Celtic vs Hearts Prediction: Hoops to build on a stunning midweek win

Celtic return to Parkhead just three days after beating Feyenoord in the Champions League. Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse backs the battle-weary hosts to fight on…

Welcome to a quieter-than-usual Scottish Premiership weekend with five games on the schedule due to Sunday’s League Cup final involving Rangers and Aberdeen at Hampden. The pick of Saturday’s schedule can be found in Glasgow, where Premiership champions and leaders Celtic welcome Hearts for a 3:00 PM start.

It’s always interesting when we have a Glasgow vs Edinburgh battle, but things are a little stranger than usual. Celtic and Hearts both arrive on the back of surprise defeats last weekend, and the home team is playing its second big game in just three days. The Hoops struck late to beat Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday, ending a miserable campaign with a positive result. How much did those midweek efforts and the quick turnaround take from the squad’s energy reserves?

Team News

Celtic suffered their first league defeat of the season last weekend when losing 2-1 at Rugby Park against a resurgent Kilmarnock. The Hoops took the lead that day but conceded two late goals in what was a dramatic finish to the game. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Celtic fans, but followers of our tips celebrated two winners in both teams to score and Kilmarnock not to lose the game.

Being a champion isn’t about never losing but how a team responds to defeat, and all eyes will be on Brendan Rodgers’ side on Saturday afternoon. The loss to Killie was tough to take, but an already injury-ravaged squad must dust themselves down and prepare for what will be their third crucial game in less than a week. Celtic went to Rugby Park on Sunday, hosted Feyenoord on Wednesday, and now face another ambitious opponent targeting three points.

Hearts on the ropes

Hearts suffered an unconvincing start to the season under manager Steven Naismith but eventually found their feet. The team from Tynecastle enjoyed a good run of form in winter that lifted them up the table and towards the prizes. The Jambos start game 17 of the campaign in sixth but have a game in hand over most teams above them in the pecking order. A third-place finish remains the goal.

Despite improved fortunes, Hearts arrive in Glasgow following back-to-back defeats in their last two Premiership outings. They lost 1-0 at home to Rangers in a competitive and nervy midweek contest at Tynecastle. Hearts created chances against the Gers but also had goalkeeper Zander Clark to thank for keeping the scores down. They were last seen suffering a 2-1 defeat at Pittodrie and know they can’t afford three losses on the bounce.

Celtic vs Hearts Odds

It’s not often Celtic and Hearts meet following league defeats for both clubs, but last weekend’s results make this game even more interesting. Celtic is the home team, and confidence will be high in the camp following that dramatic and deserved late win over Feyenoord in the Champions League. It was a dreadful campaign, but Rodgers’ men signed off with a great result. Fancy them to win again on Saturday at 1/5 with Betfred?

Hearts know the size of the task ahead when facing the champions on their patch, and Naismith knows his team will spend long periods without the ball. The emphasis will be on making the most of what possession they do get at Parkhead. Will the hosts suffer a European hangover? Hearts hope so, and you can back the away win at a tempting 9/1 or try the draw at 5/1. Both prices are available on the Betfred website and app now.

Bet 1: Both score and Celtic win @ 6/4

Celtic deserved to lose at Rugby Park last week as their second-half performance wasn’t good enough. Critics suggested morale was low in the camp. Still, the players showed they remain ambitious and driven with that stunning win over a strong Feyenoord team that qualified for the Europa League in the new year thanks to a third-place finish.

It’ll take another huge effort, but we’re backing Celtic to use the excitement of Wednesday to produce a big result on Saturday, encouraged by a packed stadium. We’re taking Celtic to win at home, but I do think their midweek efforts would’ve caused some tired legs in the camp, and Hearts are good enough to find the net. Back both teams to score in a Celtic win at a useful 6/4.

Bet 2: Kyogo first goal @ 10/3

Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi hasn’t set pulses racing in the Hoops’ attack this winter as the forward looks out of sorts in Rodgers’ set-up. The Japanese player hasn’t found the net as regularly as he did last season, but he has a great return against Hearts.

Kyogo scored in a 4-1 win for Celtic over Hearts at Tynecastle in October and has found the net in each of his last four versus the Jambos. He must offer more than he has been recently, but the quality is there, and if he gets the service, he’ll score goals.

Frank Monkhouse covers Scottish Football for us here at Betfred Insights. You can check out all of his work along with that of the rest of our Football Betting Tips desk on our main Football page...