St Johnstone vs Aberdeen predictions: Dons can start with win
- St Johnstone avoided the relegation play-off last term by goal difference
- Aberdeen finished seventh last season
- Recommended bet: Aberdeen to win
St Johnstone host Aberdeen on Monday night as the opening weekend in the Scottish Premiership concludes.
Both sides will obviously be looking to kick-off with a win and the Dons and Saints have already caught the eye in the early League Cup games north of the border.
Aberdeen have a new manager this season with Swede Jimmy Thelin in charge, while the experienced Craig Levein remains Saints boss.
Team news
After a summer rebuild, recent Saints recruit Kyle Cameron should start, but fellow new signings Uche Ikpeaz and Andre Raymond have been ruled out through injury.
Striker Nicky Clark, who scored seven goals last season, is a major injury doubt for the hosts.
Aberdeen striker Duk is expected to sit out the league opener having missed the League Cup games so far as he is subject to internal disciplinary action.
Dante Polvara and Leighton Clarkson are both absent through injury for the Dons, while Angus MacDonald is injured and suspended anyway.
The stats
St Johnstone have beaten Brechin 2-1, Greenock Morton 2-0 and East Fife 5-1 in the League Cup, while they have also lost narrowly to Alloa 3-2.
Saints finished on the same points as second-bottom Ross County in the Scottish Premiership last season but County went into the relegation play-off due to their four-goal inferior goal difference.
Aberdeen have won all four of their League Cup games, beating Queen of the South 3-0 and East Kilbride 4-0 away, while they have seen off Airdrie 2-1 and Dumbarton 6-0 at home.
In last season's meetings between the sides, Aberdeen won once (1-0 at home), Saints won once, at Pittodrie (2-0), and there were two draws — 1-1 in January at McDiarmid Park and 0-0 at Pittodrie in October.
Prediction
The first league games of the season are often difficult to predict due to new signings making an impact or new managers being in situ, while teams are always keen to get off to a good start — especially those playing at home.
So even though Aberdeen finished three places higher and 13 points better off than Saints last term, this should be a close clash at McDiarmid Park.
Saints' impressive form in the League Cup this season means they should approach the game with confidence, while the Dons, too, have done well in that competition so far, winning all four of their matches.
Aberdeen are fancied to edge Monday's clash as they have at least spent some money this summer trying to strengthen their squad, whereas Levein's St Johnstone rebuild has been conducted by the club signing players mostly for free.
Defensive midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen has joined from Norwegian side SK Brann, while young Nigerian forward Peter Ambrose has arrived after an impressive spell in Hungary.
Ambrose is already off the mark for his new club, notching in the 6-0 cup rout of Dumbarton last week after scoring 10 goals for Upjest last term, and the free-scoring Dons can enjoy their league opener by coming away from Perth with all three points.
