Scotland vs Ireland Prediction, Odds and Lineups: Top Tips for Sunday's Celtic Clash

Scotland and Ireland face off in the second round of the Six Nations on Sunday. This Celtic clash is often a great watch, made even better due to the fact that both teams are in contention to win this year's competition. Scotland are looking to win their first game against Ireland in over 8 years.

This match starts at 15:00 and can be watched live over at BBC.

For my first tip I am predicting for Duhan van der Merwe to score a try.

Next to Finn Russell, Van der Merwe is Scotland's main man these days and is now their top try scorer in history. 

Van der Merwe is a constant danger with his pace and power, and he’s got a great record in this tournament. He has also shown that he loves to step up in big games. Last year, he scored a hat-trick against England, showing just how deadly he can be.

Scotland will need something special to break down Ireland’s defence, and van der Merwe is the man most likely to provide it. If they can get him the ball in space, he’s got a great chance of adding to his try tally.

For my second prediction, I am backing James Lowe to win the Man of the Match award.

Leinster winger James Lowe was exceptional in last week's game against England and, in my eyes, was the standout player on the pitch. He was heavily involved in Ireland's attack from start to finish, always looking for space and creating chances for his teammates. Although he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he played a huge role in Ireland’s win by setting up three tries – a testament to his vision and ability to make things happen.

Lowe is the kind of player who thrives in big games, and this weekend’s clash against Scotland will be no different. Ireland know they’ll need to be at their absolute best to come away with a win in Edinburgh, and you can expect Lowe to be at the heart of everything they do going forward. Whether it’s breaking the defensive line, setting up teammates, or even scoring a try himself, he’s bound to be a key player once again, and odds of 8/1 for him to win man of the match seem too good to turn down.

Scotland vs Ireland Lineups

All eyes for this game were on who would start in the number ten spot for Ireland after Jack Crowley's amazing performance off the bench against England. However, Simon Easterby has decided to stick with Leinster kicker Sam Prendergast for this game. There have been some changes in other areas, however, with Peter O Mahony replacing Ryan Baird. There have been three changes in the Scotland camp.

Scotland Lineup: B Kinghorn, D Graham, H Jones, T Jordan, D Van der Merwe, F Russell, B White; R Sutherland, D Cherry, Z Fagerson, J Gray, G Gilchrist, M Fagerson, R Darge, J Dempsey

Replacements: E Ashman, P Schoeman, W Hurd, S Skinner, G Brown, J Ritchie, J Dobie, S McDowall

Ireland Lineup: Keenan; Hansen, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; Ryan, Beirne; O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris

Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Clarkson, Baird, Conan, Murray, Crowley, Ringrose