With the two sides now likely finding themselves in a battle for fifth spot in the Scottish Premiership table, Ross County and Motherwell will square off at Victoria Park on Saturday.
The two teams each snuck into the Championship group when the Scottish top flight split but are yet to pick up a win in two attempts in the second phase of the campaign.
Match preview
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Ahead of the Scottish Premiership's split into two groups after 33 games, Ross County put themselves in the mix for a top-six place as they recorded three straight wins over St Johnstone, Motherwell and St Mirren running into the beginning of March.
After a heavy defeat to Celtic, a draw with Hearts and a final-day win over Aberdeen were enough to book their place in the Championship group.
They were given a tough start to the second phase with a home meeting against league leaders Celtic, and Malky Mackay's side were unable to spring any surprises, falling to a 2-0 defeat.
They then hosted third-placed Hearts last time out and were able to earn a commendable point as they held the Jambos to a goalless draw, moving a point clear of Saturday's opponents as a result.
With just three games left and fourth-placed Dundee United three points ahead, the Staggies do still have an outside chance of a top-four finish, but they will firstly look to move further clear of their visitors with a win at the weekend.
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Motherwell, meanwhile, arrive aiming to bounce back from consecutive defeats since taking a place in the top six.
Graham Alexander's side took on Livingston in their final game of the first phase in a decider for the top six, and, after trailing 2-0, they snatched a draw thanks to Callum Slattery's goal and Ricki Lamie's 93rd-minute equaliser.
That was enough to secure a place in the Championship group, but the second phase has not gone to plan so far, as the Well firstly succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Rangers, who played with 10 men for an hour.
They then travelled to take on Dundee United last weekend and left empty-handed as Dylan Levitt's first-half goal made the only difference between the sides.
Such a result leaves Alexander's men sixth in the top flight, one point behind Saturday's opponents and four shy of the Tangerines, and they will see a win as crucial on Saturday if they are to crack the top five in the final three weeks.
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Team News
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Ross County are set to remain without goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, leaving Ross Laidlaw uncontested between the sticks.
Jordan White should continue to lead the line, while Regan Charles-Cook and Blair Spittal are threats on the flanks, having hit 10 and six goals respectively this season.
Captain Keith Watson will again partner Alex Iacovitti at the heart of the back four.
Motherwell are without midfielder Barry Maguire due to an injury, while Scotland international Stephen O'Donnell may also continue a spell on the sidelines.
However, key attacker Kevin van Veen will return from a suspension, and he is in line to come back into the starting XI, having hit eight goals and provided five assists in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Sean Goss could again line up alongside Callum Slattery and Dean Cornelius in a talented midfield trio.
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Laidlaw; Randall, Watson, Iacovitti, Vokins; Tillson, Paton; Spittal, Callachan, Charles-Cook; White
Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Kelly; Mugabi, Ojala, Lamie, Carroll; Cornelius, Slattery, Goss; Tierney; Shields, Van Veen
We say: Ross County 2-1 Motherwell
Ross County should come in on a relative high following their solid display against Hearts, while Alexander's side will be hit by consecutive losses, and we see the Staggies triumphing with home advantage as a result.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Motherwell win with a probability of 41.08%. A win for Ross County had a probability of 31.54% and a draw had a probability of 27.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a Motherwell win was 0-1 with a probability of 11.66%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.46%) and 0-2 (7.62%). The likeliest Ross County win was 1-0 (9.9%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.94%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with an 11.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Motherwell in this match.
