East Kilbride is new to this division, so the rank comparison rests on less than a shared season. Against the block the other keeps: East Kilbride takes 2.14 points a game, Montrose 0.75 -- the block form is East Kilbride's.
East Kilbride: 46 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season in the Scottish League Two. Montrose: 46 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
East Kilbride -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 3rd of 10 after 10 games, with 17 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came up from the Scottish League Two, where it finished 1st of 10.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (8th to 10th). Against that block it has won 9, drew 3, lost 2 of 14 -- 30 points of 42. At home against them: won 4 of 6. Away against them: won 5 of 8.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 3, drew 3, lost 3 of 9 (1.33 a game); against the middle block won 14, drew 1, lost 5 of 20 (2.15 a game); against the bottom block won 9, drew 3, lost 2 of 14 (2.14 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 2, lost 1 of 3 (0.67 a game).
Montrose -- away
Where it stands
Stands 4th of 10 after 10 games, with 15 points. Last season it finished 8th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (8th to 10th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 1, drew 0, lost 3 of 4 -- 3 points of 12. At home against them: won 1 of 2. Away against them: won 0 of 2.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 2, lost 6 of 13 (1.31 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 5, lost 10 of 20 (1.00 a game); against the bottom block won 4, drew 3, lost 2 of 9 (1.67 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 3 of 4 (0.75 a game).
Built 07:05 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.