Hearts vs Celtic Prediction: The home side can stay UNDEFEATED

Sunday brings the biggest match of the Scottish Premiership season so far as early leaders Hearts play champions Celtic at Tynecastle from noon. Sky Sports Football is the TV channel to turn to for live coverage of this SPL clash.

Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse enjoyed a profitable Thursday in the Europa League and now aims to end the week on a high as he takes us through his Hearts vs Celtic Predictions...

*You can check out all of the Football Odds and betting markets we offer over at betfred.com

Match Preview:

All eyes are on Tynecastle as Premiership leaders Hearts play second-placed Celtic from midday. The locals sit proudly atop the table. They’re the only unbeaten team left in the division, have won each of their previous five games in this competition, and made light work of Rangers.

The Jambos now set their sights on gunning down Celtic and pulling clear.

Celtic lost to lowly Dundee at Dens Park last weekend, meaning the Hoops have won just two of their previous five league games. Brendan Rodgers’ side sit second in the table on 17 points, six better than Hibs in third and two off the pace set by their hosts.

A win would send the visitors back to Glasgow as the new leaders, but defeat would see Hearts go five clear.

Match Odds:

The season couldn’t have started much better for Hearts boss Derek McInnes. The former Rangers midfielder and Aberdeen boss invested wisely in the summer transfer window, and his recruits hit the ground running.

Holding onto star striker Lawrence Shankland was a huge plus, and he’ll be an important player again here. The home win is 12/5 on the Betfred app.

Sunday isn’t a must-win for Celtic—not so early in the season—but defeat would be a real blow for the players, coaching staff, and fans. There’s unrest amongst the supporters as they continue to stage protests against the board, with some even turning on Rodgers.

Celtic are painfully weak in attack, but the away win is 23/20, with the draw trading at a tempting 13/5.

You can bet on this match via our Hearts vs Celtic Odds page on the main betfred.com website, with all the latest prices and full betting markets.

Double Chance (Hearts/Draw)

We’re going to keep it simple and back the more settled team boasting the better form. The Jambos have won their last five league games.

They beat Livingston 2-1 and Rangers 2-0 on the road, blasted Falkirk 3-0 at this venue, won the Edinburgh derby 1-0, and thrashed Kilmarnock at Rugby Park last time. The atmosphere inside the stadium will be electric.

While things are going well in Gorgie, that’s not the case in the east end of Glasgow. Celtic came from behind to beat Sturm Graz in a bruising battle, but lost main striker, Kelechi Iheanacho.

The champions will also be without Alistair Johnston and may not risk Cameron Carter-Vickers. Their form is poor, they’re low on numbers, and the fans are fed up.

Hearts to score first

Our second bet on Sunday comes with better odds attached, and we’re backing Hearts to score the game’s first goal. With this approach, the scorer of the goal, time, and the eventual winner aren’t important.

A stunning strike inside 60 seconds pays the same as a last-minute own-goal. As long as Hearts break the deadlock, Betfred will boost your betting balance.

Celtic conceded first in three of their four games this month. They went 1-0 down to Sturm Graz in midweek, lost the opener against Dundee, and conceded inside 20 minutes against Sporting Braga.

The spare in that run came from the penalty spot and was scored by the now-injured Iheanacho. I struggle to see where Celtic’s goals will come from on Sunday.

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Frank Monkhouse Scottish Football P/L

25/26 Season:

• Points Placed: 63
• Points Returned: 43.01
• P/L: -19.99

24/25 Season:

• Points Placed: 257
• Points Returned: 252.25
• P/L: -4.75

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...