St Mirren vs Partick Thistle Predictions

• St Mirren are virtually through, needing only to avoid a three-goal defeat to be sure of qualifying.
• Partick Thistle need a big win and to hope that their goal difference is enough to secure a spot in the second round.
• St Mirren have won seven of their last ten home League Cup ties, including victories over Rangers and Aberdeen.

Buddies and Thistle to produce more goals

St Mirren host Partick Thistle in a Scottish League Cup group H game that will decide which one, or two, of these teams make it through to the second round.

The Buddies are sitting atop the group with nine points from three games at the moment and their plus six goal difference is also a key advantage.

Dunfermline could overtake them and move into the automatic spot if they beat Dumbarton by more goals than Jim Goodwin’s side can better Thistle by – s0 St Mirren cannot be complacent.

Especially so because a three-goal defeat to the Championship club on Saturday would put Partick into one of the top two places and put the Buddies out (potentially).

St Mirren’s home record in this competition makes us think they will be in the hat for the next phase because they have lost only once in 90 minutes across their last ten League Cup clashes at SMISA Stadium.

Wins over Rangers and Aberdeen took Goodwin’s side to the semi-finals in 2020-21, so they have a pedigree that merits respect.

Thistle have scored exactly two goals in all of their three League Cup outings so far this season and seem to have the capacity to give the Buddies a fright.

But for missed chances in their opener against Dunfermline, they could be sitting at the top of Group G going into this one, but we think they will probably just fall short.

Partick lost 4-1 to the same opponents in last season’s competition and a high-scoring repeat looks due, given the visitors need to attack, so we will take Over 2.5 goals as our main bet and 2-1 to St Mirren as a correct score play because of their fine recent home run.