CELTIC seem to have rediscovered their ruthless streak in front of goal and that doesn't bode well for out-of-sorts Heart of Midlothian as they prepare to host the champions in the SPFL Premiership.
A failure to take chances killed of Celtic's hopes of progress in the Champions League but since crashing to a 2-0 defeat against RB Leipzig, the Hoops have scored 10 times in their last two matches.
Hibs were crushed 6-1 at Parkhead in the Premiership last weekend then Motherwell were swatted aside 4-0 in the League Cup, with two of my main bets landing.
Now Ange Postecoglou's men head to Tynecastle for what is usually one of the toughest fixtures in the Premiership calendar. But Hearts are really struggling just now, with a nightmare run of injuries undermining a season that promised so much.
Having finished best of the rest by a distance last term, Robbie Neilson bolstered his squad in the summer for the demands of group stage European football.
But his resources are now stretched to the limit, with almost an entire team ruled out, while heavy defeats to Fiorentina and Istanbul Basaksehir have dented confidence.
A win over Celtic would be the ideal way to kickstart their season but Heart of Midlothian will have to dramatically improve on recent form to stand a chance, with four defeats and a draw in their last five matches.
How the bookies view it
Given the form of both sides it's no surprise to see Celtic as hot favourites, with their best price just 1/3 at Unibet. Heart of Midlothian are a whopping 9/1 with Bet365 and even the draw is as big as 5/1 at LiveScoreBet.
Recent head to head
Hearts beat Celtic 2-1 at Tynecastle in their Premiership opener last term as Postecoglou lost his first game in charge. But Celtic have responded with five wins a row since then, including a 2-0 victory at Parkhead earlier this season.
Players to watch
Postecoglou has been heavily rotating his squad amid a relentless run of fixtures so expect more changes here ahead of a Champions League date with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Central midfield has been quite constant though and their recent upsurge in form has coincided with Aaron Mooy being moved to the No.10 role. The Aussie is 17/5 with William Hill for anytime scorer but it might be better backing him for an assist once that market is priced up.
Robert Snodgrass has yet to hit his stride for Hearts but hasn't been able to get into a rhythm because he's ineligible for their European games. The former Scotland's star set-piece prowess makes him a threat against Celtic though and he looks a bit overpriced at 11/1 with SkyBet for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
The biggest problem for Neilson this season has been dodgy defending, with his side leaking goals against top sides. Hearts have shipped 17 goals across four games with Fiorentina, Baskasehir and Rangers so it could get ugly if Celtic are in the mood. Over 2.5 Hoops goals is a tempting 6/5 with Paddy Power while over 3.5 match goals is 5/4 at BetVictor.
This can often be a fiery fixture so backing a busy day for the ref could pay off. Over 4.5 match cards pays 11/10 with BetVictor but there's more value in backing individual players to fall foul of the whistler. Orestis Kiomourtzoglou has collected two yellows in just six outings for the Jambos and is 21/10 with Bet365 for a card here.
Both teams have been racking up a lot of corners this term and we saw 12 when Rangers came to Tynecastle a few weeks ago. That means over 11 corners stands a chance here at 11/8 with Bet365.
This Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic will be played on Oct 22, 2022 and kick off at 12:30. 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.
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