This is the seventh meeting between these two sides since the turn of the century, with the Republic of Ireland claiming three victories to Scotland’s two.
Scotland finished second in their group in the first Nations League and recorded an impressive 3-0 win over Ukraine in midweek. Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, only narrowly avoided relegation in a group with Wales, Finland and Bulgaria.
Saturday’s game will take place in front of a packed crowd at Hampden Park, with Ireland having the luxury of a few days to prepare after Scotland’s efforts earlier in the week.
Winner: Republic of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland won the reverse fixture 3-0 and followed up with a draw against Ukraine.
A marked improvement in form gives the visitors a chance of dodging relegation, and they can now put pressure on Ukraine for top spot after their impressive win over Ukraine on Wednesday.
Home advantage is clearly a factor to keep in mind here, especially after seeing their emphatic performance last time out, but that seems to have skewed the odds too far in Scotland’s favour.
The visitors clearly represent the better value in the match winner market at 16/5.
Total Goals: Under 2.5
A low-scoring match is very likely here.
There have been two or fewer goals in three of Republic of Ireland’s four Nations League matches, and the longer history of this fixture also points towards a tense match with few goals.
Since 1961, eight of 10 matches between these teams have seen under 2.5 total goals.
Scotland’s matches have had more goals lately, but their World Cup qualifying campaign was quite the opposite. This under is a decent bet even at 8/15.
Highest Scoring Half: Second Half
With both teams content keeping it cagey to start with, the first half might not provide any goals.
As fatigue plays a part and both managers turn to their benches, more goalscoring opportunities could come after the interval.
The second half has been the highest scoring half in three of the Republic of Ireland’s last five matches.
All odds are subject to change