SlipsTips shares a player-based selection ahead of Hearts and Hibernian’s hotly-anticipated Edinburgh derby on Boxing Day.
Hearts vs Hibernian (Boxing Day, 12:30)
The Edinburgh derby takes centre stage in the Scottish Premiership on Boxing Day as Hearts and Hibernian go head-to-head at Tynecastle.
It would be fair to say both capital clubs have underperformed so far this season, though each team will have been boosted by their weekend wins over Aberdeen and St Johnstone respectively.
Hearts head into this showdown as 11/10 favourites on Boylesports, however I suspect this Boxing Day dust-up will be closer than those pre-match odds’ suggest.
As such, I’m going to bypass the 1×2 market and instead propose a player-based selection that catches the eye.
Nectarios Triantis has been priced up at 10/11 on Betfair to commit two or more fouls during this all-Edinburgh affair and those odds hold plenty of appeal.
The tough-tackling Hibernian midfielder is averaging a team-high 1.50 fouls per-game in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Triantis has been guilty of two or more offences in four of his seven Scottish top-flight appearances away from Easter Road this term, including three of his last five.
The 21-year-old’s combative streak has also coincided with him collecting five yellow cards and one red card in this season’s Scottish Premiership thus far.
Moreover, one of those bookings came after just four minutes when Hibs played host to their bitter rivals Hearts during October’s reverse fixture earlier in the season.
Against Hearts on Boxing Day, Triantis is likely to come up against Cammy Devlin in what promises to be an intensely contested midfield battleground.
The all-action Australian is earning Hearts an average of 1.81 free-kicks per 90 in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Therefore, in a fixture where it is not uncommon to see tensions boil over, the aforementioned Triantis stands out to tackle his way into trouble at least twice at Tynecastle at 10/11 (Betfair).
Recommended Bet
- Nectarios Triantis To Commit 2+ Fouls – 10/11 (Betfair)
Freelance Sports Writer and Betting Analyst with over five years experience. I’ve written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. With a strong passion for the fascinating world of Scottish football, I also regularly feature in Nutmeg, the much-loved Scottish football magazine. Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. Feel free to follow me on X @SlipsTips
