BOTTOM of the pile, Falkirk host Rangers who are the first visitors to the Falkirk Stadium since the Bairns demolished Inverness Caley Thistle 4-0 in their last league game.

Rangers' last fixture was the home tie with Hearts which the Gers were winning 2-0 at half time but ended up drawing 2-2.

The second placed team will be desperate for a win in a game which, on paper, should be comfortable for them.

But, despite their league position, Falkirk have managed a few decent results recently and are certainly no push-over.

They will also be spurred on with an Old Firm double header this week, with Celtic coming up on Wednesday.

Taking points from either or both of these matches could really make or break their season.

So this one could be closer than the SPL table suggest but I think Rangers will do enough to win but only by the odd goal.

I think it will be 2-1 to the away side.

ABERDEEN are four points clear of Motherwell who are battling for a top six place in the SPL.

The Dons are sitting in fourth place on 44 points with the Fir Park men in seventh place on 40.

This could be a closely fought match as both teams are battling to end their season on a high and both still have a chance of making the all important European spot.

I think Motherwell's home advantage will really count and I think they will win 1-0.

A WIN for Inverness Caley Thistle could blow the relgation fight up in the air.

The Highlanders are currently one point clear of bottom placed club Falkirk who have a game in hand.

And St Mirren, who have also played one less game, are only two points better off than Inverness.

So a victory for Terry Butcher's men could really shake things up and I think that will be the case.

I think they will bounce back from the 4-0 defeat away to Falkirk on their last outing and record a 1-0 win over St Mirren.

STRUGGLERS Kilmarnock face a very tough trip to the capital to face third placed Hearts.

Killie are currently sitting in nith place on the same points as St Mirren who have a game in hand.

The Ayrshire sides are just three points clear of bottom placed Falkirk who have also played one game less.

Inverness Caley Thistle are up-to-date with games but are just two points behind the Rugby Park side.

Hearts, on the other hand, are sitting pretty five points clear in third place.They will be hoping to at least maintain that with a home win.

I think Kilmarnock will put up a good fight but, in the end, I believe Hearts will be far too strong and will win 2-1.

SPL leaders Celtic host Hamilton at 3pm on Saturday.

Before the international break, Celtic had been enjoying a run of good form but only managed a 2-2 draw after going ahead at Dundee Utd.

Hamilton, on the other hand, had hit a poorer run of form than the one they enjoyed earlier this year but they sit six points clear of bottom placed Falkirk.

So Billy Reid's men will be looking to propel themselves further from the drop zone and Celtic will hope for a win to put pressure on second placed Rangers who don't play until Sunday.

I think Celtic are strong at home and will take care of Hamilton with a 3-1 win.

HIBERNIAN travel to Tannadice in Saturday's early kick-off to face Dundee Utd.

The first game back following the international break sees SPL's fifth and sixth place got head-to-head.

Hibs could close the gap on fourth placed Dundee Utd with a victory but Dundee Utd, could gain ground on Hearts in third spot if they get a victory and other results go their way.

It is set to be a tight match against two fairly evenly matched sides but I think Dundee Utd will make home advantage count.

2-1 to Craig Levein's men.

THE race for the SPL hotted up as both Rangers and Celtic faced tough opposition in the shape of Hearts and Dundee Utd resepectively.

Rangers looked to be cruising at half-time with a 2-0 lead and Hearts struggling to get close to Allan McGregor's goal.

But the Tynecastle side must have been given an inspirational talk by boss Csaba Laszlo at half-time as they came out all guns blazing.

Nacho Novo however managed to get a shot in which hit the bar before Hearts raced up the park and scored through Christos Karipidis.

And just three minutes later, Ruben Palazuelos fired home to claim a point for the Jambos.

There were still set to be twists and turns despite many Celtic fans and Rangers fans handing the title to Celtic as the Parkhead side played Dundee Utd the following day.

Celtic took the lead midway through the second half with a header from Scott McDonald.

But Dundee Utd were also on the end of a top team talk at half-time. Craig Levein must have given a top-class speech which spurred the Tangerines on.

Francisco Sandaza netted a double in just over 10 minutes to take the lead.

But Celtic managed to get an equaliser with a wonder strike from Lee Naylor on 81 minutes.

These results also meant little change in the race for third place, as Hearts remain five points clear in third with both Aberdeen and Dundee Utd on 44 points in fourth and fifth spots.

Hibernian and Aberdeen played out a 0-0 draw at Easter Road with the Dons reduced to ten men on 84 minutes as Mark Kerr got sent off.

Meanwhile Falkirk romped to a 4-0 victory over fellow strugglers Inverness Caley Thistle.

This result, along with Killie drawing with Motherwell and St Mirren earning a point away to Hamilton tightens up the bottom of the table.

Only three points separate ninth placed Kilmarnock and bottom of the pile, Falkirk.

St Mirren sit on joint points with Killie on 30 but have a game in hand against Rangers.

So any one of these teams and Hamilton on 33 points in seventh place could still be relegated.

With few league games to be played, nothing looks certain at the moment with two teams in contention at the top and at least four if not five in the relegation dog-fight.

DUNDEE UTD looked set to be 'the best of the rest' before the season kicked off but have been fairly inconsistent this season.

In saying that, Craig Levein's men have still managed, four draws against the Old Firm in the SPL this season although in the last game they went down 2-0 against Rangers at Ibrox.

But looking at regular league form, you have to go back to January 24 to find their last win although that was the sensational comeback from being 2-0 down to winning 3-2 against St Mirren.

Celtic on the other hand have weathered a storm of poor results and last weekend jubilantly picked up the first silverware of the season.

The Parkhead side lifted the Co-operative Insurance Cup after a 2-0 extra-time win over bitter rivals Rangers at a sunny Hampden Stadium.

They are also sitting three points clear at the top of the table and, if Rangers win against Hearts on Saturday, which I think they will, Celtic won't want to surrender their lead.

So what will happen at Tannadice at 2pm on Sunday?

Well who knows but I'm willing to guess that it will be a tight affair but I think Celtic's determination and resilience will pull them through a gruelling 90 minutes with all three points after a 2-1 win.

RANGERS face a tough match just six days after the heartbreak of losing in extra time to bitter rivals Celtic in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final.

But it's back to league business for the Ibrox side who will turn their focus to the ultimate prize and a chance of a league and Homecoming Scottish Cup double.

The home side will be without Davie Weir who picked up a red card in the last league outing when they lost 1-0 to Inverness Caley Thistle at Ibrox.

But the visitors are also a man down after suspension with keeper Janos Balogh out of the game after being dismissed during last weekend's Edinburgh derby.

Hearts beat Rangers last time the two sides met with a 2-1 win at Ibrox and will be hopsing to repeat the feat again.

They are coming off of a defeat against their rivals after losing 1-0 to Hibernian last week.

So both sides will surely be fired up to collect a win come Saturday afternoon.

But I think the notion of going top of the league will be enough to steer Rangers to victory and I think it will be a 2-0 victory to the home side.

ABERDEEN faced cup misery on Wednesday night when they were knocked out of the Homecoming Scottish Cup following a penalty shoot-out with Dunfermline.

The Dons will now have to pick themselves up for their visit to Easter Road at 3pm on Saturday.

Could their cup defeat spur them on to an emphatic victory in Edinburgh?

Hibernian have managed to turn their fotunes around in the past couple of weeks thanks to two wins out of two against Hamilton and Hearts.

This is a very difficult one to predict but I will have a shot anyway. Aberdeen are four points better off than Hibs but I think home advantage will be a major factor.

A high scoring affair could be on the cards and I think it will be 3-2 to HIbernian.