Scotland v Israel betting tips: World Cup qualifying best bets and preview
Scotland look to continue their push for World Cup qualification when they host Israel on Saturday. Jake Osgathorpe is backing them with his best bet.
Football betting tips: World Cup qualifying
1pt Scotland to win and Under 3.5 Goals at 6/4 (Mansion Bet)
After qualifying for, and being competitive in, Euro 2020, Scotland are in a decent position to give themselves a chance of making it to the 2022 World Cup.
They sit second in Group F on 11 points, one clear of the team they play on Saturday, Israel.
This game represents an excellent opportunity for Steve Clarke's men to grab second place with both hands, with a win moving them four clear of their closest rivals with just three games to play.
Kick-off time: 17:00 BST, Saturday
TV channel: Sky Sports Premier League
Scotland 10/11 | Draw 11/5 | Israel 3/1
The Tartan Army had a fruitful September international break, losing to runaway leaders Denmark before beating Moldova and Austria by 1-0 scorelines.
Scotland have picked up where they left off at the end of Euro 2020 - unfortunate to finish bottom of Group D according to expected goals, ranking as the second best team based on expected points (xPoints) and expected goal difference (xGD).
Those performances highlighted the improvements the Scots have made under Clarke, and to my mind they have separated themselves from teams that we used to say were at the same level - like Israel.
Defence has been their main strength under Steve Clarke, with goals being hard to come by, with that meaning they stay in a lot of matches against better opponents but struggle to beat lesser sides as comfortably as some of their counterparts.
Their goal records tell the story, with Scotland scoring five and conceding four in six Nations League matches, and netting nine while allowing five in their World Cup qualifying campaign - with four of those coming in one game against the Faroe Islands.
Israel arguably pack more of a punch in attack than Scotland, a 5-2 win over Austria in the last break a good example, so expect the hosts to again revert to type and play defence-first, controlled football.
Given they have home field advantage and a better team and set-up, I'm liking the look of SCOTLAND TO WIN AND UNDER 3.5 GOALS.
Seven of Scotland's last 10 wins in normal time have seen Under 3.5 Goals, while 15 of their last 19 internationals have featured fewer than four goals.
Scotland v Israel best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Scotland to win and Under 3.5 Goals at 6/4 (Mansion Bet)
Score prediction: Scotland 1-0 Israel (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)
Odds correct at 1545 BST (06/10/21)
More from Sporting Life
- Fixtures, results and live scores
- Expert xG analysis and features
- Transfer news and done deals
- Football and other sports tips
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.