SlipsTips is back with another Bet Builder ahead of Hibernian and Hearts' hotly-anticipated Scottish Cup showdown at Easter Road on Sunday afternoon.
Hibernian vs Heart of Midlothian (Sunday, 14:00)
The standout fixture from this weekend's fourth round Scottish Cup ties takes place at Easter Road on Sunday afternoon, as Hibernian host arch-rivals Heart of Midlothian.
The two teams are having widely contrasting seasons, with Hibs currently down in sixth place in the Scottish Premiership table, while Hearts are in the driving seat to secure another third-place finish.
The Jambos kicked off 2023 with a resounding 3-0 win over their capital neighbours and they make the short trip across town as 7/5 favourites to repeat the trick on Sunday.
While the above-mentioned price will attract plenty of attention from punters, I‘m instead going to side with a 4/5 (William Hill) Bet Builder by throwing together Hearts to Score and 40+ Match Booking Points.
Robbie Neilson’s side are in a rich vein of form of the moment, annihilating Aberdeen 5-0 in midweek, meaning they have scored at least once in 13 of their last 14 matches across all competitions.
In fact, only Old Firm heavyweights Celtic and Rangers have racked up more league goals than the Jambos this season, which doesn’t bode well for a Hibs defence that have been leaking goals at an alarming rate of lae.
Lee Johnson’s side have posted just one clean sheet across their last nine top-flight outings, conceding multiple goals in a sizeable seven of those occasions.
I’m therefore more than happy to back Hearts to hit the back of the net here, and with a hotly-anticipated contest anticipated, I’ll also go with 40+ Match Booking Points.
It goes without saying that there's certainly no love lost between the two, so referee Don Robertson – who has averaged 50+ Booking Points per game in the Scottish top-flight this term – should be kept busy here given that we have all the necessary ingredients required for a blood and thunder derby.
It’s also worth pointing out that this this Bet Builder would have paid out in each of the previous two encounters between the pair this term, and that only adds to the appeal of siding with the same 4/5 (William Hill) combination in the capital on Sunday.
Recommended Bet
- Over 0.5 Hearts Goals
- Over 39.5 Match Booking Points
- Build Your Odds – 4/5 (William Hill)