Bottom of the league Dundee will host St Mirren on Tuesday night in a match that is a game in hand for both teams, which could prove crucial in the relegation battle.
Only 10 points separate these two teams, and the Dark Blues have the chance to lift themselves off the foot of the table if with a victory.
Match preview
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Dundee will be desperate to use this game in hand to their advantage on Tuesday night, as they currently sit a point behind St Johnstone, with a victory allowing them to leapfrog the Saints.
It would also put pressure on the two teams just above the relegation zone, Aberdeen and St Mirren, which would provide some hope for the Dark Blues ahead of the final three games.
However, the club will need to improve upon their recent form, as they have gone four matches in a row without a win in the league, which is something they have to change.
Despite the lack of victories, Mark McGhee's men have picked up consecutive draws heading into this match, with a goalless contest against Hibernian being followed by a 1-1 against Motherwell at the weekend.
Paul McMullan gave Dundee an early lead in the sixth minute, but the Steelmen responded shortly after via Joe Efford, with the two teams then sharing the points.
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St Mirren have also failed to win in their previous four encounters, and unlike their opponents, there has not been as many draws within that period, as they head into Tuesday on the back of three losses.
During those games, the Buddies have failed to score a single goal, which is a concerning situation for Steve Robinson, and something that they need to fix heading into this match.
Ross County secured a 1-0 victory on Saturday with a penalty from Joseph Hungbo providing the difference, and it left St Mirren sitting just above the relegation zone.
They are only nine points between them and the relegation zone, and that is something that the club will be hoping to stay away from.
However, St Mirren will be aware that they have failed to beat Dundee so far, with the two teams drawing 2-2 on the opening day of the season, and the Dark Blues then securing a 1-0 win during their last meeting, which they will be hoping to avenge.
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Team News
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Dundee were forced into making several changes at the weekend as the Dark Blues were hurt by COVID-19 cases, as Ian Lawlor, Charlie Adam, Paul McGowan, Niall McGinn and Danny Mullen were all unavailable to the team.
Harrison Sharp made his league debut for the club, and he is set to retain his place on Tuesday night, while McGhee is likely to have limited options from the bench.
Jak Alnwick was not able to feature on Saturday, and that led to Dean Lyness getting the nod in goal, which was the first time he has started a game since December.
At the other end of the field, Alex Grieve was brought back into the team, but after no goals were provided, Curtis Main could end up coming back in.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Sharp; Kerr, Ashcroft, Sweeney, Marshall; Daley-Campbell, McGhee, Byrne, Anderson, McMullan; McDaid
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Lyness; Tait, McCarthy, Shaughnessy, Dunne, Tanser; Jones, Gogic, Power, Kilie; Main
We say: Dundee 2-1 St Mirren
With a lot to fight for within this game for the hosts, they will not be wanting to give up on anything throughout this midweek encounter, which should lead to a hard-fought match.
Dundee may not be the favourites heading into this match, but we are backing them to clinch a narrow win.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Dundee win with a probability of 39.72%. A win for St Mirren had a probability of 32.95% and a draw had a probability of 27.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a Dundee win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.26%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.34%) and 2-0 (7.26%). The likeliest St Mirren win was 0-1 (10.03%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.93%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 10% likelihood.
