CELTIC'S commanding lead in the SPFL Premiership title race has been whittled away and they head into this clash with Heart of Midlothian desperate to avoid another slip-up.
When Michael Beale was axed by Rangers the Hoops were seven points clear of their rivals and looked set to increase that advantage as Philippe Clement got his feet under the table at Ibrox.
But the advantage will now be just two points if Gers win their game in hand and Celtic face the prospect of being toppled from the summit if Clement's side win the New Year derby at Parkhead.
The clash with the Jambos is one of three Premiership games before that pivotal showdown and Brendan Rodgers will be looking to bank maximum points from a tough run of festive fixtures.
A second-half collapse at Kilmarnock on Sunday saw Rodgers' side crash to a 2-1 defeat in a game where all my recommended bets landed. But they bounced back in style on Wednesday, beating Feyenoord 2-1 at Parkhead to claim their first home win in the Champions League group stage for over a decade.
That gave the fans a long-overdue party on a big European night but Heart of Midlothian will be hoping there's a Hoops hangover as Steven Naismith's men look to get back on track after successive Premiership defeats to Rangers and Aberdeen.
It looked like the Jambos had a turned a corner after racking up four successive wins in the league but defeat at Parkhead would make it a hat-trick of defeats after that impressive run of results.
Naismith still his doubters among the Tynecastle support but if he can lead them to victory at the home of the champions it would be a feather in his cap as Hearts look to build momentum ahead of their own festive derby on December 27 at Easter Road.
How the bookies view it
Celtic are always heavy favourites at home in the Premiership and their best price here is just 1/4 with Bet365. Heart of Midlothian are 10/1 with most firms and the draw pays 11/2 at Paddy Power.
Recent head to head
Celtic turned in probably their best domestic performance of the season when they last faced Hearts as they romped to a 4-1 win at Tynecastle, bringing up a bet for our man Mark. That made it 10 victories in a row against the Jambos and you have to go all the way back to 2009 for the last time Hearts won at Celtic Park.
Players to watch
Luis Palma is the only Celtic summer signing to make a big impact so far and the winger looks like he will score a lot of goals if he stays fit. He's scored his third Hoops penalty on Wednesday night and that makes him a good option for anytime scorer at 9/5 with Paddy Power.
It's hard to look past Lawrence Shankland for a Hearts goal as nobody else in Naismith's squad has managed more than two strikes all season. The Scotland striker netted in the defeat at Pittodrie last time out and is overpriced at 3/1 with Unibet for another goal here.
Anything else catch the eye?
Even though Celtic totally outplayed Hearts at Tynecastle they still conceded a goal and clean sheets have been in short supply all season. Rodgers' side have only kept one in their last eight outings so BTTS looks good here at 10/11 with Bet365.
Celtic were great value for corners under former boss Ange Postecoglou and that trend has continued under Rodgers. Their last four matches have seen 14 or more flag kicks and the tally has hit double figures in their last seven domestic outings. We only had eight when these teams last faced off at Tynecastle but over 11 corners still looks good here at 5/4 with Bet365 while Celtic -4 in the handicap pays 21/20 at BetVictor.
This fixture is usually pretty spicy and it could be a busy day for the officials. The Jambos picked up seven yellows in their loss to Aberdeen and one of them went to fit-again midfielder Beni Baningime. He has three bookings from his last seven outings and is worth backing for a card once that market is priced up.
This Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian will be played on Dec 16, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Celtic vs Heart of Midlothian prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
