace but McCoist’s men will no doubt be used to winning week in and week out in the league this year; giving them plenty of confidence going into their cup ties.

Celtic, meanwhile, could have bigger things in mind, whether that’s the Champions League or Europa league remains to be seen, and as such could field a weakened side in the FA Cup.

Even if they are fully focused on the competition, however, there is a lot of work to be done before the Hoops are playing anywhere near the level required for success.

So, while Rangers can be backed at 20/1 to win the Championship without tasting defeat, the 10/1 on an FA Cup win could prove better value with the latter arguably a higher honour.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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