Aberdeen and St. Mirren finished near neighbours last season -- 9th and 11th of 12 -- so rank alone splits nothing here. Against the block the other keeps: Aberdeen takes 1.69 points a game, St. Mirren 1.23 -- the block form is Aberdeen's.
Aberdeen: 46 league matches in the bank, 8 from this season and the rest from last season. St. Mirren: 46 league matches in the bank, 8 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
Aberdeen -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 8th of 12 after 8 games, with 8 points. Last season it finished 9th of 12 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (9th to 12th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 8 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (9th to 12th). Against that block it has won 6, drew 4, lost 3 of 13 -- 22 points of 39. At home against them: won 3 of 7. Away against them: won 3 of 6.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 3, drew 1, lost 12 of 16 (0.62 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 4, lost 8 of 16 (1.00 a game); against the bottom block won 6, drew 4, lost 3 of 13 (1.69 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
St. Mirren -- away
Where it stands
Stands 7th of 12 after 8 games, with 10 points. Last season it finished 11th of 12 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (9th to 12th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 8 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (9th to 12th). Against that block it has won 4, drew 4, lost 5 of 13 -- 16 points of 39. At home against them: won 2 of 6. Away against them: won 2 of 7.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 1, drew 4, lost 11 of 16 (0.44 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 3, lost 8 of 16 (1.12 a game); against the bottom block won 4, drew 4, lost 5 of 13 (1.23 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 0 of 1 (3.00 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.