IT’S derby day in the capital and the pressure is on Lee Johnson to deliver after nine games without a win in this fixture for Hibs.
The Easter Road boss watched Hearts bring the axe down on Robbie Neilson last weekend after a run of five successive defeats.
So he will be sweating in the dugout with his own side heading into the derby on the back of four losses in a row.
Failing to seal a top-six slot would put his future in serious doubt so it’s another high-stakes game as Steven Naismith takes charges of the Jambos for the first time as interim boss.
McBookie make the Hibees 5/4 favourites with Hearts at 2/1 and the draw paying 5/2.
Dodgy defending has cost both sides in recent weeks should we should see some goals.
Both teams to score is a best 4/6 at McBookie but over 2.5 goals is a little better at 5/6 (BetVictor).
Combining those picks paid off for me in the Old Firm thriller last week and it pays 21/20 here in a Bet365 bet builder.
Tackles usually fly in when these teams collide and there’s extra spice today with Naismith looking to fire up Hearts and Johnson desperate for a victory.
That makes over 5.5 cards worth a look at evens (McBookie) while the odds are longer for individual players.
Aussie duo James Jeggo and Cammy Devlin should be at the heart of the midfield battle in direct opposition.
They both like a tackle, with Jeggo at 7/4 with Bet365 to be carded while Devlin is 21/20.
Livingston and Motherwell will be hoping the Hibees slip up as they bid to jump above them into the top six. The Lions are just a point behind but are in woeful form with six defeats in their last eight matches.
They host a St Johnstone side who have also hit a slump to drop back towards the danger zone.
Saints have gone four games without a win and suffered a dismal 2-0 loss at home to Ross County last weekend.
With both teams in such low spirits I’d be surprised if we saw a classic and going for cards could be the best option here too.
Over 5.5 cards is 11/10 with Bet365 for this one and I fancy St Johnstone defender Ryan McGowan for a card at 6/5.
I tipped Motherwell to beat Livi last week and it was safe by half-time as they romped 3-0 up.
Their revival under Stuart Kettlewell has been incredible and plenty of punters will fancy the Steelmen at evens with Ladbrokes to beat rock-bottom Dundee United at home today.
Jim Goodwin’s side gave their survival hopes a boost with a home win over Hibs last week and will chase another victory.
It bodes well for a decent match and BTTS pays 10/11 (Bet365) while over 2.5 goals is more appealing at 23/20 (Betfair).
Rangers host St Mirren today and it will be interesting to see how they respond after the blow of that Parkhead defeat.
The Buddies will probably set up to frustrate so I’m dipping into the corner handicap, with Gers -5 paying 13/8 at Unibet.
Celtic will look to take another step towards the title as they visit Rugby Park tomorrow.
They battered Killie 5-0 on their last visit but this one should be closer with Derek McInnes’ men scrapping for survival.
I’m going for over 7/5 Hoops corners at 6/5 with Unibet.
Super singles
- Over 5.5 cards at Hibs (evs, McBookie)
- McGowan card (6/5, Bet365)
- Rangers -5 corner h’cap (13/8, Unibet)
- Over 2.5 goals at Well (23/20, Betfair)
I'm a sports journalist, football tipster and author from Dundee, who is now working in Glasgow. I've covered games at every level, from Junior football to internationals, and still love football even though it has clearly sold its soul. I've been in football tipping since 2018 with the MFT site.
Good write up on all of the games,especially Motherwell game