Dundee United vs Celtic predictions and betting tips | Will Hoops win again?

Our Dundee United vs Celtic predictions analyse the latest game involving the Scottish champions. Will the Hoops reach the next round of the Scottish League Cup, or might we see a surprise result?

Dundee United vs Celtic head to head overview

• Date: Saturday 15th August.
• Kick-off: 5.30pm.
• Venue: Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland.
• Where to watch: Premier Sports 1.

Dundee United vs Celtic quick tips

• Celtic half-time/full-time – 11/8 with SBK
• Over 2.5 goals – 8/11 with Unibet
• Benjamin Nygren to score any time – 17/10 with William Hill

Dundee United vs Celtic predictions

After winning their first two games to set the pace at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Celtic will turn their attention to the Scottish League Cup this weekend.

Dundee United will provide the opposition to Martin O’Neill’s men in the late kick-off on Saturday, as the hosts seek to pull off an upset in the second round.

Although the League Cup ranks bottom of Celtic’s priorities for 2026/27, below the Premiership, the Champions League and the Scottish Cup, a club of their size is obliged to go deep.

And because the League Cup is done and dusted by Christmas, it is sometimes favoured by managers despite the fact it is not as prestigious a competition as the Scottish Cup.

Celtic, along with the other Scottish sides competing in Europe this term, were given a bye to the second round.

Dundee United, meanwhile, have already played four games in the group phase. They won three of those to finish ahead of Montrose, Arbroath, Stirling Albion and The Spartans, thus qualifying for the knockout stage.

Dundee United have otherwise had a tough start to the season in terms of fixtures, facing Rangers (a 1-1 draw) and Heart of Midlothian (a 4-0 loss) in their first two Premiership outings ahead of this tussle with Celtic.

Dundee United vs Celtic tips

Celtic are looking to make it three wins from three at the start of the new season.

Celtic too strong

Celtic have made a strong start to the new season, beating Dundee 1-0 and Kilmarnock 5-1 to rise to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers are sitting on one point and Heart of Midlothian have won one and lost one, so Celtic have stolen an early march on their title rivals.

Dundee United were eliminated at this stage of the League Cup last term and they are clear underdogs against Celtic, who were stunned by St Mirren in the 2025 final.

This should be a reasonably comfortable 90 minutes for Martin O’Neill’s side.

Tip Celtic/Celtic half-time/full-time at 11/8 with SBK

Goals on the cards

Celtic’s attack found its groove against Kilmarnock last time out, having only produced one goal against Dundee on the opening weekend.

As for Dundee United, their defensive unit was breached on four occasions by Hearts on matchday two of the Premiership season.

We should see more goals on Saturday when Celtic make the trip to Tannadice Park for the first time in 2026/27.

Celtic are bound to outscore Dundee United, with at least three goals in total a distinct possibility.

Back over 2.5 goals at 8/11 with Unibet

Look beyond Hogh

The Celtic Park faithful have a new hero after Kasper Hogh notched a superb hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of Kilmarnock last time out.

A summer signing from Bodo/Glimt, the Denmark international is bound to score plenty of goals in the Scottish Premiership this season.

However, our pick to find the back of the net on Saturday is Benjamin Nygren, who has scored in both of Celtic’s matches at the start of the campaign.

Nygren scored 21 goals in all competitions last term and he looks to have picked up where he left off.

Go for Benjamin Nygren to score any time at 17/10 with William Hill

Dundee United vs Celtic predicted lineups

• Dundee United expected lineup: Walton; Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Ferry; Camara, Tait, Agyei; Randall, Sapsford, Bennie.
• Celtic expected lineup: Doohan; Johnston, Murray, Trusty, Tierney; McGregor, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Forrest, Nygren, Yang; Hogh.

Dundee United vs Celtic latest odds

Find the latest Dundee United vs Celtic betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

• Dundee United: 19/5 with William Hill
• Draw: 3/1 with Unibet
• Celtic: 8/15 with SBK

More Scottish League Cup predictions

We have plenty more Scottish League Cup predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

Important historical facts about Dundee United vs Celtic for betting

Dundee United beat Celtic 2-0 earlier this year, but the Hoops have historically had the better of this fixture. They memorably won 9-0 away to Dundee United in 2022, and the last meeting between the pair in the Scottish League Cup was a 2-0 triumph for Celtic 11 years ago.

• Last meeting: 22nd March 2026; Dundee United 2-0 Celtic.
• Last 6 matches: Dundee United wins – 2; Celtic wins – 4; Draws – 0.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.