Scottish Cup
2024-07-20 - Livingston vs Dunfermline Athletic
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Saturday 20th July 2024 - Kick Off 3pm
Preview
Relegation from the Scottish Premiership will have hurt Livingston Football Club and the focus for the coming season will be all about restoring themselves to the top flight. After a really poor season, the League Cup continues to offer Livingston an opportunity to at least take some positive momentum into the coming campaign after the disappointment of last season.
There is every chance they can take a firm grip of this League Cup Group when hosting fellow Championship club Dunfermline Athletic, who slipped to a poor home loss against Forfar Athletic during the week. That has left Dunfermline Athletic on three points, like three other teams in the section, but they have played a game more than Livingston and a defeat at this ground will likely make it impossible for The Pars to make it through to the Second Round.
Dunfermline Athletic did beat The Spartans 0-3 away from home to start this Group Stage, but they are third in the section on goal difference.
It is Livingston who sit above them having won 0-2 at Forfar Athletic last weekend to open their own campaign and even a draw might put The Lions in a positive position in the section.
Playing for a draw this early in the campaign is unlikely to be the approach for Livingston who will want to set an early marker to other Championship clubs about their ambitions for the season. They are playing their first home game of the season having ended the Scottish Premiership season with a 4 game unbeaten run in front of their own fans.
Livingston have also won 3 of their last 5 home League Cup ties and they did reach the Quarter Final in this competition last time around.
The last 3 times Livingston have hosted Dunfermline Athletic have all ended in draws, but they have not played each other here since February 2018 when both were also part of the Scottish Championship. This is the first of a number of meetings between the clubs over the coming months, but Livingston will look at their Scottish Premiership experience as being key to the outcome of this tie.
There will be a respect for Dunfermline Athletic, even though this team were beaten by Forfar Athletic, but there will also be a note that The Pars have struggled when facing some of the stronger teams away from home in the League Cup.
Since 2021, Dunfermline Athletic have lost away games at St Mirren, Rangers and Ross County and this might be another tough test for them.
Prediction
Two clubs that will be facing one another in the Scottish Championship will face off in the League Cup Group Stage and there is a belief that Livingston will be operating higher than Dunfermline Athletic in the Division.
After early results in this Group, Livingston are also favourites to progress to the Second Round by topping the section.
While a draw will keep them in command, The Lions might have enough to edge to the victory and the full three points available.
The Pick :
Livingston 2-1 Dunfermline Athletic
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Livingston to Win at 2.00 with SportBet.One
