THE 2017/18 season starts this weekend with the Scottish League Cup and Dunfermline must get off to a fast start in their home game with Elgin City (Saturday, 3pm kick-off).

They are in Group B that features likeliest dangers Hearts as well as Peterhead and local rivals East Fife. The Pars are 1/3 (Stan James), City 8/1 (Betvictor/Paddy Power) and a draw 9/2.

This is not the stage of the season to be taking short prices about any team – Rangers losing to Progres Niederkorn is a prime example – but the Pars should make their superior quality tell.

Prediction: Dunfermline 2 Elgin 1.

BT Sport are televising two matches; their offering tomorrow (Friday) consists of a spicy derby between Ayr and Kilmarnock (7.45pm kick-off). Killie are 7/10 (Betfred), the Honest Men 7/2 and a stalemate 14/5 (Skybet).

They are also able to cover a Saturday 3pm game and have picked out another intriguing contest with Motherwell travelling to Hampden Park to face Queen’s Park. The ’Well are 4/9, the Spiders 6/1 (Betvictor) and a draw 16/5.

Scottish clubs have been a car crash in Europe so far and this week Celtic and Aberdeen try to redress the balance. The Bhoys face Linfield at Windsor Park tomorrow (5pm, Premier Sports) and are a crippling 1/10 to build up a first leg advantage. The Blues are 40/1 (Betfair Sportsbook) and a draw 9/1 (Paddy Power/Betway).

An unusual kick-off time and Celtic’s decision not to sell any tickets to their supporters may alter the expected dynamic of the contest but this would be a seismic shock were Celtic not to win the game.

Prediction: Linfield 0 Celtic 2.

Aberdeen’s opponents in the Europa League second qualifying round are NK Siroki Brijeg. The Bosnia-Herzegovina outfit disposed of Ordabasy Shymkent in the first round but are a dismissive 13/2 (Unibet) to notch a success at Pittodrie. The Dons are 1/2 (Betvictor/Stan James) and a draw 16/5 (Boylesports).

Once again, the short-odds favourites are not operating at a value price but they can eke out a narrow first leg advantage. Prediction: Aberdeen 1 NK Siroki Brijeg 0.

The British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone this weekend and home favourite Lewis Hamilton is even money (Stan James) to emerge victorious. Main title rival Sebastian Vettel is 11/4 (Skybet), team-mate Valtteri Bottas 5/1, the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo both 20/1 (Betvictor) and Kimi Raikkonen 33/1. The remaining drivers are available at astronomical prices, starting with Force India driver Sergio Perez at 300/1.

Pole position, points finish and number of finishers are three of the various other markets available.