Falkirk vs Celtic Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Falkirk vs Celtic Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: January 14, 2026 | Falkirk Stadium | Scottish Premiership | 19:45 GMT

Deja vu strikes as Celtic head into their second game of the Martin O'Neill interim era... again. They travel to Falkirk, who are revelling in surprising fans of the Premiership having worked themselves comfortably into sixth at this stage. Celtic will be keen to leave behind the bad memories of their time under Wilfried Nancy with another win, one that could apply pressure on Hearts at the top of the table, should they pick up all three points.

Key Betting Tips: BTTS @ 1.70 odds on BoyleSports, 1.67 odds on Kwiff or 1.66 odds on QuinnBet all represent good value based on the tip provided by Football Park's advanced algorithm.

The visitors will look to continue their new(ish) manager bounce under Martin O'Neill, but based on how poor they were under Wilfried Nancy, it may still be a bit of a risk to back Celtic. Both sides have looked capable in front of goal, but have also been known to let in a couple more than they'd like, so BTTS looks like a good bet based on the odds provided.

Falkirk vs Celtic Predicted Lineups

Falkirk Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Scott Bain; Leon McCann, Liam Henderson, Connor Allan, Filip Lissah; Dylan Tait, Brad Spencer; Calvin Miller, Finn Yeats, Kyrell Wilson; Barney Stewart

John McGlynn's side have several injuries that may cause a few headaches for the manager, with Gary Oliver, Jamie Sneddon, Lewis Neilson and Thomas Lang all missing from action recently. Ross MacIver returned to the bench last time out, but didn't get any time on the pitch.

Celtic Predicted XI (4-3-3): Kasper Schmeichel; Kieran Tierney, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty, Julian Araujo; Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, Arne Engels; Sebastian Tounekti, Daizen Maeda, Hyun-Jun Yang

Celtic's injury list is set to start decreasing in the coming weeks, with Jota and Kelechi Iheanacho's returns immenent, while Marcelo Saracchi is expected back in a few weeks. Beyond that, Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand are set to come back to the fray in early March. Unfortunately, it looks as though Cameron Carter-Vickers will be out for the remainder of the season as a result of his Achilles tendon injury.

Falkirk vs Celtic Current League Standings

Something tells me that John McGlynn has become a hero in Falkirk, having won back-to-back promotions, and titles, to bring the club back into the Premiership, to then go on and have them up in sixth over halfway through the season. Their win against St. Mirren last time out means they are now five points clear of Dundee United in seventh, which is a very nice gap for Falkirk to have established, but there is no time for complacency as they face a massive test in the form of Celtic.

The visitors experienced nothing short of a disaster under Nancy, but O'Neill reminded the Premiership of what a monster Celtic can still be in their 4-0 win against Dundee United over the weekend. After their dreadful form throughout December, combined with their poor start to the season under Brendan Rodgers which now feels like a lifetime ago, Celtic now find themselves in third place six points behind Hearts at the top. All hope is not lost though, as there are still plenty of games left to be played, but they'll need to be on top form all the way through the rest of the season to have a hope at winding up as champions.

Falkirk vs Celtic Head-to-Head Timeline

These sides have only met on five occasions before, with this game to be their second fixture against each other in league football, the first four games all coming in cup competitions. Falkirk will be looking to break the historical pattern that has been established by their dominant opponents, as Celtic have won every time they've faced off.

Not only have Celtic won every game, but they've won them all comfortably too. They've never scored less than three goals in a game against Falkirk, with the total aggregate score across their previous encounters clocking in at 19-4 to Celtic. It's going to take quite a display to finally beat their opponents, but if there's any season so far that it could happen, it's this one.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• October 29, 2025: Celtic 4-0 Falkirk (Premiership)
• August 15, 2025: Celtic 4-1 Falkirk (League Cup)
• September 22, 2024: Celtic 5-2 Falkirk (League Cup)
• April 3, 2021: Celtic 3-0 Falkirk (Scottish Cup)
• January 29, 2012: Falkirk 1-3 Celtic (League Cup)

Falkirk and Celtic Recent Matches Analysis

Falkirk Last 5 Matches:

• Falkirk 2-0 St. Mirren (A) - Premiership
• Falkirk 1-0 Aberdeen (H) - Premiership
• Falkirk 0-1 Dundee FC (A) - Premiership
• Falkirk 1-0 Kilmarnock (A) - Premiership
• Falkirk 0-2 Hearts (H) - Premiership

Winning three out of five games is an excellent position for Falkirk to be in at the moment and they have, for the most part, been picking off the sides chasing them, which has allowed them to establish their five point gap in sixth. They've looked composed and assured at the back when they've won, keeping clean sheets in each of their last three wins, but when they've lost it's been a complete contrast, as they've struggled to threaten the opposition's goal.

Celtic Last 5 Matches:

• Celtic 4-0 Dundee United (H) - Premiership
• Celtic 1-3 Rangers (H) - Premiership
• Celtic 0-2 Motherwell (A) - Premiership
• Celtic 4-2 Livingston (A) - Premiership
• Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen (H) - Premiership

Losing the Old Firm at home was the straw that broke the camel's back, seeing Nancy sacked after just six games in charge of Celtic. O'Neill certainly achieved an instant impact when he took the reins again, with an emphatic 4-0 win against Dundee United, but that doesn't mean we should expect them to be able to repeat that trick this time out. There's clearly issues with Celtic that Falkirk will be looking to exploit, including their recent defensive record, conceding eight times in four games.

Falkirk vs Celtic Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with a 64.00% confidence in Both Teams To Score. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Falkirk vs Celtic Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: BTTS @ 1.70 odds on BoyleSports - Backing either side feels like too much of a risk as we don't know which Celtic will turn up on the day, but opting for both sides to find the net seems like a better option with decent odds.

Key Players to Watch: Falkirk vs Celtic

Filip Lissah (Falkirk): On loan for the season from Swansea, the 21-year old fullback has looked very impressive for Falkirk this season, delivering consistently dependable performances as of late. Composed on the ball and strong defensively, Lissah offers great coverage of the right flank at the back and even popped up with the match winning goal against Aberdeen a couple of games ago. Discipline seems like a but of an issue, though, as he is prone to making fouls and picking up bookings, so it'll be interesting to see how Lissah responds to the ability of the Celtic wingers and if he can stay out of the referee's book.

Hyun-Jun Yang (Celtic): Now in his third season with Celtic, Yang has established himself as a versatile player on either wing, but his performances lately have stood out especially, as he seems to have found an eye for goal. All three of his goals in the league this season have come in his last four games, netting against Livingston, Rangers and Dundee United, perhaps making him one of the only positives of Nancy's short reign. He looks like he's taken his form into O'Neill's interim stint as well, so he'll be looking to keep it up and put his name on the scoresheet for the third game in a row.

Falkirk vs Celtic Match Facts

Broadcast Details: Premier Sports 1 HD

Referee: N/A

Stadium Information: Falkirk Stadium has a capacity of 7,937, with three completed stands, and has been in use since 2004.

Falkirk vs Celtic: Final Prediction

Falkirk 2-1 Celtic