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Scotland return to Hampden for their fifth match of an as-yet uninspiring UEFA Nations League campaign.
The Scots welcome North Macedonia to Glasgow, with locals desperate for a win and all three points. You can follow the action live on TV from 19:45 GMT.
Will Scotland get the result they want and give the Tartan Army something to cheer about? Bookmakers have the home win as their pre-match favourite, with the odds suggesting the visitors have little chance of getting anything from the match.
Keep reading as football betting writer Frank Monkhouse uses Flashscore data to find his three strongest predictions.
Scotland vs North Macedonia: Betting tips
2-4 match goals @ 8/15 (bet365)
Scotland score in both halves 10/11 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Result - Scotland win
After losing two of their previous three Nations League matches, Scotland face a must-win against North Macedonia. I’m confident they’ll claim the points.
Let’s start with the visitors. North Macedonia are at the bottom of the group after four straight defeats. They’ve failed to score a goal so far, but have already conceded 10. That’ll encourage a Scotland attack that has found the net three times.
One of North Macedonia’s defeats came against Friday evening’s opponents, with Scotland winning 2-0 in Skopje last month. Goals from Bowie and McGinn handed new manager Sebastien Pocognoli his first and only win as Scotland boss.
Since that impressive 2-0 victory on the road, Scotland have lost 2-1 at home to Slovenia. The Scots took the lead through a goal from Christie on 31 minutes and led at the break. Matko and Sturm turned three points into none following a second-half collapse.
Is Pocognoli the right man to lead Scotland? He’s not long in the door, having replaced Steve Clarke after a poor showing at the 2026 World Cup. Many members of the Tartan Army remain unconvinced, but will turn out in their numbers and support the players as they always do.
Following that solid win in Skopje, the backing of the home support, and everyone connected to the home dressing room knowing a win is essential, I’m happy to stick with Scotland.
When you follow this bet, you’re not too bothered by who scores or when. As long as Scotland find the net more times than North Macedonia on the night, you’ll beat the bookies and boost your balance.
The odds available on a Scotland win make this one best suited to your weekend accumulators or Scotland vs North Macedonia Bet Builders.
Tip: Scotland win @ 2/11 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Scotland must take all three points from Friday’s crucial meeting with North Macedonia at Hampden.
Match goals - 2-4 goals
My second prediction comes from the total match goals betting market.
Here, the winning team isn’t important, and the bet covers goals scored by both nations combined. You need Scotland vs North Macedonia to produce more than one goal, but fewer than five. A 2-0 home win pays the same as a 2-2 draw or a 2-1 upset for the visitors.
Let’s look at how these teams have performed in this season’s Nations League so far.
A bet on 2-4 match goals landed when Scotland lost 3-0 to Switzerland and 2-1 to Slovenia, with both defeats coming at Friday’s venue. It was also a smart bet when Pocognoli’s team beat North Macedonia 2-0 on the road in early October.
We know North Macedonia has four defeats from four games. Let’s now look at the results in a bit more detail.
The Lynxes opened with a 3-0 home defeat to Switzerland, before losing 2-0 away to Slovenia. Then came that 2-0 loss to Scotland, before Goce Sedloski’s men slipped to a 3-0 reverse at the Thermoplan Arena.
Scotland and North Macedonia have played a combined eight games. A bet on 2-4 goals landed in all but one of those matches. That’s good enough for me.
Take Scotland vs North Macedonia to give us between two and four goals. Your bet is live for the entire match, giving armchair fans an interest in every attack.
Tip: 2-4 match goals @ 8/15 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Friday’s match at Hampden to produce between two and four goals to win this bet. The winning team and scorers aren’t important here.
Score in both halves - Scotland
I wrap things up with a bet at slightly higher odds, taking Scotland to score in both halves.
Scotland failed to score a single goal in their opening two games, after ending 0-0 in Slovenia and losing 3-0 at home to Switzerland, playing most of the match with 10 men.
Last month, things improved slightly. Scotland beat North Macedonia, with Bowie netting on seven minutes, and McGinn converting a penalty with 69 minutes on the clock. Christie scored to make it 1-0 against Slovenia in Glasgow last time, but Scotland couldn’t build on that early advantage.
Every Scotland fan wants to see the perfect performance on Friday, with the home team showing their quality over 90 minutes, creating plenty of chances, and scoring goals.
Despite losing to Slovenia in October, Scotland finished with 54.1 per cent possession, created 12 shots at goal, and had no fewer than 18 touches in the opposition box.
Scotland must be ruthless in attack on Friday. The crowd will help them achieve that.
Tip: Scotland to score in both halves @ 10/11 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Scotland must score at least one goal in the first half against North Macedonia, and another in the second half.