Raith Rovers vs Elgin City Betting Tip Over 3.5 goals – 15 November 2019

Goals likely at Starks Park

Kieron Bowie/Raith Rovers ©imago images / Action Plus15.11.2019

ScotlandRaith Rovers vs Elgin CityScotland
15th November 1945hrs
Football – Scotland – Challenge Cup

Pick Over 3.5 goals
Bookmaker Marathonbet
Odds: 3/5 odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 14 November)

It’s the last eight of the Scottish Challenge Cup and two in-form sides clash at Starks Park on Friday. Raith Rovers host an Elgin City team who have been responsible for a number of upsets already in the competition.

Scottish Challenge Cup Betting at Marathonbet

Raith Rovers Preview – Can Rovers continue excellent home form in the Challenge Cup and progress to the last four?

John McGlynn came into this season under pressure to deliver better than the previous season when Raith failed to win promotion to the Championship. Expectations were somewhat mixed about his chances of doing that considering League One is a more difficult proposition this campaign and losing a number of key players in the summer. Now, in mid-November, Rovers are sitting top of the league (albeit joint top) and have this home tie to reach the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup. All in all it’s been a positive first part of the season and one that they will be looking to take full advantage of.

Rovers route to this stage has been fairly convincing with the hardest match coming against Ross County’s U21 team in their first match. A 3-2 win set-up an all League-one crunch match with Falkirk. Raith turned in a dominant performance to win 2-0 and produced an even better showing to see off Glenavon of Northern Ireland in the previous round. It’s a competition that McGlynn is clearly taking seriously and they are favoured to see off Elgin from the league below. Another home tie in this competition is no bad thing either. Rovers last loss in the Challenge Cup at Starks Park was back in 2010 – a run of 10 straight wins since.

Raith Rovers win and both teams to score
13/8

Elgin City Preview – Will Elgin’s amazing away form in this competition secure them a semi-final spot?

Elgin make the journey south on Friday night in the best form they have been in all season. The League Two club are unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions and have won five of those. It’s a run which has seen them move to just outside the playoffs, reach the next round of the Scottish Cup (where they will host Championship side Alloa next weekend), and into the quarter final of the Challenge Cup for the first time since 2015. It’s been a real turnaround for Gavin Price and his team who had managed just two wins in the previous nine matches.

The most impressive aspect of Elgin’s passage to the quarter finals is the fact they have played all four of their ties away from home. A brilliant 4-3 away win against a young Hibernian team was surpassed with an incredible 5-4 victory away to Brechin. Since then, Elgin have defeated Championship outfit Dundee and comfortably seen off Airdrie from the division above. Price will be well aware of this being another challenge for his side but one he’s likely to embrace. As a club, Elgin have never been beyond this stage so would be making history if they can continue their giant killing.

Key-Facts – Raith Rovers vs Elgin City

  • Raith have already knocked out Falkirk and Glenavon en route to this stage and have an excellent home record in the competition
  • Elgin have been the master of the away days in this competition, winning all four of their ties on the road
  • Games (four) involving Elgin in this competition so far have seen a total of 21 goals in them

Raith Rovers vs Elgin City Betting Advice

Elgin are one of two League Two sides left in the competition but they face a difficult test to continue that participation. Despite having knocked out Championship opposition already, Raith’s own efforts thus far clearly show they are targeting the Challenge Cup and looking to replicate their efforts in 2014 when beating Rangers in the final.

A constant in Elgin’s run so far has been the number of goals in their ties. Three of their four games have went over 2.5 goals and all four ties have totaled 21 goals. Raith’s may not have been as entertaining but two of their three have had three or more goals in them. The trends are good this this will be another high-scoring affair and Over 3.5 goals looks an appealing selection.