Get the latest St Johnstone vs Falkirk prediction, betting tips, and odds ahead of this Scottish Premiership clash. Explore lineups and key bet builder picks.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Match Summary
Competition | Scottish Premiership |
|---|---|
Match Date | Saturday 19 September 2026 |
Match Time | 15:00 UK time |
Venue (City, Stadium) | Perth, McDiarmid Park |
The last two Scottish Championship champions collide at McDiarmid Park as St Johnstone host Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon in Perth.
St Johnstone sit seventh with seven points from their opening six league games, and after pushing Celtic close in midweek Simo Valakari's Saints will fancy their chances on home soil.
Falkirk arrive 10th on five points, but with momentum, having claimed their opening Premiership victory of the season by beating Hearts 2-1 at home on Tuesday night.
The engine room battle looks key, with the Bairns potentially fatigued after their midweek exertions. Saints are the favourites here, and the numbers back that up.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Form
St Johnstone come in seventh in both the table and the form guide, and Valakari will want a response after a narrow single-goal defeat to Celtic at McDiarmid Park last midweek followed a 2-1 win over Hibernian. Coming back from losing positions and finishing chances are clear strengths, and striker Josh Fowler, who has scored in two of his last three outings, carries the threat up top.
Falkirk rank 10th in the standings and 10th for form, but arrive on a high after ending a run of four straight home league defeats by beating Hearts 2-1 in midweek to get off the mark in the Premiership this campaign. They are a stubborn, aggressive side who favour long balls and long-range efforts, with Jacob Murrell registering a shot on target in each of his last four Premiership outings.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Lineups & Team News
Injuries & Suspensions
St Johnstone: Jamie Gullan (Injured/doubtful)
Falkirk: Finn Yeats (doubtful), Kieran Adams (doubtful), Aidan Nesbitt (doubtful), Ethan Laidlaw (doubtful), Jay Gardner (doubtful), Calvin McLeod (doubtful)
St Johnstone
Valakari made four changes for the midweek Celtic game, with Toby Steward again in goal behind a back four of Enes Alic, Cheick Diabate, Dan Finlayson and Matty Todd. Reece McAlear and Jason Holt anchor the middle, with Joel Cotterill and Josh Campbell joining Taylor Steven behind lone striker Josh Fowler. The injured Jamie Gullan is a doubt.
Falkirk
John McGlynn named an unchanged Bairns side for the Hearts win, with Scott Bain in goal and a settled back four of Leon McCann, Liam Henderson, Lewis Neilson and Ryan Strain. Brad Spencer, Ben Krauhaus and Finley Barbrook sit in the engine room, with Ethan Ross and Owen Eames supporting Jacob Murrell. Six players are rated doubtful.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Predicted Lineup
St Johnstone
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: Steward; Alic, Diabate, Finlayson, Todd; McAlear, Holt; Steven, Cotterill, Campbell; Fowler
Falkirk
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: Bain; McCann, Henderson, Neilson, Strain; Spencer, Barbrook; Eames, Krauhaus, Ross; Murrell
Check out all the latest oddschecker Free Bets & Sign-Up Offers for St Johnstone vs Falkirk.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Key Stats & Match Facts
Josh Fowler has scored in two of his last three Premiership appearances.
Jacob Murrell has recorded 1+ shots on target in four of his last four Premiership appearances.
Falkirk have received 2+ cards in five of their last five Premiership matches.
Coll Donaldson has been carded in three of his last three appearances against St Johnstone in the Premiership.
Both Teams to Score is priced at 4/5 with Paddy Power, with a 55.69% implied probability pointing to goals at both ends.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Prediction & Best Bets
Our prediction: Saints are favourites at home and the numbers agree, with St Johnstone rated a 46.11% implied probability against 29.07% for Falkirk. A potentially fatigued Bairns side should have enough to concede in a game with goals in it. We are going 2-1 St Johnstone.
Best Bets
Danny Finlayson Over 0.5 Player Shots in the Player Shots market. St Johnstone carry genuine set-piece threat at home, giving the centre-half a real platform to get an attempt away from a corner or free-kick. With Saints favoured to win, Finlayson's chances of registering at least one shot look strong.
Ben Krauhaus in the Anytime Goalscorer market. Operating in Falkirk's attacking midfield, Krauhaus is well placed to benefit from the Bairns' emphasis on long-range shooting, and with the away side projected to score he shapes up as their likeliest source of a goal.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Bet Builder
Our three-leg bet builder backs Jacob Murrell over 0.5 shots on target, Josh Fowler to score anytime, and Both Teams to Score in what shapes up as an open contest at McDiarmid Park.
Murrell is the pick of the Falkirk attackers, having landed 1+ shots on target in each of his last four Premiership outings, making him a reliable source of an effort on Bain's opposite number.
Fowler is the Saints' main threat and has found the net in two of his last three Premiership appearances, so backing the lone striker to score anytime looks a sensible leg.
Both Teams to Score is the natural completing leg, with a 55.69% implied probability and both sides carrying attacking intent pointing to goals at either end.
Falkirk's willingness to shoot from distance and Saints' habit of finishing their chances make the combined selection an appealing, goals-based angle for this one.
At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 21/4 and is as short as 9/2 elsewhere.
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Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Talking Points
The big question is whether Falkirk have anything left in the tank. They beat Hearts 2-1 at home on Tuesday to get off the mark in the Premiership this season, ending a run of four straight home league defeats, but that midweek exertion could leave them leggy in Perth. Valakari has publicly called them a "pretty complete team", praising their pressing and composure on the ball, so Saints know the danger. The home side's edge is up top, where Josh Fowler has struck four times in his first six league games this season, and against a Falkirk defence that has picked up 2+ cards in five straight matches, St Johnstone look well set to make home advantage count.
St Johnstone vs Falkirk Predictions FAQs
When is the St Johnstone vs Falkirk Scottish Premiership game?
The match kicks off at 15:00 UK time on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Where is St Johnstone vs Falkirk being played?
The match is being played at McDiarmid Park in Perth.
What competition is St Johnstone vs Falkirk in?
The match is part of the Scottish Premiership.
What is the predicted score for St Johnstone vs Falkirk?
We are predicting a 2-1 win for St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
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