Sponsored content, GambleAware, 18+
We dive into the stats, analyse the odds, and break down the teams as we look at some potentially savvy bets for the Scottish Cup final.
Aberdeen v Celtic, Saturday, 15:00 BST
After two preliminary rounds followed by seven mroe rounds, the Scottish Cup has reached its culmination with the final. On Saturday, May 24th at 3pm, Aberdeen will take on Celtic at Hampden Park, both teams dreaming of lifting the oldest existing trophy in football.
Below, we look at three potential bets you could make on the final and give our opinion on where to, or where not to, place your money.
Winner
The odds are heavily stacked in favour of Celtic. The Bhoys won the Scottish Premiership in April, adding to the League Cup they had already won in December. A win against Aberdeen on Saturday would gift them a domestic treble, the sixth domestic treble they would have won in the past nine seasons and their third Scottish Cup in a row.
They have beaten Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers, Hibernian and St Johnstone on the way to the final, scoring 14 goals and only conceding one. Not only has their performance in the cup so far been unblemished, but they have also not lost in their last seven games, one of which was against Aberdeen on May 14th, where Celtic won 5-1.
Aberdeen, on the other hand, come into this game losing their last four matches, scoring only two goals; not great form to take into a final. Then, when you add in their form this season against Celtic, it makes for even harsher reading. The two have met five times so far, and Celtic have won four with one draw. Since that 2-2 draw in October, Celtic have won 6-0, 1-0, 5-1 and 5-1.
Bet365 have Celtic down at 1/3 to win at full time, and this is where we would put our money.
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Celtic are winning at full time.
Scorer
There is one player who stands head and shoulders above all in the Scottish Cup scoring charts, and that is Celtic’s Daizen Maeda. The man from Japan has scored seven goals in Celtic's four wins, putting him four clear of second in the standings.
He scored one against Kilmarnock, a hat-trick against Raith Rovers, one against Hibernian and two against St Johnstone to make it seven. Against Aberdeen, Maeda has five in four games but only scored in the 6-0 and the first 5-1, not playing in the most recent 5-1 game.
The odds have him down as a likely scorer, coming in at 4/5, and we think his hot streak in the Scottish Cup could continue.
Tip: Daizen Maeda to score Anytime @ 4/5
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Maeda scores at any time in the match.
Goals
It has been a high-scoring fixture between the Dons and Bhoys this season, with 23 goals in five games, averaging at 4.6 goals per game. Celtic have scored an absolute hatful in the league, averaging just under three per game, whereas Aberdeen have an average of 1.27 per game.
It seems like the game is pointing towards goals, and that makes logical sense based on the previous statistics. Over 2.5 goals in the game is at 1/2 on bet365, with over 3.5 at 6/5. There is a bet to be made for sure; however, the fact that it is a final changes the complete complexion of the game.
In two recent finals seen - the FA Cup between Crystal Palace and Manchester City, and the Europa League between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United - both went against what the scoring guide would suggest. This season, Palace and City scored a combined 11 goals in two games against each other, with Spurs and United scoring a combined 11 in three games. Both finals finished 1-0.
Finals can change teams massively, and the unpredictability of this one game means that not betting on that would be the suggestion this time.
Tip: No bet
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.