The Scottish Premiership is back and there has been plenty of talk about Celtic, Rangers and Heart of Midlothian ahead of the big kick-off, but there are interesting stories elsewhere in the division too.
One of them relates to this game at McDiarmid Park, where St Johnstone mark their return to the top tier with a match against Kilmarnock.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock head to head overview
- Date: Sunday 2nd August.
- Kick-off: 2pm.
- Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scotland.
- Where to watch: Sky Sports Football.
- Referee: John Beaton.
- VAR: Yes.
- Last meeting: 3rd May 2025; St Johnstone 0-2 Kilmarnock.
- Last 10 matches: St Johnstone – 5 wins; Kilmarnock – 4 wins; Draws – 1.
- Favourite to win: St Johnstone.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock predicted lineups
- St Johnstone expected lineup: Steward, Smith, Diabate, Mitchell, Foulds, McAlear, Holt, Chalmers, Gullan, Stanton, Paton.
- Kilmarnock expected lineup: Stryjek, Schjonning-Larsen, Schilte-Brown, Deas, Bowie, O’Hara, Rice, Kiltie, Ring, Hugill, John-Jules.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock predictions
The Scottish Premiership season begins this weekend, with St Johnstone and Kilmarnock taking their first steps in 2026/27 on Sunday afternoon.
St Johnstone are back in the big time following promotion from the Championship last time out. The Saints had been relegated the year before, ending a 16-year stay in the top flight, but they bounced back at the first time of asking.
It was pretty comfortable as well. St Johnstone finished 11 points clear of second-placed Partick Thistle after winning 22 and drawing 11 of their 36 matches.
Needless to say, St Johnstone are unlikely to taste victory quite so often this time around. Survival is the goal for Simo Valakari and his players, who would happily settle for a 10th-place finish were they offered it right now.
That is where Kilmarnock finished in 2025/26. Derek McInnes departed at the end of the previous campaign and Killie struggled to replace him.
Stuart Kettlewell lasted until the middle of December, but a 10-game winless streak saw him sacked shortly before Christmas. Kilmarnock did not win any of their next six matches either, and by the start of May they were staring relegation in the face.
Then came the rally. Kilmarnock collected maximum points from their last four games to keep their heads above water.
Having initially struggled to change the mindset of the side, Neil McCann eventually got his attacking methods across, and Killie promptly scored 13 goals in those last four fixtures to secure survival.
Kilmarnock fans will be hoping for a smoother season this time around, but both they and St Johnstone are more likely to be closer to the bottom of the Premiership than the top.
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock betting tips
St Johnstone take on Kilmarnock on the opening weekend of the Scottish Premiership season.
Who gets off to winning start?
Kilmarnock may have ended last season strongly, but the jury is still out on whether they have enough to survive.
Findlay Curtis, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers, has now returned to his parent club, and he will be difficult to replace.
To be clear, St Johnstone have issues of their own. Josh McPake is one of several players to have sought pastures new over the summer, the winger joining last season’s runners-up Heart of Midlothian.
But promoted teams have momentum behind them and often start well. St Johnstone can triumph in front of their own fans on matchday one.
⚽ Back St Johnstone to win at 9/8 with 247Bet ⚽
Goals await in Perth
As we saw in the final few games of last term, Neil McCann wants Kilmarnock to play a more front-footed brand of football.
The upside is that Killie will probably score more goals than they managed in their first 34 games in 2025/26 (37), but they may well end up with a worse defensive record too.
St Johnstone will obviously not be as dominant in the Premiership as they were in the Championship, but in this game at least they will aim to give Kilmarnock plenty to think about.
All of which points to an entertaining encounter at McDiarmid Park on Sunday.
⚽ Tip over 2.5 goals at 7/10 with BoyleSports ⚽
Plenty of goalscorer options
There is no overwhelming favourite in the anytime goalscorer market, which reflects the uncertainty around St Johnstone and Kilmarnock’s attacks.
The aforementioned Josh McPake was St Johnstone’s top scorer last term, but he is now on the books of Hearts.
As for Kilmarnock, none of their players scored more than eight goals in all competitions in 2025/26.
Our pick to find the back of the net is James Gullan, who struck 17 times for St Johnstone in their promotion-winning season.
⚽ Go for James Gullan to score any time at 8/5 with SBK ⚽
St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock latest odds
Find the latest St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.
More Scottish Premiership predictions
We have plenty more Scottish Premiership predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.
Important historical facts about St Johnstone and Kilmarnock for betting
St Johnstone lost only three games in 90 minutes in all competitions last season. Kilmarnock won their last four matches in 2025/26 to avoid relegation. Only one of the last 15 meetings between these two teams has been a draw.
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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