THE heat was on Hibernian heading into last weekend's Edinburgh derby and it has now intensified as they prepare to face Heart of Midlothian again in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
Shaun Maloney badly needed a result at Tynecastle last Saturday to salvage a place in the Premiership's top six but instead they crashed to a damaging 3-1 defeat.
Having finished third last season, the Hibees are now condemned to the bottom half of the table but the Scottish Cup still gives them a chance to save their season.
However, even the most optimistic of Hibs fans wouldn't fancy their chances of seeing off the Jambos then toppling either Celtic or Rangers in the showpiece.
The quarter-final victory over Motherwell is the only game Maloney's side have won in their last seven outings and even that came after Well picked up a red card inside the first two minutes.
The form of Hearts stands in stark contrast to that dismal run, with Robbie Neilson's men unbeaten in their last seven and winning five of those matches.
Neilson has nailed down third place in their first season back in the Premiership and if he can deliver the Scottish Cup it would silence his hard-to-please critics once and for all.
How the bookies view it
It's no great surprise to see Hearts as 21/20 favourites at BoyleSports for a win inside 90 minutes with Hibs as big as 14/5 with William Hill. Never rule out the draw in a big derby clash and that pays 5/2 with BoyleSports. To reach the final, the Jambos are just 4/7 at McBookie while the Hibees are 11/8 with the same firm.
Recent head to head
This is the third Edinburgh derby of the season and Heart of Midlothian have the edge thanks to that 3-1 win last week. The other two games ended in dreary 3-3 stalemates.
These teams squared up in the Scottish Cup semi-final just two seasons ago in the Covid-delayed campaign. It was Hearts who came out on top as they won 2-1 (below) at an empty Hampden.
Players to watch
Barrie McKay is the man who's making Hearts tick at the moment and he's now adding goals to his assists. The playmaker is 17/4 with McBookie for anytime scorer and 12/5 for another assist.
Chris Cadden has been one of the few successes in a green jersey since Maloney took over with his all-action displays down the right flank. He's 15/2 at Unibet for a Hampden goal but has more chance of an assist, although I couldn't find a price on him in that market with McBookie.
Anything else catch the eye?
Despite two dreary stalemates in the first two derbies, I thought last week's clash would be a thriller because Hibs had to go all out for the win. That proved to be the case as BTTS and over 2.5 goals both came up but this semi-final could be a bit more cagey.
The half-time draw appeals at 11/10 with Bet365 while McBookie price a one-goal winning margin for either side at 5/4 and that's another good option.
Four yellows were flashed in last week's derby and it could be another busy day for the referee. Ryan Porteous is back from suspension for Hibs and the stopper is always good value for a card. He's 6/5 at Bet365 to mark his return by falling foul of the whistler again.
This Scottish Cup match between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian will be played on Apr 16, 2022 and kick off at 12:15. Check below for our tipsters best Heart of Midlothian vs Hibernian prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
