The fact that one of the most fiercely-fought rivalries in Scottish football is currently being contested in the Championship means nothing to the fans of the Dark Blues and the Tangerines and Dens Park will again be a cauldron of noise and anticipation ahead of this week’s Dundee derby.
Scottish Championship Betting at Betfred
Dundee Form and Team News
Dens Park and Tannadice are barely 200m apart, the shortest distance between two senior football clubs in the whole of Great Britain, but the majority of fans inside the ground will be wearing blue this week.
They will have revenge on their mind after United won the reverse fixture 6-2 in August.
The Dark Blues are currently six points adrift of their arch-rivals in the Championship table with United holding a three-point lead over second-placed Ayr United. Manager James McPake is demanding that his team come out with all guns blazing and there are grounds for thinking that his side have improved since that drubbing at Tannadice. They’ve added the former West Brom, Norwich and Rangers midfielder Graham Dorrans to their squad and Jamie Ness is fit again. But McPake will be sweating on the availability of full-back Jordan Marshall, who didn’t last long against Morton last week and hasn’t properly trained with the squad this week.
Dundee have only lost three matches in the Championship so far this season, the same as United, but they’ve scored 10 fewer goals and conceded four more, drawing games they probably should have won.
Dorrans is undoubtedly the home team’s key man but Kane Hemmings’ influence is also growing and they are bidding for a fourth win in a row. The betting suggests this will be a close game but three points for Dundee is probably more important than a win for the visitors would be.
Dundee United Form and Team News
The Tangerines have also won their last three in the Championship and any doubt over their credentials for automatic promotions were probably blown away by last week’s impressive victory at Inverness CT.
Lawrence Shankland, recalled to the Scotland squad, is probably the best midfielder in the country outside of the Premiership and he’ll have a key role to play if United are to regain their top-flight status at the end of the season. Robbie Neilson’s side had been a bit of a soft touch on the road in the early weeks of the season but are now hitting their stride.
Nicky Clark is proving the perfect foil for Shankland and Paul Watson and Ian Harkes have plenty of experience in big games. With goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist and Louis Appere also starting to show their worth, the manager could be a afforded the luxury of leaving a fit-again Mark Connolly on the bench and his team will have a sold-out away end to back them.
Dundee vs Dundee United Live Stats & Betting Odds
Dundee vs Dundee United Head-to-Heads
United beat their arch-rivals 6-2 at Tannadice in August but they have lost their last four matches at Dens Park since 2014. The last nine games between the Dundee teams have produced at least three goals.
Dundee vs Dundee United Current Best Odds
Dundee 9/5, Draw 12/5, Dundee United 29/20 (Odds correct at 3.45pm November 6)
Dundee vs Dundee United Predictions
The first goal may well set the tone in this local derby. If United score first, memories of that 6-2 thrashing earlier in the season may well return to haunt Dundee. If the home side get the first goal, those memories will be banished. There should be goals in this but the away side can outscore their hosts – they are 29/20 with Betfred in the Match Betting and the same firm have Lawrence Shankland at Evens to be an Anytime Goalscorer.
