ST MIRREN have made a flying start to the SPFL Premiership campaign and will be looking to make another statement of intent when Heart of Midlothian come to Paisley for what should be a fascinating game.
The Buddies were fantastic last season as they secured a top-six finish and one of my outright bets this summer was backing Stephen Robinson's men for a repeat this term at 7/4.
I was a little alarmed when the Buddies began their League Cup group campaign with a loss to Montrose back in July but they've gone nine games without defeat since then to underline their quality.
St Mirren faced a tricky game last weekend away to a Motherwell side who had also started the league campaign unbeaten but dug deep to grind out a 1-0 win that fired them up to second in the table.
Their impressive early-season form has supporters dreaming of a push for European football and Heart of Midlothian will be one of their main rivals on that front.
Having graced the Conference League group stage last year, the Jambos missed out on a repeat when they were outclassed by Greek side PAOK in the play-offs, with a 5/1 scorer bet landing in the first leg for Mark and myself.
The Conference League qualifiers had an impact on Premiership results earlier in the season, with Heart of Midlothian dropping eight points in the three games that followed a European defeat.
But the Tynecastle side are now free to concentrate 100 per cent on domestic matters and a 2-0 win over Aberdeen last weekend moved them up to fifth in the Premiership table.
Stevie Naismith is now back calling the shots in the dugout, with Frankie McAvoy acting as head coach while Hearts were still in Europe as the former Scotland striker didn't have the requisite UEFA qualifications.
That should help bring a bit more stability and a win at a venue as tough as the SMISA Stadium could prove the launchpad for a successful season.
How the bookies view it
St Mirren's strong home form makes them slight favourites for this one at a best 8/5 with Unibet while Heart of Midlothian are 15/8 with SpreadEx. I wouldn't be too surprised if this one ended level and that pays 23/10 at William Hill.
Recent head to head
It was honours even in this fixture last term, with one win apiece and two draws. Both those stalemates came in Paisley as a 1-1 draw was followed by a 2-2 thriller at the end of the campaign. But Hearts dominated before that, losing just once in eight games against St Mirren and winning five of those matches.
Players to watch
Midfielder Mark O'Hara is always worth a punt for a St Mirren goal as he takes the penalties. The Buddies skipper has netted three times in just five outings this season and looks overpriced at 23/5 with Unibet to add to that tally.
After starting the new campaign on fire, Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland has gone four games without a goal. He's too good a player for that drought to go on for much longer and Bet365 make him 15/8 for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
There's not much between these sides so it should be a tight game. The half-time draw has come up in St Mirren's last two games so backing a repeat here could pay off at 11/10 with Bet365. I also like a one-goal winning margin for either side, with that bet paying 5/4 with McBookie.
Three of the four meetings last term produced 10 or more corners so that's another market worth exploring.Bet365 price over 10 corners at evens and St Mirren could be worth a punt at -1 in the corner handicap, which pays 11/8 with the same firm.
Both sides won't shy from a battle and it could be a busy day for the officials. I like over 2.5 St Mirren cards at evens with Bet365 while Hearts star Cammy Devlin is 6/5 with the same firm to fall foul of the ref.
This Scottish Premiership match between St Mirren and Heart of Midlothian will be played on Sep 23, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best St Mirren vs Heart of Midlothian prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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