Hearts vs. St Johnstone (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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After a free weekend to mull over a surprise defeat to struggling Motherwell, Hearts host St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon.
Hearts suffered a 2-0 reverse away to the Well a fortnight ago while St Johnstone arrive at Tynecastle after a 1-1 draw with St Mirren last weekend.
We say: Hearts 3-1 St Johnstone
After a fortnight stewing over an uncharacteristically blunt display against Motherwell, we are backing Hearts to return to league action with a burning vengeance, taking out their frustrations on a St Johnstone side which could cause them problems, but not enough to avoid defeat.
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Livingston vs. Hibernian (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Livingston host Hibernian on Saturday afternoon in a meeting between two Scottish Premiership sides enduring and enjoying contrasting runs of form.
Livi's third loss on the spin was a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Aberdeen last weekend while Hibs extended their unbeaten streak to six league games with a 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out.
We say: Livingston 1-1 Hibernian
Livingston may lag behind in the bottom half of the table while Hibs occupy the lofty heights of fourth but only two points separate these sides, a narrow gap which might reflect a tight contest that we are tipping to end in a stalemate.
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Rangers vs. Kilmarnock (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Rangers return to top-flight football after the disappointment of losing the Scottish League Cup final last weekend with a home game against a struggling Kilmarnock side on Saturday.
The Gers were comfortably beaten 2-1 by arch-rivals Celtic in the Hampden showpiece while Kilmarnock drew 1-1 at home to Motherwell the day before.
We say: Rangers 3-0 Kilmarnock
McInnes was insistent that his side are "good enough" to beat Rangers at Ibrox but there is little reason to share his optimism, especially given Kilmarnock's ruinous away form and the sense of disappointment bubbling away in the Gers camp.
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Ross County vs. Motherwell (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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The Scottish Premiership continues this weekend as Ross County face Motherwell at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
The encounter could be a key one in the battle to avoid the drop, with these two sides sitting next to each other in the bottom half of the division - the hosts are 10th and Motherwell are 11th in the Scottish Premiership table.
We say: Ross County 2-1 Motherwell
Despite Motherwell's recent upswing under their new manager, Ross County will be confident of extending their winning run at home due to their visitors' struggles on the road.
County's need for the points is slightly more urgent than Motherwell's and that may just give them the edge in this encounter.
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Dundee Utd vs. Aberdeen (Saturday, 6.00pm)
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Jim Goodwin takes charge of Dundee United for the first time this Saturday evening against Aberdeen, the club that showed him the door barely a month ago.
Liam Fox's time in charge of Dundee United was ended with a 4-0 loss against fellow strugglers Ross County last weekend while Aberdeen, who still have caretaker boss Barry Robson at the helm, prepared for this unlikely reunion with a 1-0 win over Livingston.
We say: Dundee United 1-0 Aberdeen
Dundee United owner Mark Ogren highlighted Goodwin's "knowledge of the league and opposition" as a key factor in his appointment - this insider information will never be more accurate than for Aberdeen's visit.
Coupled with the new manager bounce and Aberdeen's dire away form, we are backing Goodwin to get one over his former employers this weekend.
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Barney Corkhill
