Hearts vs Hibernian Prediction

Boxing Day is always an incredible day for football, but the Scottish Premiership is cooking up something quite extraordinary for this year. Hearts and Hibernian are two of the oldest football clubs in the world and the Edinburgh Derby is one of the oldest. It also has a history with Christmas, with the first edition of the match being played on Christmas Day in 1875.

Key Stats

• The two sides are separated by just two points; Hibernian with 18 and Hearts with 16
• Hearts have lost 10 games this season, only St Johnstone have more, with 12
• Hibernian have scored 24 goals this season
• They have earned 10 points from their last five games

Hearts vs Hibernian Previews, Form and Players to Watch

Recent results for both sides have seen them move away from the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, an area that they were sharing with Kilmarnock who have also managed the same. Hearts’ last game was a win over bottom club St Johnstone, moving them above the visitors.

Hibernian’s last match was much more impressive as they travelled to Aberdeen, a side that had begun the season on par with Celtic, and won 3-1. They conceded early and were put under a lot of pressure by the hosts, but they were clinical in their attack and scored three good goals.

Hearts Preview

Hearts Predicted Lineup - Craig Gordon; James Penrice, Kye Rowles, Daniel Oyegoke, Adam Forrester; Blair Spittal, Malachi Boateng, Cameron Devlin, Musa Drammeh; Lawrence Shankland, James Wilson

Neil Critchley has changed his team quite a lot as of late, looking for a winning formula. This side won last time out, so it could remain unchanged, however given how quickly the fixtures are coming, it would be no surprise if there were more than a few changes.

17-year-old striker James Wilson made headlines earlier this season with a late equaliser in this fixture, so I think he could be an important player in this game. He only made his league debut in May and already has two goals from a handful of appearances.

Hibernian Preview

Hibernian Predicted Lineup - Jordan Smith; Jack Iredale, Rocky Bushiri, Warren O’Hara; Nicky Cadden, Joe Newell, Nectarios Triantis, Chris Cadden; Josh Campbell; Elie Youan, Martin Boyle

At the start of the season, Hibernian’s away form was terrible, but it has since improved, racking up points with draws and wins. In four of their last five league matches, both home and away, they have scored three goals. The other match was against Celtic, so I think that is understandable.

Martin Boyle has been good for them this season, with three goals and three assists in 16 matches. The 31-year-old striker has made more than 200 league appearances for Hibernian with 60 goals. Since the turn of the century, only Derek Riordan has more league goals for Hibs.

Head to Head Stats - Hearts vs Hibernian

In competitive fixtures, Hearts have the better results against Hibernian, but in recent years it has been a lot closer. Four of the last five games between these two sides have ended in a draw, with the other being won by a tiny margin.

27th Oct 2024 - Hibernian 1-1 Hearts - Scottish Premiership

28th Feb 2024 - Hearts 1-1 Hibernian - Scottish Premiership

27th Dec 2023 - Hibernian 0-1 Hearts - Scottish Premiership

7th Oct 2023 - Hearts 2-2 Hibernian - Scottish Premiership

27th May 2023 - Hibernian 1-1 Hearts - Scottish Premiership

Betting Tips for Hearts vs Hibernian

Both sides started the season off poorly, but recent results have seen them do a lot better. Hibernian had the harder fixture last weekend but still managed to win it, away from home. Historically, this fixture has ended in a draw, but with their forms this season, anything can happen.

With all of this in mind, our team of professional experts have decided that the best tip for this game is Double Chance - Draw/Hibernian. Odds of 7/10 on Betfred means that a £10 bet could see a potential return of £17.

(odds subject to change)

Final Prediction

Hearts 1-1 Hibernian

Check out our other tips and predictions.