Scottish Premiership: Title race, top-six battle & who goes down?

We’re into the final match before the Scottish Premiership split and there is still plenty to decide right across the top flight.

Celtic now have a commanding six point lead over defending champions Rangers in a title race that looked set to go into the final rounds of the season.

Hearts are on course to finish third, however, fourth to 10th are separated by just four points as clubs battle for European football and a top-six spot.

At the bottom, St Johnstone’s win over Livingston sees them move six clear of Dundee who are at the foot of the table but can Callum Davidson’s side catch those above?

Here, we assess the main battles from across the top flight and look at the fixtures that matter until the end of the season…

The table…

The fixtures…

Title race

Rangers returned from the winter break with a six-point advantage over Celtic. However, Ange Postecoglou’s side are now six points ahead of their rivals with six games to go.

Sunday’s Old Firm win at Ibrox could have been a title-defining result for Celtic as the maintained their unbeaten run which now stands at 26 league matches.

Conversely, their rivals struggled for consistency after Boxing Day. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side dropped seven points in their first four games back which saw Celtic leapfrog them in the table.

They have had a series of impressive results in Europe, but domestically they saw their unbeaten home record ended by their biggest rivals as hope of retaining the title slipped a little further.

The pride of being crowned champions will be more than enough for supporters, but this season’s Premiership title comes with an even bigger prize. A place in the Champions League is all but guaranteed. With that comes a cash injection of GBP30m and rising.

There’s now no margin for error for Rangers over the coming weeks if they are to have any hope of catching an impressive Celtic side.

Celtic

Position: 1st
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 2.46
Current league form: WDWWWW
Next league fixture: St Johnstone (h)
Title Sky Bet odds: 1/20

Rangers

Position: 2nd
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 2.28
Current league form: DDWWWL
Next league fixture: St Mirren (a)
Title Sky Bet odds: 8/1

Top-six battle

While Hearts are set to finish behind the Old Firm, it is anyone’s guess who will seal the fourth European spot and the remaining top-six places.

Dundee United, Motherwell, Hibernian, Ross County, Livingston, Aberdeen and St Mirren are separated by just four points, so who will finish in the top half?

Hearts

Position: 3rd
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.68
Current league form: LWWDWD
Next league fixture: Hibernian (h)
Top six Sky Bet odds: Betting suspended

Dundee Utd

Position: 4th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.25
Current league form: DDLDWD
Next league fixture: Dundee (h)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 1/6

Motherwell

Position: 5th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.21
Current league form: DDLDLW
Next league fixture: Livingston (a)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 5/2

Hibernian

Position: 6th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.18
Current league form: WDDDLD
Next league fixture: Hearts (a)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 4/9

Ross County

Position: 7th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.15
Current league form: LWWWLD
Next league fixture: Aberdeen (a)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 11/4

Livingston

Position: 8th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.15
Current league form: DWWLLL
Next league fixture: Motherwell (h)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 8/15

Aberdeen

Position: 9th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.12
Current league form: DDLLWD
Next league fixture: Ross County (a)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 6/4

St Mirren

Position: 10th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 1.12
Current league form: LLLWLL
Next league fixture: Rangers (h)
Top six Sky Bet odds: 7/1

Who could go down?

Dundee – under new manager Mark McGhee – find themselves in the unenviable position of being bottom following their return to the Premiership this season.

The Dens Park club are now six points behind St Johnstone, whose manager Callum Davidson believes securing survival would match last season’s historic League Cup and Scottish Cup double.

Finishing 11th is the minimum aim for both teams, but a tricky relegation play-off final – live on Sky Sports – would still lie in store.

St Johnstone

Position: 11th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 0.93
Current league form: WLLDWW
Next league fixture: Celtic (a)
To finish bottom Sky Bet odds: 15/2

Dundee

Position: 12th
Games played: 32
Points Per Game: 0.75
Current league form: LDDLLD
Next league fixture: Dundee United (a)
To finish bottom Sky Bet odds: 1/16

The pre-split games coming up live on Sky Sports

Further dates, kick-off times and television details to be confirmed – all fixtures subject to change.

Sunday April 10

St Mirren v Rangers – Kick-off 12 noon