CELTIC have lost their mojo since sealing the SPFL Premiership title and Hibernian will be hoping the Hoops have another off night at Easter Road as they bid to stay on track for a European place.
On their last trip to Edinburgh, Ange Postecoglou's side were crowned champions as they defeated 10-man Hearts 2-0 to make it 34 games unbeaten in domestic football.
But Celtic were battered 3-0 at Ibrox in their next outing and needed a late Callum McGregor leveller against St Mirren on Saturday to avoid making it back-to-back defeats.
That drop off in form will be a concern for the Parkhead boss ahead of their Scottish Cup Final date with Inverness as they bid to nail down another Treble. But the Hoops still have a chance to get back into the groove, with this trip to Easter Road followed by a home game against Aberdeen when they collect the SPFL trophy.
Hibernian will be hoping Celtic beat Inverness at Hampden as that will secure a place in Europe for the side sitting in fifth place, where Lee Johnson's men currently reside.
They may still be able to catch city rivals Hearts in fourth if they can topple the champions then follow it up with an Edinburgh derby victory on the final day. But St Mirren are also just two points behind in sixth place so there's a danger the Buddies can jump above Hibs if they finish with a flourish.
Johnson's side beat the Paisley side in their first game after the league split but then drew with Aberdeen before crashing to a 3-1 loss at home to Rangers on Sunday. That run of games sums up how inconsistent they have been this season and it will be interesting to see if they can raise their game for the visit of Celtic.
How the bookies view it
Celtic are hot favourites to get back on track and their best price is just 9/20 at Bet365. Hibernian are as big as 6/1 with Paddy Power while the stalemate pays 4/1 at the same firm.
Recent head to head
The Hoops are unbeaten in their last 17 matches against Hibernian, with six draws and 11 victories. Postecoglou's side romped to a 6-1 Parkhead victory in the first meeting this season and things have got only marginally better for Johnson's side since then. A 4-0 loss at Easter Road in late December was followed by a 3-1 defeat back at Celtic Park in March.
Players to watch
Kevin Nisbet will fancy his chances against a Celtic defence that has been leaking goals of late. The Scotland striker is 3/1 with Paddy Power for a goal and that looks a little overpriced.
Portuguese winger Jota remains Celtic's creative spark and is due a goal after drawing a blank in his last three outings. The former Benfica man is 6/4 with Bet365 for anytime scorer while McBookie have him at the same price for an assist.
Anything else catch the eye?
I thought BTTS was overpriced in Celtic's clash with St Mirren as the Hoops have been ropey at the back since Cameron Carter-Vickers went under the knife to solve a knee issue. Hibernian have the players to hurt Postecoglou's defence again here but BTTS is just 7/10 (LiveScoreBet) for this one. Over 2.5 strikes is even shorter at 8/15 with Betfair but over 1.5 first-half goals is better at 13/10 (Ladbrokes).
Slips Tips cashed in by backing Hibs corners on Sunday and that came after I had also struck gold with a corner bet in Celtic's clash with St Mirren. That suggests we could see plenty of set-pieces in this one and over 10.5 corners pays a best 21/20 with McBookie. The same firm also offer 13/8 on Hibs winning the first corner which might be worth a punt with a passionate crowd roaring them on.
This Scottish Premiership match between Hibernian and Celtic will be played on May 24, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Hibernian vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
