A comprehensive guide to the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership, covering title favourites Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, and key odds.
Last updated:The 2026/27 William Hill Premiership kicks off on 31 July 2026, marking the 130th edition of Scotland’s top flight. Twelve teams, including promoted St Johnstone, will compete over 38 matches, while Livingston face relegation. With Celtic targeting a sixth consecutive title, this preview details the main championship contenders alongside key betting markets.
The Race for the Title: The Three Main Favourites
The outright winner market for the Scottish Premiership is always a major talking point. This season, the focus is squarely on three clubs that provided a dramatic title race last year.
Celtic (Title Odds: 5/6)
Celtic head into the 2026/27 season as the clear favourites to lift the trophy once again, priced at 5/6 to win the Scottish Premiership. The Glasgow club is defending a remarkable run, having secured their fifth consecutive league title on the very last day of the 2025/26 season. That victory was sealed with a vital 3-1 home win against Heart of Midlothian. Under the guidance of their experienced manager, Martin O’Neill, Celtic has the squad depth and the winning knowledge required for a long campaign. Their status as the frontrunners is based purely on their recent dominance and their ability to perform under high pressure when the season reaches its final weeks.
Rangers (Title Odds: 13/10)
As Celtic’s traditional and most fierce rivals, Rangers are the second favourites to win the league, closely priced at 13/10. The club from Ibrox is determined to close the gap and stop Celtic’s consecutive streak. Over the summer, Rangers made a significant change by bringing in Derek McInnes as their new manager in June 2026. McInnes brings a wealth of Scottish football experience and is tasked with building a squad capable of sustaining a title challenge across all 38 matches. The close odds suggest that the market views Rangers as a very real threat to Celtic, rather than just an outside challenger.
Heart of Midlothian (Title Odds: 13/2)
Heart of Midlothian, commonly known as Hearts, enters the season as the third favourite with odds of 13/2. While they are priced slightly further back than the two Glasgow giants, Hearts proved last season that the traditional two-club script is no longer guaranteed. They spent an incredible 250 days at the top of the table during the previous campaign, turning the league into a genuine three-way title fight. Now managed by Wouter Vrancken, who was appointed in late June 2026, the Edinburgh club remains a very serious contender. Their strong performances have earned them a great deal of respect, making them a wildcard team that cannot be ignored in the championship conversation.
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An Overview of Other Key Markets
Beyond the main title race, there are several other interesting markets that provide a broader picture of how the 2026/27 season might unfold.
Top Goalscorer
The race for the top goalscorer is always highly anticipated. Currently, Lawrence Shankland leads the market at 7/2. He is closely followed by Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren at 11/2. Rangers’ forward Youssef Chermiti is priced at 7/1, while Camilo Duran stands at 15/2. Tawanda Maswanhise and Claudio Braga are both available at 8/1.
To Finish Bottom of the Table
At the other end of the league, the battle to avoid relegation is expected to be extremely tight. Three clubs currently share the lowest odds to finish at the bottom: Dundee, the newly promoted St Johnstone, and St Mirren are all priced at 4/1. Kilmarnock and Falkirk are also firmly in the mix to struggle, both standing at 9/2. This suggests a highly competitive lower half of the table, where every single point will be crucial for survival.
Top 6 Finish
After 33 matches, the Scottish Premiership splits into a top six and a bottom six. Unsurprisingly, Celtic (1/1000) and Rangers (1/750) are almost certainties to make the top half, followed closely by Hearts at 1/8. Hibernian (1/3), Aberdeen (1/2), and Motherwell (11/10) are also strongly expected to finish in the upper half of the league, showcasing who the stronger teams are expected to be before the split occurs.
Trophy Multiples
For those looking at domestic dominance, the Trophy Multiples market looks at teams winning more than one competition. For Celtic, winning both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish League Cup is priced at 9/4, while winning the Premiership and The Scottish Cup is 5/2. For Rangers, the odds of winning the Premiership and the League Cup stand at 4/1, and the Premiership combined with The Scottish Cup is 9/2.
In summary, the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership promises to be a thrilling season of football, with fascinating storylines at both the top and the bottom of the table.
Author:
Lucas Portela
Owner, BoldGambler • Avanhandava/SP
Oddsmaker, affiliate and content creator in the iGaming industry.