Heart of Midlothian have the chance to strike a huge blow in the SPFL Premiership title race but this clash with champions Celtic is a huge test of mettle with several key players missing.
The Jambos have won all four of their clashes with the Old Firm this season and fans are dreaming of a first title since the 1960s with their side sitting six points clear at the top.
But they will need to dig deep, with skipper and top scorer Lawrence Shankland set to spend up to two months on the sidelines with an injury picked up in the Scottish Cup shootout loss to Falkirk.
Key midfielders Cammy Devlin and Beni Baningime also sit this one out due to injury and suspension so boss Derek McInnes will have to shuffle his pack.
The good news for Hearts is Celtic continue to look weak and head into this game off the back of a draining clash with Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday.
Hoops fans had hoped to have some much-needed new signings bedded in before this huge game away to the league leaders.
But the Parkhead board have dragged their heels yet again and it will be a baptism of fire for new striker Tomas Cvancara after only arriving on Thursday.
How the bookies view it: Hoops to edge it
Even though they have home advantage and have beaten Celtic twice this season, Hearts are 19/10 outsiders for this one at SkyBet. The Hoops are slight favourites at 7/5 with Ladbrokes and the draw pays 5/2 with Bet365.
Recent head to head: Jambos looking for a hat-trick
Hearts eased to a 3-1 win at Tynecastle earlier this season in what turned out to be Brendan Rodgers' last game as Hoops boss. They then won 2-1 at Parkhead in Wilfried Nancy's first game in charge, setting the tone for the Frenchman's disastrous reign.
Players to watch: Braga now the main man
With Shankland injured, more responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Portuguese striker Claudio Braga. He scored at Celtic Park earlier this season and is a decent 5/2 at Paddy Power to take his tally for the season to 13.
New Hearts right-back Jordi Altena doesn't look great defensively so Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti could get a bit of joy. The Tunisian scored a screamer in the Scottish Cup last weekend and looks a bit overpriced at 6/1 with Ladbrokes for another goal.
Probable line-ups
In addition to Shankland, Devlin and Baningime, Hearts look set to be without Stephen Kingsley, Ageu and Oisin McEntee. New signing Rogers Mato could feature on the bench if registered in time.
Celtic could throw Cvancara in for a debut after the striker's loan move from Borussia Monchengladbach but he may start on the bench. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Alistair Johston, Marcello Saracchi and Kelechi Iheanacho are set to miss out again.
Heart of Midlothian: Schwolow, Altena, Halkett, Findlay, Milne, Kent, Magnusson, Spittal, Kyziridis, Braga, Kabangu.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Araujo, Scales, Trusty, Tierney, McGregor, Engels, Hatate, Tounekti, Yang, Maeda.
Anything else catch the eye?
Even though Hearts have a lot of injury issues, I still reckon they have the edge for this game with Celtic having played for most of Thursday's Euro clash with 10 men.
I could easily see this one ending in a draw though so it's safer backing the Jambos to win either half, a bet that pays 20/21 with BOYLE Sports.
This should be quite an open game and we saw plenty of goals in the previous two meetings. Over 2.5 goals only pays 4/5 at Bet365 but adding on BTTS boosts the odds to 21/20 with Ladbrokes.
Think both sides will find the net? Our BTTS Masterclass explains how to spot the fixtures where goals are a given.
Hearts will look to put Celtic under pressure from the off so I like the 10/11 on offer at Betfred for them to win the first corner. Over five first-half flag kicks also looks good at 5/4 with Bet365.
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