Heart of Midlothian vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Scottish League Cup, KO: 17:15 Jul 25, 2021, Tynecastle
HEARTS have already qualified for the last 16 of the League Cup but will want to rack up another win in this dead rubber with Inverness ahead of next weekend's Premiership kick-off.
The Jambos haven't put a foot wrong so far in Group A, racking up wins over Cove Rangers, Peterhead and Stirling without conceding.
Our man Mark tipped Cove to breach the Tynecastle defence in the second group game but Craig Gordon kept another clean sheet to show how much Hearts have improved at the back.
And Robbie Neilson's men look in far better shape than shambolic Celtic ahead of their league opener with the Hoops at Tynecastle next Saturday.
The return of John Souttar has made the Jambos much more solid at the back and they will fancy another clean sheet against an Inverness side who have yet to fire on all cylinders.
After kicking off with a 2-0 win over Peterhead, the Highland side could only manage a 2-2 draw with Stirling before crashing 3-1 at Cove so it hasn't been a great start for new boss Billy Dodds.
Some people have tipped Inverness as dark horses for promotion from the Championship but they will need a vast improvement on their League Cup displays to stand a chance.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Hearts as odds-on favourites and their best price is 7/12 with SBK. Inverness are 27/5 with the same firm while the stalemate pays 7/2 at Betfred.
Recent head to head
Hearts have been a bogey team of late for Caley Thistle who have gone 11 games without a win in this fixture. The Jambos have won seven of those matches, including a 1-0 Tynecastle victory in last season's League Cup group stage (below).
Players to watch
Gary Mackay-Steven has been a livewire for Neilson (below) so far in the group, chipping in with two goals and two assists. It could be a big season for the winger and he's 11/5 with McBookie for anytime scorer which looks good value.
Shane Sutherland has been the focal point for Caley Thistle's attack so far and is 7/2 with McBookie to grab his second goal of the season.
Anything else catch the eye
Backing League Cup wins to nil didn't pay off for me on Saturday as Dundee and Kilmarnock both conceded on their way to victories. But a Jambos triumph doubled with a clean sheet pays 7/4 here at McBookie and that's tempting, although Neilson's side could take their foot off the gas a little with progress already secured.
There should be goals, with Caley Thistle's three games so far producing 10 strikes and Hearts netting seven times in the group. Over 2.5 goals is probably only good for accas at a best 7/11 with SBK but the Jambos are 6/5 at Bet365 for a goal in each half. That bet has landed in each of their group games so it stands a chance here.
With both teams having one eye on their league opener, I'd be surprised if we saw a lot of tackles flying in. Under 2.5 cards is priced 20/21 at McBookie and that could be worth a bet.
This Scottish League Cup match between Heart of Midlothian and Inverness Caledonian Thistle will be played on Jul 25, 2021 and kick off at 17:15. Check below for our tipsters best Heart of Midlothian vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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