Preview: St Mirren vs Kilmarnock - prediction, team news, lineups

St Mirren and Kilmarnock meet at the SMISA Stadium on Saturday in a pivotal clash in the Scottish Premiership relegation battle.

The hosts are 11th in the standings with 30 points from 35 games, while the visitors are 10th with 31 points from 35 league fixtures.

Match preview

St Mirren have endured a disastrous 2025-26 Scottish Premiership campaign, with the Saints facing demotion from the top-flight for the first time since being promoted from the Championship in 2017-18.

After placing sixth twice and fifth in the last three seasons, the Saints have fallen to 11th in the Scottish Premiership table as it stands, with just three matches remaining to secure their top-flight survival.

Craig McLeish's side have fallen into the relegation playoff place during the post-split term, having lost both of their two games, and with Kilmarnock picking up three points against Dundee United last weekend, St Mirren now find themselves a point behind Saturday's opponents.

Those defeats extended St Mirren's losing streak to four consecutive fixtures, and they will be desperate to end that streak with a much-needed win on Saturday, especially ahead of difficult meetings with Aberdeen and Dundee United - the top two teams in the relegation group table.

While the Saints have lost all of their last four matches, Killie ended their three-game winless run with a fantastic 3-0 victory against Dundee Utd last weekend, moving them out of the bottom two and one point above St Mirren.

Neil McCann, who was appointed in January, has overseen a significant improvement since joining the club, recording five wins, three draws and six defeats in 14 league fixtures - a major upturn compared to two wins, seven draws and 12 defeats in the prior 21 Scottish Premiership games.

Kilmarnock will be eager to build on last weekend's win with another triumph on Saturday, which would move them four points above St Mirren in the relegation playoff zone with just two league games remaining.

Kilmarnock will draw confidence from their league encounters with the Saints this season, having won two and drawn one of their three clashes, although they were held to a 0-0 draw at the SMISA Stadium.

St Mirren Scottish Premiership form:

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St Mirren form (all competitions):

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Kilmarnock Scottish Premiership form:

W W L D L W

Team News

St Mirren are anticipated to be without Shamal George, Ryan Mullen, Keanu Baccus, Malik Dijksteel, Liam Donnelly, Jonah Ayunga and Dan Nlundulu due to injury issues.

After suffering their fourth straight defeat last weekend, McLeish could make multiple changes on Saturday, meaning the likes of Conor McMenamin, Marcus Fraser and Jake Young could start.

Kilmarnock, meanwhile, are dealing with injuries to Matty Kennedy, Djenairo Daniels, Tyreece John-Jules and Jamie Brandon, while the remainder of the squad should be available for selection.

Following a crucial 3-0 triumph against Dundee United last time out, McCann is likely to name an unchanged team in this potentially pivotal relegation clash with St Mirren.

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Sinclair; Richardson, King, Freckleton, Fraser, McMenamin; Devaney, Campbell; Phillips; Young, Mandron

Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:

Stryjek; Curtis, Stanger, Deas, Schjonning-Larsen; Kiltie, Lowery, Tshibola; Hugill, Anderson, Clescenco

We say: St Mirren 0-2 Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock will be boosted by their recent win and also boast an unbeaten record against St Mirren this season, leading us to expect an away win on Saturday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.