Live on ESPN: Sun 12.00: Hearts (6/5, Skybet) have the edge in what’s set to be a low scoring Edinburgh derby in the SPL.
There’ll certainly be no quarter given at Tynecastle as Hearts and Hibs lock horns in the Edinburgh derby but viewers shouldn’t expect fireworks given that the pair have produced just three goals between them in this season’s previous four league and cup meetings.
One of those was an own goal to boot, so it’s hard to see the sides serving up a glut this afternoon and in fact Stan James’s 5/6 about a tally of fewer than three goals is one of the best bets ahead of the Gorgie showdown.
In the SPL this term, all three clashes have finished all square and punters are expected to get stuck into another draw, at 23/10 with William Hill as well as BetVictor’s 10/1 marked against a third consecutive goalless affair in this fixture.
However, the smart money is on Gary Locke’s men, who have to be backed at 6/5 via Skybet to maintain their record of beating their rivals at least once in every season since the 2000/2001 campaign.
It has been another turbulent year for the Jambos but in recent weeks they seem to have steadied the ship and looking more relaxed, Hearts have picked up three victories in their last four outings.
By contrast, the Hibees, bet365’s 13/5 underdogs, are in wretched form having registered just the one league win in 2013 and with one eye on the cup final in a fortnight’s time, they’re very easy to oppose here.
In what should be a low-scoring encounter, Stan James go 7/1 about Hearts grabbing the only goal and the Jambos are also worth considering at 14/5 (Ladbrokes) to secure any victory ‘to nil’.
At 5/1 with bet365, prolific Hibs front man Leigh Griffiths is set to shoulder the bulk of punters’ first scorer cash but as the visitors might find it hard to break their opponents down, Hearts striker John Sutton is arguably a better bet at an identical price, this time via Betfred.
Recommended Bets:
Hearts to beat Hibs ‘to nil’ – 14/5 (Ladbrokes)
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