The Scottish Premiership title race took another dramatic twist over the weekend — and Kris Boyd has now revealed which team he believes will come out on top.
After a round of fixtures that saw both Celtic and Rangers grind out narrow victories while Hearts slipped to a damaging defeat, the Sky Sports pundit has changed his prediction once again.
Rangers edged past St Mirren with a 1–0 win in Paisley, a result that kept them firmly in the title picture despite a performance that left Boyd far from impressed.
Celtic also managed to collect three important points, continuing their ability to win matches even when they are not playing at their best.
But the biggest result in the race may have come at Rugby Park, where Hearts were beaten 1–0 by Kilmarnock — a setback that has tightened the gap at the top even further.
With the title battle now incredibly close, Boyd admitted it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict how things will unfold.
The former Rangers striker acknowledged that both Glasgow clubs have been showing similar patterns this season: grinding out results but struggling to consistently produce convincing performances.
“When you look at Celtic, they have not been playing well but picking up results,” he said. “Similar to Rangers in a way where they’ve had moments in games when you think there is something clicking, then all of a sudden there is a drop off.
“It is just so tight. For Rangers, Rohl will know it has to be better but they managed to win the game away from home which is the first in four.”
The upcoming fixtures could now play a huge role in determining which side gains momentum in the final stretch of the campaign.
Rangers are set to play two consecutive home matches — an opportunity Boyd believes could prove crucial if they are able to take full advantage.
Meanwhile, Celtic face two tricky away fixtures that could test their ability to maintain their recent run of results.
Hearts, despite their defeat, remain very much involved as they prepare for a mix of home and away matches in the coming weeks.
“Rangers now have two home games, they have an opportunity to go and get six points there, Celtic have two away games, Hearts are at home and away.”
After previously tipping Hearts to win the title last week, Boyd admitted — with a smile — that he is once again changing his mind.
And this time, he is backing his former club.
“Did I say Hearts last week? I’ll go back to Rangers this week!”
Whether Boyd’s prediction proves correct remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that the Scottish Premiership title race is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory, with every match now carrying enormous significance as the season heads toward its conclusion.