Kilmarnock host champions Celtic at Rugby Park on Sunday 9th August at 1.30pm, and we have picked out our Scottish Premiership predictions, best bets and odds for a Matchweek 2 examination of the title holders.
Celtic begin the defence of their crown on the road and bet365 make them 4/11 favourites to leave Ayrshire with all three points. Kilmarnock, 10th last season, are a 5/1 shot on home soil, with the draw on offer at 18/5.
It is a familiar early-season assignment for both sides, and you can find more selections across the weekend in our football tips hub. Below, we run through the numbers before landing on our two best bets and a full predictions table.
Premium Tips
Anthony Eadson has run the rule over the Rugby Park opener and settled on two selections with bet365. Here are our best bets for Kilmarnock vs Celtic.
| Premium Tip | Odds | Why we’re backing it |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Nygren to score anytime | 7/4 (with Sky Bet) | With Daizen Maeda moving on over the summer, Nygren is now the main man in the Celtic front line. The Swede top-scored with 16 league goals last season and looks the likeliest source of a goal here, so a shade over evens looks a fair price against a Kilmarnock defence that shipped 68 goals in 2025-26. He also found the net in Celtic’s 1-0 win over Dundee last weekend and can continue his good start to the campaign here. |
| Tyreece John-Jules Over 1.5 Fouls | 4/5 (with BetMGM) | Tyreece John-Jules committed 4 fouls in Kilmarnock’s 4-3 defeat to St. Johnstone last weekend and looks good value to give away two or more against Celtic on Sunday. Last season he averaged 1.9 fouls per 90 minutes, and with other firms having this selection priced around 1/2, the 4/5 looks a standout offering. |
18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware — gambleaware.org · Odds correct at time of publishing.
How Kilmarnock go into the game
Kilmarnock started the new campaign off the back of a steady 10th-placed finish in 2025-26, a season in which they scored 50 goals but conceded 68 – numbers that point to a side who can hurt opponents going forward but who leak too many at the other end.
Rugby Park has at least been a tougher stop for Celtic than most away days. Kilmarnock scored in three of their last four home league meetings with the champions, including a 2-3 defeat last February in which they led 2-0 at half-time before being pegged back. Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill, both eight-goal men last term, carry the main threat if the hosts are to spring a surprise.
How Celtic go into the game
Celtic were worthy champions again in 2025-26, finishing on 82 points with 73 goals scored and only 41 conceded. Even with Maeda gone, this remains comfortably the strongest squad in the country, with Benjamin Nygren, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate back in the engine room and Kieran Tierney a familiar face at the back.
The champions have won eight of the last 10 meetings with Kilmarnock, scoring 30 goals along the way, and they start as warm favourites to make it a winning start to the defence. The only question is whether they can shut the door completely at a ground where Killie have troubled them before.
Kilmarnock vs Celtic head-to-head
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/02/26 | Kilmarnock | 2-3 | Celtic |
| 09/11/25 | Celtic | 4-0 | Kilmarnock |
| 14/09/25 | Kilmarnock | 1-2 | Celtic |
| 12/04/25 | Celtic | 5-1 | Kilmarnock |
| 10/11/24 | Kilmarnock | 0-2 | Celtic |
Celtic have had the better of this fixture by some distance, winning each of the last five league meetings and eight of the last 10 overall. Kilmarnock’s most recent victory came back in December 2023, though they did push the champions close at Rugby Park last season.
Kilmarnock vs Celtic predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic to win | 4/11 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | The champions have won each of the last five league meetings and start as heavy favourites on the road. |
| Over 2.5 goals | 1/2 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Celtic’s firepower against a Kilmarnock defence that conceded 68 last season points firmly towards goals. |
| Benjamin Nygren to score anytime | 20/21 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Now the focal point of the Celtic attack with Maeda gone, and a 16-goal man last term. |
| Both teams to score | 4/6 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Kilmarnock have found the net in three of their last four home games with Celtic. |
| Kilmarnock 1-2 Celtic | 15/2 (bet365) | ⭐⭐ | A tight-ish away win in keeping with the recent Rugby Park meetings. |
Kilmarnock vs Celtic score prediction
Celtic will not have it all their own way at a ground where Kilmarnock have caused them problems before, but the gulf in quality is stark and the champions should have too much in the end. We can see Killie getting on the board without doing enough to trouble the visitors. Score prediction: Kilmarnock 1-2 Celtic.
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