Scotland v Malta Betting: Hosts made to wait at Hampden Park

Scotland swept Lithuania aside on Friday night to keep their slender hopes of a World Cup 2018 qualification play-off place alive.

Gordon Strachan's side enjoyed an emphatic 3-0 win against Edgaras Jankauskas' side in Vilnius and the Scots must win each of their final three fixtures - and hope that other results go their way - if they are to stand any realistic chance of reaching Russia.

The first of that triumvirate of crucial qualifiers comes at Hampden Park on Monday night when Scotland play host to minnows Malta in Group F. Strachan's side ran out as 5-1 winners when these two teams met in the reverse fixture and the 60-year-old boss will be hoping for more of the same from his side on home soil.

Getty Images

Scotland are MarathonBet's 7/100 (1.07) favourites to claim the vital victory that they require in Glasgow, with  15/1 (16.0) that Pietro Ghedin's side - beaten 4-0 by Gareth Southgate's England on Friday night - pick up their first point of the qualification campaign from this match.

Monday's visitors have won just one of their last 19 matches and an away win here would certainly go down in Maltese footballing folklore. There is  45/1 (46.0) that Ghedin's team claim a famous win to sink the Scots.

Strachan's side, however, will be brimming with belief given the confident manner with which Lithuania were dispatched on Friday and the Scots will expect to get amongst the goals when they host a Maltese team that has shipped 19 goals in their seven group games so far.

Goal

59/100 (1.59) is available that the Scots win both halves, while the same offer 3/10 (1.30) that Strachan's side win Monday's match by at least three clear goals.

Patience, though, could hold the key to victory for the hosts here. Malta kept England at bay in the first 45 minutes of their meeting on Friday night, while it is worth noting that four of Scotland's five goals in the previous meeting between these teams came after the break.

The 26/25 (2.04) quote, therefore, for most of the goals to come in the second half may well represent best value for punters ahead of this crucial World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park. Scotland have scored nine of their last 12 goals after the interval and there is a possibility that Strachan's side may thrive again in the closing stages.