St. Mirren host St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday 8th August, with a 3pm kick-off at the SMiSA Stadium.
This is round two of the 2026-27 campaign, and it pits an established top-flight side against a promoted one still finding its feet at this level. The game has not been selected for live broadcast in the United Kingdom, so the Paisley crowd will have this one to themselves. Can St. Mirren make home advantage count against newly promoted opponents?
We have gone through the card and picked out the two selections we like most, followed by a full predictions table and a score prediction. For more of our football tips, the wider run of markets is broken down across the site.
Premium Tips
St. Mirren are 6/5 favourites with bet365 to take the points, with St. Johnstone out at 2/1 and the draw priced at 12/5. These are the two bets we like most ahead of kick-off.
| Premium Tip | Odds | Why we’re backing it |
|---|---|---|
| Killian Phillips to score anytime | 4/1 (VirginBet) | Craig McLeish has pushed Killian Phillips into a more advanced role since taking charge in Paisley, and the tactical switch is already paying dividends. The Irish midfielder operated just behind striker Eseosa Sule against Falkirk on Saturday and constantly threatened the home defence. Phillips registered five shots, four of which hit the target, and scored twice in an outstanding attacking display. He also made several dangerous runs that teammates failed to pick out, so he could easily have completed a hat trick. Given his new role and increased goal threat, the 4/1 on Phillips to score anytime looks overpriced. |
| Both teams to score | 7/10 (William Hill) | St. Mirren and St. Johnstone both kicked off the new Scottish Premiership season with impressive victories. St. Mirren won 2-0 away at Falkirk, while the newly promoted Saints marked their top flight return with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Kilmarnock. Both sides should arrive full of confidence and will fancy their chances of building on those results. That could make for an open contest, so backing both teams to score at around 7/10 looks the standout play. |
18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware — gambleaware.org · Odds correct at time of publishing.
How St. Mirren go into the game
St. Mirren finished 11th last season on 34 points, so this is a side that knows the level without ever threatening the top half. The numbers point to a functional rather than free-scoring outfit: 30 goals in 38 games, and 55 conceded at the other end, a defensive record that will need tightening if they are to climb.
There is encouragement in the underlying work, though. St. Mirren carved out 51 big chances across the campaign, a healthy return that their modest goal tally did not reward, so sharper finishing is the obvious room for improvement. The forward line has been reshaped over the summer, with Jonah Ayunga, Jake Young and Eseosa Sule the names in the frame to lead it at the SMiSA Stadium.
How St. Johnstone go into the game
St. Johnstone arrive as an unknown quantity. Promoted from the Championship, they have no 2025-26 Premiership data to lean on, which makes them the hardest side in this fixture to price with any confidence. Simo Valakari’s side won their way back up, but the top flight is a different examination altogether, and we have deliberately steered clear of tipping a St. Johnstone player when there is no recent top-flight output to back it up.
What we can say is that St. Johnstone are no strangers to this fixture. The two clubs met regularly in the Premiership until the Perth side went down, and the head-to-head is closer than St. Mirren’s favouritism implies. The visitors will fancy a positive start on the road; the question is whether Championship momentum survives the step up in class.
St. Mirren vs St. Johnstone head-to-head
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/02/25 | St. Mirren | 0-1 | St. Johnstone |
| 14/12/24 | St. Johnstone | 2-3 | St. Mirren |
| 30/10/24 | St. Mirren | 3-1 | St. Johnstone |
| 24/02/24 | St. Mirren | 2-0 | St. Johnstone |
| 06/12/23 | St. Johnstone | 1-0 | St. Mirren |
St. Mirren have the edge in recent meetings, winning three of the last five league games between the sides, with St. Johnstone taking the other two. The clubs have not met in the Premiership since February 2025, before St. Johnstone were relegated, so both will look a little different this time around. Notably, three of those last five meetings produced three goals or fewer, and only two saw both teams score.
St. Mirren vs St. Johnstone predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mirren to win | 6/5 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Home advantage and the stronger top-flight pedigree make the hosts the pick against promoted visitors. |
| Killian Phillips | 4/1 (Virgin bet) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Craig McLeish has deployed Killian Phillips in a more advanced role since taking charge in Paisley, and after the Irishman scored twice from five shots, including four on target, against Falkirk while threatening a hat trick, the 4/1 on him to score anytime looks overpriced. |
| Under 3.5 goals | 1/3 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Three of the last five meetings between these sides produced three goals or fewer, and a cagey opening points the same way. |
| Both Teams To Score – Yes | 7/10 (William Hill) | ⭐⭐⭐ | St. Mirren and St. Johnstone both opened the Scottish Premiership season with confidence boosting wins, and with the hosts beating Falkirk 2-0 and the newly promoted Saints edging Kilmarnock 4-3, another open game looks likely, making both teams to score at around 7/10 the standout bet. |
| Correct score: St. Mirren 2-1 | 15/2 (bet365) | ⭐⭐ | If the hosts edge it as we expect, a game where both teams can find the net. |
Who will take the points?
St. Mirren carry home advantage, the better recent head-to-head record and the more settled squad, but St. Johnstone will not have travelled simply to sit back. We expect a tight, low-scoring afternoon settled by a few moments of quality, with the hosts just about doing enough. Score prediction: St. Mirren 2-1 St. Johnstone.
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