There’s a massive game in the Scottish capital on Sunday afternoon as Premiership leaders Hearts welcome resurgent Rangers to Tynecastle.
Hearts made a fantastic start to the season, with their 3-1 win over champions Celtic at the end of October making it eight wins from a possible nine (W8-D1-L0).
However, many thought their bubble had burst, with Derek McInnes’s men going on to win just one of their next six (W1-D4-L1).
The Jambos have shut those critics up though, as they secured an impressive 1-2 victory at Celtic Park, and backed that up with a 0-2 win at Falkirk, meaning they are now six points clear of the Hoops, albeit playing a game more.
Rangers are just a further three points behind, and like their bitter rivals, have a game in hand over Hearts following their 1-0 victory at home to Hibs on Monday night.
That win extends Danny Rohl’s unbeaten start in the Scottish Premiership as Gers boss, with the German winning six of his opening eight league outings (W6-D2-L0).
How the bookies view it: Jambos favourites
Hearts enter this clash as favourites to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Sunday afternoon, with bet365 pricing a home success at 21/20.
Bet365 have Rangers at 5/2, whilst the draw is also 5/2.
Head to head: Gers dominance
Rangers have generally got the better of Hearts in recent seasons, with the Teddy Bears winning 14 of the last 19 meetings (W14-D4-L1), with that solitary loss coming at Ibrox in September.
That includes an eight-match unbeaten streak at Tynecastle (W6-D2-L0), winning 1-3 in their most recent visit back in February.
Players to watch: Early Christmas card for Cammy?
Cammy Devlin has long had a reputation for collecting cards, and this season has been no different, as he has already been booked five times in the Scottish Premiership.
Three of those cards have come across his last five appearances for the Jam Tarts, and I like the 11/5 on offer at bet365 for the Australian international to pick up another card against Rangers.
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Predicted line-ups:
Hearts will be missing Calem Nieuwenhof, Finlay Pollock, Ageu and Beni Baningime due to injury, whilst Harry Milne is suspended.
Rangers will be missing a few players here, with John Souttar, Derek Cornelius, Oliver Antman, Lyall Cameron, Nedim Bajrami and Bailey Rice all injured and Nasser Djiga who is away at AFCON, whilst Bojan Miovski is a doubt.
Hearts: Schwolow, Steinwender, Halkett, Findlay, Kingsley, McEntee, Devlin, Braga, Magnusson, Kyzridis, Shankland
Rangers: Butland, Aarons, Tavernier, Sterling, Fernandez, Meghoma, Barron, Raskin, Moore, Gassama, Chermiti
Anything else catch the eye?
Remarkably, these two teams have lost just once in the Scottish Premiership this season, and given what’s at stake for both on Sunday, I’m expecting a tight encounter.
Under 2.5 Goals has paid out in five of Hearts’s last six league outings, whilst Rangers have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven Premiership encounters.
There were just two goals when the sides last met at Ibrox in September, and I like the 10/11 on offer at bet365 for Under 2.5 Goals.
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