Scottish Premiership newcomers St Johnstone host Kilmarnock in the season opener at McDiarmid Park as the Perth side aim a winning return.
St Johnstone arrive back in the Premiership on the back of a dominant Championship title win, finishing 11 points clear of nearest rivals Partick Thistle after losing just three league games all season. Their pre-season form has been more mixed, though - after opening their League Cup group with wins over Linlithgow Rose and Morton, Simo Valakari's side lost to Inverness and were then held by East Fife, a result that ended their involvement in the competition at the group stage.
Kilmarnock's campaign tells a different story. Neil McCann took charge in January with the club sitting two points above the relegation play-off spot, and four straight wins at the end of the season steered them to a 10th-place finish. That momentum has carried into pre-season, with Killie winning both of their warm-up friendlies before topping their League Cup group on the back of two wins and two draws, setting up a next-round tie with Ayr United.
The head-to-head picture favours the visitors of late. Kilmarnock won both meetings between these sides last season, and have taken four of the last six encounters overall, though St Johnstone do have the better record across the last ten meetings between the clubs.
Who is the Betting Favourite in St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock?
According to recent odds at Oddschecker, Kilmarnock are the betting favourites to beat St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership encounter, with an implied win probability of around 41%, while St Johnstone sit at roughly 32%.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock Team News
St Johnstone have a clean bill of health heading into their top-flight opener. Loan striker Ruari Paton is set to lead the line, backed up by an attacking trio of Sam Stanton, Logan Chalmers and Jamie Gullan, the latter having posted 11 goals and 11 assists in the Championship-winning campaign. Goalkeeper Toby Steward, on loan from Portsmouth, is in line to start between the posts.
Kilmarnock have a fully fit squad to choose from with one exception - Djenairo Daniels remains sidelined by a long-term knee injury. New arrivals Bailey Rice, on loan from Rangers, and Mark O'Hara look set to pair up in central midfield, while Aaron Tshibola, a key figure in last season's survival bid, provides options from the bench.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock Predicted Lineups
St Johnstone (4-2-3-1): Steward; Smith, Mitchell, Diabate, Foulds; Holt, McAlear; Chalmers, Stanton, Gullan; Paton
Kilmarnock (4-4-2): Stryjek; Schjonning-Larsen, Yfeko, Brown, Bowie; Ring, Rice, O'Hara, Kiltie; John-Jules, Hugill
Lineups powered by WhoScored.com.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock Match Prediction
St Johnstone mark their return to the Scottish Premiership after winning last season's Championship by an 11-point margin, while Kilmarnock arrive looking to build on a strong finish to the previous campaign that saw them avoid relegation with four consecutive wins.
The hosts have enjoyed an encouraging pre-season and will hope home advantage at McDiarmid Park gives them the edge. However, Kilmarnock finished last season in excellent attacking form, scoring 13 goals across their final four league matches under Neil McCann, and should carry confidence into the new campaign.
Recent meetings also suggest this fixture is rarely short on drama. Only one of the last 15 encounters between the sides has ended in a draw, although opinions are split heading into this clash, with some models favouring St Johnstone's home advantage while others expect the points to be shared.
Prediction: St Johnstone 1-1 Kilmarnoc
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock Bet Builder Tip
Our St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock Bet Builder Tip includes the following selections:
- Yes - Both Teams To Score
- Tyreece John-Jules Over 0.5 - Shots On Target
- Ethan Brown Over 0.5 - Shots
- Ruari Paton Over 1.5 - Shots
Best odds of 11/2 at bet365 while writing.
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