St Johnstone v Kilmarnock betting odds

Dec 4 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE respective playing records of St Johnstone and Kilmarnock since they met at Rugby Park six weeks ago explain the clear reasoning behind bookmakers' odds ahead of their league duel at McDiarmid Park tomorrow.

Killie have lost all four of their matches since beating Saints 2-1 at the end of October, during which time they've scored once and conceded ten goals. By contrast, St Johnstone have won three and drawn one of their five subsequent contests, a record which accounts for their status as Jaxx.com's 11/10 favourites to claim maximum points tomorrow.

Kilmarnock, priced as Partybets' 9/4 outsiders, have yet to record a victory in six away games this term, a run that has seen them find the next only once. It's a statistic which adds appeal to Sportingbet's 3/1 for the Saints to win when kicking off with a one goal deficit and to Victor Chandler's 6/4 odds for the home side to hold the lead when disappearing for their half time cuppa.

On paper, it's a match that St Johnstone should dominate, though as they showed against Hamilton last week, they have a frustrating tendency to draw games they should win. For this reason, Betdaq's 12/5 odds posted against the match draw have proved popular, as has bet365's 4/1 chalked in favour of both halves finishing with honours even.

However, more bullish punters clearly expect St Johnstone to condemn Killie to a fifth consecutive defeat, an outlook which accounts for the support given to Stan James's 1/2 price for the home side to win in the firm's 'draw no bet' market where stakes are returned in the event of a stalemate. Those attempting to hedge their bets have been drawn to Ladbrokes' 7/2 for St Johnstone to emerge victorious following a drawn first period, while others anticipating another close encounter clearly appreciate Betfred's 6/1 posted against a 1-0 home win.

Following his strike last week, Felipe Morais is a 9/1 shot with Boylesports to open the scoring tomorrow and punters expecting at least one more can get 15/2 (Victor Chandler) against the Saints running out as 2-0 winners.

*Odds supplied by Betrescue.com