THE stakes couldn't be much higher for Jim Goodwin and Lee Johnson as the managers of Aberdeen and Hibernian face off in an SPFL Premiership showdown that has been dubbed El Sackico.
Everyone expected Goodwin to be dumped by the Dons after their embarrassing Scottish Cup defeat by Darvel on Monday night but the Irishman lives to fight another day.
You get the feeling only a win at Easter Road will be enough to keep Goodwin in the job after a horror run of seven defeats in nine games but the pressure is every bit as intense in the other dugout.
Johnson has overseen a similar slump at Hibs, with seven defeats in 10 games, and fans are far from happy after crashing out of the Scottish Cup to bitter rivals Hearts last weekend.
The Jambos dished out a second successive 3-0 derby demolition, with our man Mark cleaning up again, and it's hard to see Johnson being given time to turn things around unless there is a drastic improvement in results. He is also set to lose one of his most important players after the club accepted a bid for Ryan Porteous.
The Englishman only took over in the summer but predecessors Jack Ross and Shaun Maloney were axed after runs that weren't even as bad as the one Johnson's side are now on.
So it promises to be a tense 90 minutes in the capital as two under-performing sets of players try to save their manager from getting his P45.
How the bookies view it
Aberdeen's displays have been a bit more dreadful than Hibernian's so they are 23/10 at Unibet while Hibernian are slight favourites at 21/17 with SBK. A draw suits neither manager but stands a chance of landing at 13/5 with Bet365.
Recent head to head
There hasn't been much between these sides in the last few seasons, with the last 10 meetings producing five Aberdeen wins, four Hibernian victories and one draw.
Both league meetings so far this season have been thrillers, with a 3-1 Hibs triumph in the capital followed by a 4-1 win for the Dons at Pittodrie.
Players to watch
It looked like Kevin Nisbet was set to leave Easter Road after Hibs agreed a deal with Millwall for the Scotland striker but he then decided against moving to the Championship. It's unclear whether Nisbet will be in the right frame of mind to start and Harry McKirdy could take his place up front. Now would be a good time to open his account in Scotland and the former Swindon star is 21/10 at William Hill for anytime scorer.
Luis Lopes, known as Duk, has been off the boil in the last couple of games but still looks the biggest attacking threat for Aberdeen. The former Benfica forward has 11 goals for the season and is 2/1 with Bet365 for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
The two meetings so far this season suggest thrills, with BTTS landing both times and nine goals scored in total. But with so much riding on the result, this could be more cagey. For that reason, I'm going for under 2.5 goals at 10/11 with Bet365.
When there's not much between the sides, the half-time draw is always a good option and that pays 6/5 with Betfred while McBookie price a one-goal winning margin for either side at 13/10.
Aiden McGeady is finally getting up to speed for Hibernian after injury issues. His trickery could tempt Ross McCrorie into a few lunges and the Dons defender is 13/8 at Bet365 for a card.
This Scottish Premiership match between Hibernian and Aberdeen will be played on Jan 28, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Hibernian vs Aberdeen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
