Rangers have made a mixed start to life in the Scottish Third Division but they remain unbeaten in the league and their home form, as you would expect, has been formidable with three wins from three.

The Gers faithful have not let their club down in their hour of need and, amazingly, over 45,000 fans showed up over the weekend for their 4-1 hammering of Montrose.

It’s this support that the home side will need if they are to cause what would be classed as an upset against Motherwelll and it will indeed be a win for the underdog if Rangers can progress, according to manager Ally McCoist.

The former Scotland striker says ‘Well are the favourites for Wednesday night’s encounter and for good reason, with the Steelmen sitting pretty at the top of the Scottish Premier League table.

That’s a position Rangers know all too well but McCoist does still have players at the Old Firm outfit who can cause the Motherwell defence problems.

Much will rest on the fitness of midfielder Ian Black, as the home side are struggling with a few injuries to key personnel.

Top goalscorer Andy Little and former Hearts winger David Templeton are out with a foot and ankle injury respectively, so McCoist will have to shuffle his pack.

As for the visitors, manager Stuart McCall has no new injury problems following his side’s 3-3 draw with Aberdeen over the weekend.

The Motherwell boss will be looking to field a strong side, with the opportunity of a rare win at Ibrox on the cards.

However, McCall’s side looked very sloppy at the back against the Dons at Pittodrie and that will be an area Rangers will look to capitalise on.

This should be a very competitive and close encounter but, backed by their fanatical home support and against a potentially suspect defence, Rangers might just edge this one at Ibrox (10/1 – Rangers 2-1 correct score).

In Wednesday’s other Scottish League Cup encounter, Aberdeen, who will be buoyed by their late comeback against the SPL leaders, travel to East End Park to take on Dunfermline (Dunfermline 2/1, draw 12/5, Aberdeen 13/10 – Match Betting).

With Jim Jefferies at the helm, the Pars have a manager with plenty of experience in the top tier of Scottish football and his side, who sit in second place in the First Division, are capable of causing an upset.

However, the Dons who, despite playing out draws in all four of their last four outings in the SPL, have plenty of firepower and, with the likes of Scott Vernon and Josh Magennis in attack, they should have too much for Dunfirmline (2/1 – Aberdeen 2-0 correct score).

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Rangers

Kilmarnock v Rangers

Kilmarnock are charged with the task that no side has done in the SPL this season and that is to beat Rangers in a league fixture.

Although Killie have had a respectable start to their campaign, they would need their very best performance if they are to get anything out of the game.

It is hard to look further than the 1/2 available on the visitors as they look to stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven points once again.

The Gers have had an impeccable record on the road this season, winning all seven of the league fixtures. They have conceded just one goal and have scored on average more than two goals a game.

In contrast, Killie have won just two of their seven home games, in which they have failed to take advantage of playing in front of their home crowd at Rugby Road.

Their last game on home soil left their loyal supporters walking away in embarrassment as bottom-placed Inverness knocked six past them in a 6-3 defeat.

With respect to Caley Thistle, the Gers have a much stronger attacking threat than Terry Butcher’s side and are more than capable of at least repeating that feat.

Kenny Shiels is likely to have their last home game in mind and may choose to take a more cautious approach against their visitors this time around.

Ally McCoist’s men may have to be patient with regards to their first goal in the game so take Rangers to be drawing at half-time but winning at full-time at 10/3.

Once they do get the first goal though, there could be another bagful available at Rugby Park.

Nikica Jelavic looked in good form when scoring two past Dundee United earlier in the month. The Croatian striker is 10/3 to score the first goal on Sunday.

However, a safer bet would be to take him to score at anytime at generous odds of 5/6.

Jelavic is Rangers’ biggest attacking threat and if he stays on the pitch for 90 minutes you’d fancy him to find the back of the net at some stage with a defence at rocky as Kilmarnock’s.

McCoist has also been boosted with the news this week that Sone Aluko has signed a contract at the club.

Rangers agreed a compensation deal with Aberdeen for the player who left the Dons in the summer but could not sign for another SPL club without a fee.

The home side’s leading talisman is Paul Hefferman but he will have to pass a late fitness test if he is to make the starting line up against the Gers. They do have the goalkeeper Cammy Bell back in contention for selection though.

In terms of a correct score bet, Rangers 3-0 looks the most likely outcome at 8/1.

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There were few who expected Malmo to come away from Glasgow with an advantage, but Gers fans were once again ruing the name Larsson, as Daniel Larsson’s first-half goal was enough to give the Scandinavian side the narrow win.

Rangers had their chances in the first leg, with Scotland international Steven Naismith (5/1 first goalscorer) missing two gilt-edged chances to give the SPL champions a goal to take to Sweden.

The attacking midfielder has scored two already this season but could have had plenty more, with chances also going begging against Hearts on the opening day.

A goal against St Johnstone last weekend will not have done the 24-year-old’s confidence any harm ahead of this crucial Champions League qualifier, with the outcome potentially having a huge effect on Rangers’ season.

The money from the lucrative European competition is irreplaceable, especially for a club in the financial position that Rangers finds itself in these days.

It’s been a slow start for manager Ally McCoist at Ibrox after waiting till his third game in charge to secure a victory for the Old Firm outfit.

Now the former assistant manager to Walter Smith will have to continue his steep learning curve, as his side go into their uphill battle against Malmo.

The club which brought current AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic through their ranks as a youngster will have been delighted with their success in the first leg and have an important away goal to protect at the Swedbank Stadion.

Malmo are ninth in the Allsvenskan and have found the Champions League a welcomed distraction from their under-par domestic form.

However, the Himmelsblatt or Sky Blues will have their 24,000-seater stadium to themselves on Wednesday, with Rangers (5/4 SPL 2011/2012 outright) having their fans banned for the European clash following problems with reported sectarian chants in the Champions League last season, so the home side will be a tough nut to crack on Wednesday in front of a passionate home support.

Gers always have a strong following whenever they play abroad and McCoist and his men may well miss their travelling fans, on what will be a difficult night for the side, as they hope to find the form that brought them success last term.

Malmo did not just produce a smash and grab performance in the first leg and they tested Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor on a few occasions with only decent saves from the Gers No.1 keeping his side in the tie.

Brazilian centre-forward Wilton Figueiredo was a constant threat at Ibrox and could have had a couple of goals of his own, were it not for McGregor.

So, all things considered, it will be a tough task for Rangers to overturn the deficit but, man for man, the SPL champions do have a stronger squad than the Swedish outfit – if they perform to their best.

Malmo proved they fully deserve to be at this stage of qualification but, with Rangers showing promising signs of improvement against St Johnstone, McCoist’s men might just sneak their way into the group stage with an away win of their own in Sweden – although the smart money might be on them doing it via extra time.

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The former Gers striker has already learnt his new role will not be all plain sailing at Ibrox – after he saw his side held to a 1-1 draw against Hearts in the opening game of the SPL season on Saturday.

McCoist is still looking to bring fresh faces to the Glasgow outfit, with Romanian defender Dorin Goian close to completing a deal from Italian club Palermo.

The new Ibrox boss is also hoping United States midfielder Alejandro Bedoya will be able to join sooner than expected, after the 24-year-old signed a pre-contract agreement with the SPL champions.

So, after a disappointing start to the new campaign, attentions will have to quickly turn to Tuesday night’s game in Europe.

The Champions League has become more important than ever to teams in Scotland, with only one side being able to qualify for the lucrative competition each year.

With the financial trouble at Ibrox, they will be desperate to qualify for the tournament this year but first they will have to get past Malmo in their third qualifying round clash.

The Swedish outfit managed to see off HB Tórshavn in the last round but have not been in the best form in their domestic league competition in recent weeks, with only one win in their last five games.

Malmo, who sit in eight place in the Allsvenskan table, will have their work cut out for them when they face the Scottish Champions.

The inexperience of the Malmo squad could be an issue in this upcoming clash, with the average age of the squad at just over 23-years-old, a Champions League qualifier could be one of the biggest games many of these players will have featured in.

However, what will stand Malmo in good stead is the fact they are in the middle of their domestic season whilst the weather is good in Sweden.

Although the SPL campaign has started earlier than ever before, Rangers (11/8 SPL 2011/2012 outright) are still finding their feet in competitive football after the summer break and could be caught out cold if their Scandinavian opposition can take an early advantage.

Malmo will be determined to be in the contest when the two sides meet at the Swedbank Stadoin in the return leg on August 3 and will look to put men behind the ball and catch Rangers on the break.

Even through Gers did not look as sharp as they could have been against Hearts, with the likes of Steven Davies, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic in their ranks they should still have enough attacking threat to secure the win and put one foot in the competition for real.

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Rangers

Walter Smith’s Gers have been left in pole position to retain the title after Celtic lost 3-2 at Inverness in their game in hand last week to keep them a point at the summit.

Rangers showed no signs of nerves at the weekend as they thrashed Hearts 4-0 at Ibrox, while Celtic (2/1 Outright) kept the pressure on with a 2-0 win at Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Rangers will have the advantage of trying to open up a four-point gap this week against Dundee United, before Neil Lennon’s Hoops face a trip to Hearts on Wednesday.

Therefore it is imperative that they don?t blow a big opportunity, but United arrive full of confidence having picked up a shock 3-2 win at the same venue just over a month ago on April 2 (66/1 Dundee United 3-2 Correct Score).

But the Gers exacted revenge with a 4-0 win at Tannadice later in April and have an awesome overall record against their opponents with 56 wins from their 85 meetings so they will no doubt be feeling like they have the upper hand.

Rangers, who are also in an eight-match unbeaten run, will be lifted for the game by the news Craig Whyte has completed his takeover to boost their finances going into the future.

United arrive in buoyant mood following Saturday?s comprehensive 4-0 win against Motherwell and they know a second successive win at Ibrox will keep alive their hopes of pipping Hearts to third place finish and a Europa League spot for next season.

Boss Peter Houston knows that if Rangers win the SPL and Celtic win the Scottish Cup then the Terrors would get European football courtesy of a fourth-placed finish.

But he wants his side to do it for themselves by bouncing back from two straightaway-day defeats and re-enacting their display at Ibrox last month.

“We got rid of some silly mistakes, defensively we were solid,” Houston said.

“In the middle of the park I thought Scott Robertson and Morgaro Gomis bossed it, and Jon Daly scored the perfect hat-trick with left foot, right foot and header.”

Both sides have plenty to play for but Rangers? need for the points is greater and there really can be only one winner at Ibrox on Tuesday.

Prediction: Rangers Home 90 Minutes @ 2/9

Value Bet: Jelavic 1st Goalscorer Rangers Win 2-0 Scorecast @ 12/1

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Gers can go four points clear of their arch rivals before Celtic make their trip to Kilmarnock in Sunday’s only game in the SPL.

The Ibrox club are on an unbeaten run of seven games in the league and go into Saturday’s game against Hearts (Match Betting – Rangers 1/3, draw 7/2, Hearts 8/1) on the back of a 5-0 thrashing of Motherwell last weekend.

Kyle Lafferty, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic were all amongst the goals against ‘Well, as the trio continue to cause problems for defences north of the border.

As for Hearts, they have struggled to pick up wins in recent weeks as they have drawn their last five games in the SPL.

The Edinburgh club have had an impressive season, and have looked like the only side that can really challenge the Old Firm.

Manager Jim Jeffries has worked wonders at Tynecastle and his side will have a big say in where the SPL title will be heading, as they face both the Glasgow giants before the end of the campaign.

Despite the great strides Hearts have made this season, Rangers are full of confidence and should pick up all three points at Ibrox this weekend.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen have endured a disappointing season and they will want to end with a flourish, starting with their game against St Johnstone (Match Betting – Aberdeen 23/20, draw 9/4, St Johnstone 9/4).

The Dons pulled off a narrow 1-0 victory over Inverness in their last outing, which has eased and worries of being drawn into a relegation battle.

Saints sit just two points above Aberdeen in the table and they were relieved to finally break their goal drought in the 2-1 win over Hibernian last Saturday. The Perth side had failed to score since early March but goals from Liam Craig and Kevin Moon against Hibs put an end to the embarrassing goalless streak.

This should be a fairly even game between these two sides and a draw would not be a surprise result.

Dundee United host Motherwell on Saturday as the visitors look to bounce back from that heavy defeat to Rangers (Match Betting – Dundee Utd 4/5, draw 13/5, Motherwell 3/1).

Motherwell came out 2-1 victors in this fixture at Fir Park back in April and look like they will complete a quick-fire double over United, who have been inconsistent in recent weeks.

Hamilton will be looking to keep their slight hopes of avoiding the drop alive, when they host Hibernian on Saturday (Match Betting – Hamilton 17/10, draw 12/5, Hibernian 6/4).

The Accies are making a good fight of it at the bottom of the table, with Hamilton currently on a three-game unbeaten run. With Hibs struggling for results in recent weeks, Hamilton could bag another three points and keep their hopes of survival alive.

Finally, Inverness will still be on a high after their victory over the Bhoys in the week, as they look towards their clash with St Mirren (Match Betting – Inverness 10/11, draw 12/5, St Mirren 11/4).

Saints have not won in their last four games and will find life difficult at the gateway to the Highlands, with Inverness strong favourites to collect maximum points.

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The Gers’ assistant boss Ally McCoist will also be able to patrol the touchline after winning his appeal against a charge of misconduct following his altercation with Hoops boss Neil Lennon in the same game.

It is a timely boost for Walter Smith’s side, who travel to face the Dons knowing three points are a must to keep the pressure on Old Firm rivals Celtic (4/9 SPL Outright) in the battle for the SPL crown this season.

Rangers (13/8 Outright) could trail Celtic by five points going into the game should the Hoops win at St Johnstone on Tuesday (21/20 Celtic and Rangers Win Old Firm Double Enhanced Multiple), while a shock defeat for Lennon’s men would give the Gers top spot to aim for.

However, despite Richard Foster being ineligible to play under the terms of his loan agreement, Kris Broadfoot, Lee McCulloch and Vladimir Weiss all missing due to respective foot, knee and foot problems, the visitors will fancy their chances of victory.

Rangers have won three and lost just once in their last six away games so go into the match in good shape on the road, despite the recent shock 1-0 home defeat against Dundee United at Ibrox.

Craig Brown’s side have endured a miserable season and they will probably go into the game with one eye firmly on this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final showdown against Celtic.

The Dons chief also has a myriad of injury problems to contend with as defender Rory McArdle and striker Scott Vernon are definitely out and there are serious doubts over David McNamee, Zander Diamond, Derek Young and Nikola Vujadinovic.

Captain Paul Hartley was pulled out of a game at Cove Rangers on Monday and he might have to play some part, despite not being 100% fit.

The Dons lost their previous home game 1-0 to Hibernian on Saturday, while they have won three and lost two of their last six on home soil.

Therefore, the onus is clearly on Rangers to focus fully on securing maximum points against an under-strength and under-performing Aberdeen outfit that is also distracted by a big day out at Hampden Park on Sunday.

There can and will be only one winner in this contest!

Prediction: Draw/Rangers Half Time/Full Time @ 3/1
Value Bet: Diouf & Rangers 2-0 Scorecast @ 22/1

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Rangers

The former Fulham and Aston Villa man was forced to leave the field towards the end of the Gers 3-2 win at Aberdeen on Sunday.

Walter Smith revealed afterwards that Davis had picked up a “slight hamstring” problem and that the medical team will asses him before the visit of the Turkish side to Ibrox.

The Gers boss admitted: “With that type of injury, you would say he must be very doubtful for Wednesday’s game.”

Davis’ absence would be a big blow to the SPL champions, who also have other injury concerns ahead of the Group C clash (Rangers 10/3 To Qualify).

Right-back Steven Whittaker had to be replaced by Kirk Broadfoot at Pittodrie after suffering a bang to the head.

The Glasgow giants will go into the game full of confidence though, having made a 100 per cent start to the domestic campaign and drawing 0-0 at Manchester United (1/2 To Win Group C) in their opening group game in the Champions League.

Sunday’s win over Aberdeen put Rangers back on top of the league table because they have scored more goals than rivals Celtic.

One of the main reasons for that advantage over the Hoops is Kenny Miller (Evs to score at anytime v Bursaspor), who has scored in every league game so far this season.

The ex-Wolves and Derby frontman, who has yet to pen a new deal at Ibrox, believes he is in the form of his career.

Miller said: “To get off to a flyer and score 10 goals in the first six league games and, not just that, to score in every game, is obviously pleasing.

“For me, it is about putting myself in the right position and hopefully taking the chances.”

Miller has rejected one contract offer from the Gers but remains in talks over a new deal, with the striker saying “things will iron themselves out in good time.”

Meanwhile, manager Smith insists that there is “a willingness from all the parties” to agree terms and is hopeful the 30-year-old will remain at Ibrox.

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