Partick Thistle welcome Inverness CT to The Energy Check Stadium in Glasgow on 6 January for an enticing Challenge Cup 8th Finals clash. The home side arrive off a confidence-boosting 3-2 victory over Greenock Morton on 3 January, a game in which Tony Watt was recorded as the standout performer with the best player rating. That result continued a strong run for Thistle—five wins, four draws and a solitary defeat in their last ten outings—a sequence that has steadied their Championship campaign and given them belief at Firhill, a ground with around 10,102 seats that can be a lively backdrop for cup football.
Inverness CT, travelling north, bring an attacking threat that has been hard to ignore. Their recent slate includes heavy victories — notably 9-0 away at Dumbarton and a 4-0 home win against Hamilton Academical — alongside a couple of setbacks in the same window. Still, the Caley Thistle record seven wins, one draw and two defeats in their last ten matches and statistical snapshots underline a side that creates chances in volume: strong shot tallies, a high average of attacks and a healthy return of goals both home and away. The head-to-head memory is also fresh; the last meeting ended 1-0 to Partick, so there is familiarity but little to suggest this will be a tame contest.
What the numbers tell us
The raw numbers point toward an open game. Inverness boast substantial attacking statistics across recent fixtures — high shot counts, plenty of shots on target and multiple high-scoring results — while Partick have shown resilience and the ability to respond, as illustrated by their comeback to beat Greenock Morton. Home-team defensive numbers in isolation look mixed, but Partick’s form at Firhill and recent goals suggest they will not simply sit back. Conversely, Inverness’s matches frequently feature multiple goals; their over-2.5 figures stand out and their tendency to convert chances adds weight to expectations of goal action.
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Prediction and betting tip
Expect an open, competitive tie with both teams capable of finding the net. Given Inverness CT’s recent scoring explosions and Partick Thistle’s recent ability to both score and concede, the safest market to target is the goal market. Betting suggestion: back Over 2.5 goals. The data favors a match where at least three goals are likely, and this market captures the attacking inclinations shown by both sides in the run-up to this cup tie.
