MOTHERWELL boosted their SPFL Premiership survival hopes with a massive midweek win over St Mirren but now face a much more formidable opponent as in-form Heart of Midlothian come calling.
I thought the Steelmen were at risk of a Scottish Cup last weekend and their 3-1 defeat by Championship side Raith Rovers saw the axe come down on manager Stevie Hammell.
With Motherwell only above Dundee United at the bottom of the Premiership on goal difference it was no surprise to see Hammell get his P45 after a run of just one win in 13 matches.
Stuart Kettlewell was handed the reins as caretaker and got off to a flier, with that 2-1 victory over St Mirren lifting the Fir Park side up to ninth in a congested bottom half of the table.
Grant McCann, Jack Ross and Ian Holloway are in the running to replace Hammell at the helm but Kettlewell is a contender as well and will be in charge for the visit of Hearts.
The threat of relegation still hangs heavy in the air though and Motherwell will need to be at their best to defeat a Hearts side who have raced clear in third place.
The Jambos have lost just once in their last 13 games and even that defeat came to Rangers at Tynecastle. Since that loss they have recorded successive wins over Dundee United and Hamilton so Robbie Neilson's men look to be back on track.
Neilson has moulded a strong squad in the capital and if his players perform to their best they should be too strong for the Steelmen.
How the bookies view it
I'm surprised to see Heart of Midlothian as big as 15/11 with SBK and that looks excellent value, despite Motherwell's midweek win. The Fir Park side are 21/10 at Bet365 while the draw pays 5/2 with Betway.
Recent head to head
Hearts have held the edge in this fixture of late, winning eight of their last 14 matches with Motherwell and losing five. Both meetings this season have ended in victories for the Jambos, with a 3-0 triumph at Fir Park followed by a 3-2 win at Tynecastle.
Players to watch
Kevin van Veen remains Motherwell's biggest goal threat and his early strike set the stage for that massive midweek victory. The Dutchman is 2/1 with SBK for anytime scorer in this one.
Neilson faces a selection dilemma with Hearts' top scorer Lawrence Shankland back from a ban. Stephen Humphrys has netted twice in his last two games up top, including a goal of the season contender to sink Dundee United. The Jambos boss has sometimes played both of them and Humphrys is longer odds for a goal here at 27/10 with William Hill.
Anything else catch the eye?
Heart of Midlothian have scored three times in each of their two games with Motherwell this season so over 1.5 Jambos goals appeals at 13/10 with William Hill. Over 2.5 match goals also looks good at 20/21 with BetVictor.
Motherwell's midweek clash was spicy with six yellow cards flashed in total. This one could see a few tasty challenges too and I like Well's Calum Butcher for a third successive card at 6/5 with Bet365. Unibet price over 4.5 cards at 26/25 and that also stands a chance.
This Scottish Premiership match between Motherwell and Heart of Midlothian will be played on Feb 19, 2023 and kick off at 12:00. Check below for our tipsters best Motherwell vs Heart of Midlothian prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
