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We're midway through August, and Celtic manager Martin O'Neill already faces a must-win match.
The Scottish Premiership champions enjoy home advantage for a UEFA Champions League play-off first leg against Austrian Bundesliga winners LASK.
Everyone connected to the Hoops know their best chance of reaching the money-spinning league phase comes from making home advantage count. Bookmakers have the Celtic win chalked up as favourite in the pre-match betting, but will they deliver the goods?
The leading sportsbooks featured on this page offer pre-match markets, odds, and free bets on Celtic v LASK.
Keep reading for three predictions inspired by the stats and trends.
Celtic v LASK betting tips
Celtic over 1.5 goals @ 4/6 (bet365)
Nygren to score @ 11/8 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Result: Celtic win
Our first Celtic v LASK betting prediction is that the home team will win.
Celtic don't have a great record in this competition and have suffered some painful defeats in qualifiers and play-offs over the years, but Martin O'Neill has them playing with belief.
The locals strengthened over the summer, meaning they are now full of energy and goals. The Premiership season is just two games old, but the Hoops have already scored six and conceded only one.
Celtic thrashed Dundee United 4-0 at Tannadice in the second round of the League Cup on Saturday. Talk about the perfect warm-up for such an important match.
In their previous home game, Celtic beat Dundee, finishing with 65% possession and 18 shots at goal. O'Neill and his coaching staff will aim for more of the same here.
The favourites will enjoy long periods with the ball, pushing LASK back, and creating chances. In attack, they have plenty of firepower, including new signings Duran and Hogh.
LASK will likely set up in a 3-5-2 formation, aiming to win the midfield battle, but the Scots have the pacey, direct wide players needed to attack the space and get balls into the box. Making LASK focus on defending their goal, rather than plotting to hit on the counter, is key to Celtic's success on Wednesday.
Tip: Celtic win @ 13/20 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Celtic beat LASK in Glasgow, you beat the bookies and secure a profit.
Team goals: Celtic over 1.5
Sticking with a strong showing from the home team, our second suggested bet is for Celtic to score more than one goal.
Unlike the previous wager, you don't need Celtic to win this match, just score more than once. A 5-1 home win pays the same as a 2-3 defeat when trusting this pick.
Why are we so confident that Celtic will score two or more goals? The stats.
In their three matches played this month, Celtic have scored a total of 10 goals, including the four in Dundee at the weekend.
LASK arrive in great form, having won all three of their league games this season, scoring nine goals. That means the visitors will be ambitious, but Celtic's form and the influence of a huge support will make the difference.
Back Celtic to keep LASK on the back foot, tire them out, create space, and score more than one goal.
Tip: Celtic over 1.5 goals @ 4/6 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Celtic to score more than one goal on Wednesday evening in the east end of Glasgow.
Anytime scorer: Nygren
My third and final Celtic v LASK betting tip comes with higher odds attached, picking Benjamin Nygren to score.
A goal inside the opening 60 seconds of play does the same job as a late and scrappy tap-in. As long as Nygren gets on the scoresheet, you'll boost your betting balance.
Nygren was Celtic's most consistent performer last season, often providing the important goals that helped turn one point into three. The attacker is talented, reliable, and has big-game experience.
Many supporters believe that the 25-year-old Swedish internationalist is destined for bigger and better things. This is the ideal game to prove it.
Nygren has played three and scored three goals this season, including a 1-0 win in Celtic's only previous home match. Will he maintain his 100% start to the season? After watching Nygren score against Sturm Graz, Feyenoord, Utrecht, and Stuttgart in the Europa League last term, we have high hopes for this bet.
Nygren played 69 games for club and country last term, scoring 22 goals. He played a part in this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Benjamin got game time against Tunisia, the Netherlands, Japan, and France, meaning he'll be much sharper than most players so early in the season.
If this match goes the way we expect it to, Celtic will pick up the ball in midfield, attack at pace, and ensure Nygren and his fellow attackers get the service needed to fire Celtic into the Champions League proper.
Tip: Nygren to score @ 11/8 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Your bet will be settled as a winner and a profit paid into your balance if Nygren scores at any time in the first leg at Celtic Park on Wednesday evening.
Celtic v LASK betting odds
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