Are you backing Dunfermline Athletic to get back on track at Queen of the South?

Opponents Queen of the South’s form has also taken a downturn; no wins in four games have seen them fall behind the promotion contenders.

The bookmakers decree that the Doonhamers’ home advantage make them slight favourites to win the game at 6/4 (Stan James), while the Pars are 9/5 (Betvictor) and a draw 13/5 (Bet365).

This is not a match to get too dogmatic about but the stalemate is the tentative choice.

Prediction: Queen of the South 1 Dunfermline 1.

BT Sport 1 is the channel of choice for the Friday evening game, featuring St Johnstone’s tussle with Rangers at McDiarmid Park (7.45pm kick-off).

Eight matches into the campaign and only goal difference separates the two clubs in the league standings but you would not know it looking at the match odds. The Gers are 6/10 (Hills), a draw 10/3 (Bet365) and the Saints 5/1.

Dundee are gradually creeping up the Scottish Premiership table but their progress is likely to stall after a visit to league leaders Celtic on Saturday.

The Bhoys are a prohibitive 1/8 (Hills) to claim the spoils, a draw is 10/1 and the Dark Blues 28/1 (Ladbrokes). As ever, there are handicap markets available; for example, Celtic -2 is evens (Betfair Sportsbook), a tie 10/3 and Dundee +2 23/10 and Celtic -3 is 5/2 (Betfair Sportsbook), a tie 15/4 and Dundee +3 19/20.

Rugby’s European Champions Cup gets under way this weekend and Scotland’s sole representatives, Glasgow Warriors, are 100/1 outsiders with Stan James to lift the trophy (each-way terms are ½ odds 1,2).

A lengthy trip to Exeter for a Saturday evening kick-off (BT Sport 1, 7.45pm) provides the first test but the layers believe it will be a fruitless journey.

Exeter are 1/3 (Boylesports/Betvictor), a draw 28/1 (Boylesports) and Glasgow 11/4. All the bookmakers with the exception of Skybet base the handicap off Exeter -8 but backers of the Warriors can take +9 with the Yorkshire-based firm at 10/11.