HIBERNIAN will be looking to make it two wins from two in the Premier Sports Cup when they make the trip to Falkirk on Tuesday night.
After an underwhelming season last time round, there is definitely a feel-good factor surrounding Easter Road ahead of the new Scottish Premiership season.
New boss Lee Johnson got his tenure off to a winning start on Saturday, with Hibs ruthlessly cutting apart Clyde in a 5-0 cruise to victory.
That success coupled with results elsewhere has propelled the Hibees to the top of the pool and they will be looking to tighten their grip on top spot when they head to the Falkirk Stadium this midweek.
As for Falkirk, they have been one of the perennial strugglers in League One in recent years, and this season doesn’t look like it’s going to get any easier in what promises to be a fiercely competitive third tier.
That being said, there have been some encouraging signs from the hosts in recent weeks under new manager John McGlynn, with the Bairns battling to a 0-0 draw at Morton on Saturday before bagging a bonus point via a penalty shootout.
Outright Betting
Falkirk, who won just five of their 18 league matches at home last season, enter this tie as towering 16/1 (William Hill) outsiders while the 90 minute draw is also considered improbable at 6/1 (Bet 365).
Hibernian have triumphed in each of their last two visits to this venue and the same outcome here is heavily fancied at 1/6 with Betfred.
Betting Angles
You won't get rich backing Hibs at the aforementioned price but I'm happy to highlight an alternative offering by dipping into the team cards market.
We can get some 5/6 with Bet 365 on Falkirk to receive over one card on Tuesday night that holds plenty of appeal given the dynamics of this fixture.
The visitors are likely to dominate possession and they'll be expected to be on top for the majority of the game so Falkirk may have to revert to the dark arts if they are to tame their top-flight opponents.
While it is still very early in the season, the Bairns were involved in a fiery Group D opener with Morton on Saturday, with John McGlynn's team receiving one red card and two yellows at Cappielow.
Given that a visit from top-flight Hibs will represent a significant step up in class, backing the Bairns to pick up two or more bookings during this televised tussle looks worthy of interest at 5/6 (Bet 365).
It's also worth noting that referees Kevin Clancy was one of the most card-happy referee in the Scottish Premiership last season – averaging 5.12 cards per-game – and that appointment only adds to the appeal of supporting the aforementioned selection at the Falkirk Stadium.
With all things considered, I'll also have a play on over two match cards at 4/5 with Bet 365.
It's a bet that would have paid out in 23 of the 32 (71.8%) matches whistler Clancy took charge of across all competitions last term, yet the odds imply 55.6% chance of the same wager delivering profit on Tuesday night.
This Scottish League Cup match between Falkirk and Hibernian will be played on Jul 12, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Falkirk vs Hibernian prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.