Montrose vs Ross County Prediction

Ross County are on a roll that would make your eyes water. Five wins from five, 33 goals scored, 2 conceded. You read that and think, "right, that's a bit much." And you'd be right — 14-0 to Hearts U21 and 8-0 to Queen of the South are the sort of scores you see in a pub quiz, not a Saturday kick-off. But strip out the cup games and the away win at Cove Rangers (2-0) still shows a side that travels well and doesn't just park the bus.

Montrose, on the other hand, have been having a bit of a rough patch. Three losses from the last three — 0-1 at Airdrie United on 3 October, 1-2 at Kelty Hearts, and 2-3 at Formartine United. Three goals in, six out. They did pick up two wins before that stretch, 2-1 at East Fife and 2-1 against Cove Rangers at home on 12 September, so they're not a team that's gone to pieces. But the last three results are the ones that matter when you're sitting down with a bet slip.

The head-to-head is short but clear. The only meeting in the last 12 months was on 8 August at Ross County's ground, 2-1 to the hosts. The older meetings — stretching back to 2017 — are historical record, but they show Ross County winning four of five, including a 0-6 away win at Montrose. I'd treat those as background colour rather than a trend, but the recent meeting and the overall record both point the same way.

On the venue numbers, Ross County's away record over 20 games is 11 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses, scoring 2 per game and conceding 1.05. Montrose at home have 11 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses, scoring 1.85 and conceding 1.5. Both sides are competitive in their respective grounds, but Ross County's recent away form gives them the edge.

The counter-argument? Montrose won 7 of their last 10 across all venues, and that 2-1 home win over Cove Rangers showed they can handle pressure. Also, Ross County's most comparable recent results — 4-1 against Alloa, 2-0 at Cove Rangers — suggest a more measured output than the 14-0 and 8-0 scores might imply. A 3-1 or 4-1 Ross County win is entirely possible, which would clear the 2.5 line but not by a huge margin.

Key Points:

• Ross County have won their last 5, scoring 33 and conceding 2

• Montrose have lost their last 3, scoring 3 and conceding 6

• All 5 previous meetings between the sides went over 2.5 goals

• Both teams' last 10 games saw 9 of 10 finish over 2.5

• Ross County's away record: 11W 4D 5L in 20 games, 2 goals per game

My pick: over 2.5 goals at 1.6.