CELTIC VS HEARTS TIPS: NANCY NAILED ON FOR PARKHEAD DEBUT WIN?
All eyes will be on the Parkhead dugout as Wilfried Nancy takes charge of Celtic for the first time.
The Frenchman, a somewhat surprising permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers, arrives from North America tasked with building on the remarkable rescue mission overseen by club legend Martin O’Neill.
O’Neill’s interim spell was the stuff of dreams. The Northern Irishman won seven of his eight games, masterminding a League Cup semi-final victory over Rangers and securing a rare European away win at Feyenoord.
He leaves with the SPFL Premiership champions level on points with Hearts at the top of the table, a hard act for Nancy to follow by anyone’s measure.
The visitors, meanwhile, arrive in Glasgow's East End at a crossroads.
After a blistering start that saw them open up a seven-point lead, Derek McInnes’s men have faltered, winning just one of their last six matches.
That dip in form has allowed a resurgent Celtic, now on a five-match winning streak across all competitions, to wipe out the deficit and set up a tantalising top-of-the-table showdown (Sunday, 15:00).
Let’s take a look at our best bets for the occasion…
Tip 1 – Celtic to win & both teams to score @ 9/4
New Celtic bosses rarely stumble out of the blocks.
Only three managers – Gordon Strachan, Tony Mowbray and Brendan Rodgers – in the club's storied 138-year history have lost their first competitive match.
A fired-up Celtic will be out to seek an early advantage for their new leader.
However, a clean sheet may be too much to ask. This bet hasn't landed in the last four encounters at Celtic Park, but it has in two of the last three overall meetings between the sides.
Despite Celtic’s recent defensive improvements, vulnerabilities have been apparent throughout the season.
Hearts, remarkably, have outscored the champions 30-24 in the league this term, underlining their attacking threat.
While they’ve failed to find the net in their last two away trips, that’s a clear anomaly in a season where they had previously scored at least once in all eight of their other games on the road.
It’s entirely plausible Lawrence Shankland and co. breach the Celtic defence, though the home side’s momentum should carry them to a crucial victory.
Tip 2 – Over 10.5 corners @ 41/50
Goalmouth action should be a given and, if so, corners invariably follow.
Games involving Celtic and Hearts have produced a combined average of over 13 corners while the recent head-to-head record reinforces this trend, with the last five meetings averaging 12.2 corners per match.
Admittedly, that figure is slightly inflated by a mammoth 25-corner contest at Celtic Park last May, but it speaks to the potential for an end-to-end affair.
Celtic’s attacking philosophy, which will likely be amplified by a new manager seeking to make an instant impression, naturally leads to blocked shots and last-ditch clearances.
Hearts, desperate to arrest their slide and prove they are genuine title contenders, will not be sitting back either.
It could be the perfect storm for a relatively high corner count; certainly it is worth considering as part of a Bet Builder at least.
Tip 3 – Daizen Maeda to score anytime @ 29/20
Some players just relish playing against a particular opponent. For Daizen Maeda, that has often been Hearts.
The Japanese forward has been a persistent tormentor of the Tynecastle club, boasting an impressive eight goal contributions in just 12 appearances.
In fact, he has found the net against them in every season he has played in Scotland.
Maeda comes into this fixture in blistering form, with two goals and an assist in his last three outings.
He missed the first game against Hearts this season through injury, a fixture Celtic subsequently lost 3-1.
His importance was highlighted again in midweek when he suffered a facial injury while scoring the winning goal against Dundee – before battling through to finish the rest of the 90-plus minutes, the woodwork denying him a second late on.
Assuming he is fit to play, his pace and movement will pose a constant threat to a Hearts defence that knows all too well the damage he can inflict.
Fancy all our Celtic vs Hearts shouts to land? You can combine all three tips into a 10/1 Bet Builder. Add it to your betslip by clicking here
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
