THE PARS return to league action on Saturday and according to the league table have the hardest match possible; a confrontation with pace-setters Hibernian at Easter Road.

BBC Alba are providing live coverage, shunting the game to a 5.15pm kick-off. The bookies have dismissed the Pars’ chances out of hand; the Hi-Bees are 1/4, a draw 11/2 and Dunfermline 14/1 (Coral).

Handicaps are available for those punters wanting to even up the match, off -1 Hibs are 10/11 (Paddy Power), a tie 11/4 (Betway) and the Pars 16/5 (Coral). The -2 handicap prices are Hibs 5/2, the draw 3/1 (both prices Paddy Power) and the Pars 21/20 (Coral).

To put it frankly, the price for the Edinburgh outfit is bewildering. Hibernian have won only five of their last 10 league games, while Dunfermline have lost only once in their last 10 and held Premiership side Hamilton to two draws in their Scottish Cup run.

It is probably a stretch to say Athletic can win but both sides have racked up a stack of draws as of late and the 11/2 that this contest also finishes all square is a huge price.

Prediction: Hibernian 1 Dunfermline 1.

There is only one other live game, tomorrow (Friday) night (BT Sport 1, 7.45pm) where two struggling teams, Inverness and Rangers, meet in the Highlands. Rangers are 10/11 (Hills), a draw 14/5 (Bet365) and Caley 17/5 (Betvictor).

Hamilton are likely to become Celtic’s latest victims at Parkhead in a Saturday 3pm contest. The Bhoys are 1/11 (Skybet), a draw 11/1 and the Accies 33/1 (Ladbrokes/Coral). A whole range of handicaps are available, as an example off -3 Celtic are 9/5 (Paddy Power), a draw 7/2 and Hamilton are 11/10.

The snooker shoot-out takes place at the Watford Colosseum this week. A field of 128 players are taking part but due to its new ranking event status, many of the game’s leading players have boycotted the tournament.

This one frame stop clock format is a wide open betting heat and Paddy Power, paying each-way terms 1/4 odds 1, 2, 3, 4 have Barry Hawkins, Mark Allen, Shaun Murphy and Stuart Bingham as 22/1 co-favourites.

There are eight Scottish entrants: Anthony McGill is 40/1, Graeme Dott 80/1, Alan McManus 100/1 (Bet365), Scott Donaldson 150/1, Ross Muir and Eden Sharav 300/1, Marc Davis 750/1 and Michael Collumb 1000/1. 
Quick thinking rather than methodical grinding is the key to success but after that the playing field is relatively level and anyone shorter than 50/1 can be opposed.

Three sporting each-way selections at bigger prices that performed well at the Welsh Open last week are Norwegian-based Kurt Maflin at 80/1, Iranian Hossein Vafaei Ayouri 175/1 and Irishman Josh Boileau 400/1.    

Rugby’s Six Nations tournament continues this weekend and Scotland are faced with a must win game against Wales at Murrayfield if they want to stay in contention (BBC1, Saturday 2.25pm).

However, the layers give the merest preference to the visitors, pricing the Scots up at 11/10, a draw 25/1 and the Welsh 10/11.