Celtic vs Ross County Prediction: Hosts remain the better team

The Scottish Premiership frontrunners, Celtic, are set to resume league action on Saturday as they host Ross County at Parkhead. Despite witnessing Rangers narrow the gap to five points on Wednesday, Brendan Rodgers's team remains optimistic about preserving their lead against a struggling opponent. Conversely, Ross County has encountered significant setbacks leading up to this match and has been unable to secure a victory in recent games. Nevertheless, do you believe they have the potential to alter this storyline?

Celtic continues their winning momentum, securing a 5-0 triumph against Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup. The goal-scorers for Celtic in that match were Paulo Bernardo (25'), Odin Thiago Holm (33'), Kyogo Furuhashi (41'), Luis Palma (50'), and Rocco Vata (76').

A notable trend in Celtic's recent games is the frequency of results with clean sheets, with 5 out of their last 6 matches not seeing both teams score. Looking at their past results, Celtic holds an impressive record against Ross County, having not lost in the league to them in the previous 9 encounters. Additionally, Celtic remains undefeated in their last 2 home league matches, showcasing their strength when playing on their home turf.

Ross County has historically struggled against Celtic in Glasgow, having never won a league game in 17 attempts at the venue, with the hosts winning the last 10 encounters. The visitors face an even more challenging task as they enter this game on a run of seven away games without a win. Derek Adams, after a strong start with seven points in his first three games following his appointment in November, experienced a winless streak in his final four games before the winter break, earning just one point.

The away form for Ross County has not seen significant improvement since the departure of Malky Mackay, with their only road win dating back to early September. The team faced an embarrassing home defeat in the Scottish Cup, losing 3-0 to second-tier Partick Thistle, which added to their woes. Ross County concluded their fixtures before the winter break with another 3-0 defeat, this time against Aberdeen.

In the last 41 head-to-head games between Celtic and Ross County, Celtic has emerged victorious in 30 matches, with six ending in draws, while Ross County managed to secure wins in five instances. The most recent encounter occurred in November 2023, where Celtic claimed a 3-0 away victory.

A notable trend in recent head-to-head matchups is the high-scoring nature, with five out of the last six games producing three goals or more. Additionally, in nine of Ross County's last 10 games across all competitions, one side has failed to find the back of the net.

Currently, Celtic is on an impressive five-game winning streak across various competitions, showcasing their strong form. In contrast, Ross County is facing a challenging period, being winless in their last five games in all competitions, with four losses during this stretch.

After some earlier uncertainties in the season, Celtic appears to have regained their form and currently holds a slight advantage at the top of the standings. On the other hand, Ross County is dealing with relegation concerns, making their task to avoid the drop more challenging.

Considering the current form and circumstances, there is little doubt that Celtic is poised to secure a straightforward win against a struggling side near the bottom of the table. The expectation is for Celtic to maintain their lead, potentially by five points over Rangers. Therefore, the prediction is in favor of Celtic claiming maximum points with a comfortable win and a clean sheet.