HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN and Celtic treated us to a seven-goal thriller when they last locked horns at Tynecastle and armchair fans will be hoping for more of the same when they renew hostilities in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
This is the second half of a league and cup double-header, with the Hoops winning 3-1 at Parkhead on Wednesday night as yet another bet builder landed for our man Slips Tips.
That kept Ange Postecoglou's men nine points clear at the top of the SPFL Premiership and they remain on track for the Treble, although this tricky tie at Tynecastle represents a massive hurdle.
Hearts are by far the strongest side in Scotland outwith the Old Firm and went toe-to-toe with Celtic in Edinburgh earlier this season before eventually losing 4-3.
Robbie Neilson's men also took the lead at Celtic Park in midweek and always carry a threat going forward, which bodes well for an exciting cup tie.
Heart of Midlothian blazed a trail to last season's Scottish Cup Final before eventually losing in extra-time to Rangers so they will fancy their chances of going all the way if they can dump Celtic out.
How the bookies view it
With Celtic unbeaten in their last 25 domestic games, winning 24, it's no surprise to see them at 1/9 with McBookie to go through and a best 1/3 with Coral for a win inside 90 minutes. Backing Hearts to reach the semis pays 5/1 at McBookie while the odds increase to 44/5 with SBK for a win in normal time. Don't rule out the draw at 90 minutes and it pays 5/1 with Bet365.
Recent head to head
Heart of Midlothian claimed a 2-1 Tynecastle victory over Celtic when Postecoglou took charge of his first Premiership game. But the Aussie has outwitted Neilson in every game since then, winning seven in a row. The last two Scottish Cup meetings have both been in the final, with Celtic winning 2-1 in 2019 then coming out on top in a shoot-out the following year after a 3-3 thriller.
Players to watch
Hearts top scorer Lawrence Shankland missed the midweek defeat through injury but Neilson then claimed the striker would be fit for this Cup clash. He scored a hat-trick in that 4-3 loss to Celtic earlier in the season and is a tempting 13/5 with Bet365 for another goal here.
Postecoglou rested a few big hitters in midweek with the likes of Reo Hatate and Jota starting on the bench. An injury to Daizen Maeda saw Jota come on earlier than planned and he should start on the right wing at Tynecastle. The Portuguese is 13/8 at BoyleSports for a goal but might be better for an assist once that market is priced up.
Anything else catch the eye?
Wednesday's Premiership game was a cracking watch because Hearts opted against parking the bus and caused Celtic a few problems. With the Tynecastle crowd behind them in a cup tie, I'd expect the Jambos to go for it again and that should lead to another thriller.
Both teams to score is just 3/4 at Bet365 and over 2.5 goals even shorter at a best 4/9 with Ladbrokes. But combining both those selections in a Bet365 bet builder takes you to 20/21. Over 1.5 first-half goals is another decent option and that pays evens with the same firm.
There's usually a bit of needle when these sides face off and the fact it's a cup tie means we could see even more tasty tackles. I've yet to see prices for total cards but Jambos full-back James Hill looks decent at 2/1 with William Hill to be carded after being fortunate to escape a yellow at Parkhead in midweek.
Both sides play with plenty of width and Tynecastle is quite a tight pitch so over 11 corners also appeals at 6/5 with Bet365.
This Scottish Cup match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic will be played on Mar 11, 2023 and kick off at 12:15. Check below for our tipsters best Heart of Midlothian vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
