Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts will look to return to winning ways on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Pittodrie to take on Aberdeen.
Hearts dropped points for just the third time in the Scottish Premiership this season last time out, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Dundee United.
That result, coupled with Celtic’s routine win at home over Kilmarnock, saw the Jambos lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table cut to seven points, with The Hoops having a game in hand.
Nevertheless, Derek McInnes’s men remain unbeaten in the Scottish top flight this term (W9-D3-L0), but travel to Pittodrie having drawn two of their last three.
Aberdeen endured a horror start to the campaign, with Jimmy Thelin’s men earning a solitary point across their opening six Premiership matches (W0-D1-L5), failing to score a single goal.
However, the Dons head into this clash off the back of just one defeat across their last five league outings (W3-D1-L1), but were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell last time out, leaving them in eighth position, just three points above bottom side Livingston.
How the bookies view it: Hearts favourites
Hearts are favourites to bounce back from their draw with Dundee United last time out, with bet365 pricing an away success at 10/11.
Bet365 have the Dons at 3/1 to record their fourth win from their last six clashes in the Scottish top flight, whilst the draw is 5/2.
Head to head: Home a big advantage
This fixture has been dominated by the home side in recent seasons, with the last away victory for either side coming way back in 2017, a run of 24 matches.
The Dons are unbeaten in each of their last 13 Premiership meetings with Hearts at Pittodrie – winning 10 of them (W10-D3-L0) – and they are 39/40 to avoid defeat at bet365 (Aberdeen +0.5 Asian Handicap).
Players to watch: Shankland to strike again?
After a difficult season last term, Lawrence Shankland appears to be back to his best, with the Hearts skipper scoring seven times in the Scottish Premiership this season, including in away matches at Dundee United, Rangers and St Mirren.
Shankland has now scored four goals in his last six appearances for club and country – including one in Scotland’s historic victory over Denmark in midweek – and the 6/4 on offer at William Hill appeals to me here.
Predicted line-ups:
Aberdeen are expected to be without Kristers Tobers, Sivert Helte Nilsen and Peter Ambrose.
Hearts will be missing Frankie Kent, Calem Nieuwenhof and Beni Baningime, whilst Cammy Devlin is a doubt.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Milne, Knoester, Loban, Polvara, Shinnie, Molloy, Armstrong, Karlsson, Lazetic
Hearts: Schwolow, McEntee, Halkett, Findlay, Milne, Magnusson, Devlin, Braga, Kyzridis, Kabore, Shankland
Anything else catch the eye?
Aberdeen’s matches in the Premiership this season have been mostly dull, with their opening 11 matches averaging a league-low 1.82 goals per game.
Under 2.5 Goals has landed in nine (82%) of them, and a repeat pays an appealing 10/11 at bet365.
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