HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN haven't put a foot wrong since returning from the World Cup break but will be wary of a slip up on Livingston's plastic pitch in one of the SPFL Premiership's toughest away days.
Robbie Neilson's men have raced clear in third place since the Premiership restart and haven't lost since a 1-0 defeat at Ibrox way back in November.
They also marched on in the Scottish Cup last weekend, dishing out a second successive 3-0 derby battering to bitter rivals Hibs as our man Mark cashed in with a full house of tips.
Juggling Conference League football with domestic duties affected results for Hearts in the first half of the season but with Europe out of the way they are now free to concentrate on the Premiership.
That has helped them rack up the victories but seeing off Livingston won't be easy, with David Martindale's men punching above their weight yet again this season.
Livi sit fourth, seven points behind the Jambos, but also have a game in hand so a victory in this clash would have them breathing down the neck of Neilson's team.
A 3-1 win at Stenhousemuir last weekend in the Cup made it three victories in a row and the Lions have gone five games without defeat. So they will be confident of knocking Hearts out of their stride when the capital side make the short trip to West Lothian.
How the bookies view it
Heart of Midlothian are favourites at a best 5/4 with Coral while Livingston look a little overpriced at 12/5 with William Hill. Don't rule out the draw and that pays 5/2 with Bet365.
Recent head to head
Livingston are unbeaten in their two clashes with Hearts this season, winning 1-0 at the Tony Macaroni Arena before a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle. But the Jambos held the edge before that, going eight matches without defeat against Livi.
Players to watch
Former Hibs kid Steven Bradley has made a good start at Livingston and netted twice against Stenny last weekend in the Cup. That should earn him another start up front and he looks overpriced at 5/1 with William Hill for anytime scorer.
Lawrence Shankland has hogged the headlines for Hearts this season but Josh Ginnelly is also in excellent form up front. The pacy forward has netted in his last two games and is 7/2 with Paddy Power for another goal here.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams to score has failed to land in the last four meetings at the Tony Macaroni Arena so the 11/10 on offer at BetVictor for a repeat appeals. The half-time draw also looks good at 11/10 with Bet365 while McBookie price a one-goal winning margin for either side at 13/10.
This fixture hasn't produced a lot of corners, with the last four meetings at Livingston all seeing under 8.5. That makes the 11/10 on offer at Bet365 for under 10 corners well worth a punt here.
Cards are more likely, with 13 yellows across the last two meetings in West Lothian. Jason Holt picked one up when Hearts last came calling and the midfielder is evens at Bet365 for another card.
This Scottish Premiership match between Livingston and Heart of Midlothian will be played on Jan 29, 2023 and kick off at 13:30. Check below for our tipsters best Livingston vs Heart of Midlothian prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
