HIBS VS HEARTS TIPS: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT? 3 EDINBURGH DERBY BEST BETS
The Edinburgh Derby is always a monumental occasion but this latest Hibs versus Hearts clash at Easter Road arrives with a significance that could genuinely echo for a generation.
This is no longer simply about capital bragging rights for Hearts, who are at the centre of a nailbiting, three-way Scottish Premiership title race.
Depending on results elsewhere, Hearts could start the derby anywhere from two points behind Rangers to holding a lead they could extend to six points with a win in Leith.
Hibs, however, are far from a footnote in their rivals' story.
Their fans will of course be desperate to derail Hearts’ title charge on their own turf – but David Gray’s men sit comfortably in fifth and, with Motherwell in touching distance, the Hibees have the scent of European qualification in their nostrils for a second successive season.
Recent history shows they are more than capable. This fixture is finely balanced with the last 10 league meetings producing three Hibs wins, three Hearts wins and four draws with the exact same goals for and against.
With an electric atmosphere guaranteed and loads to play for on both sides, this derby is one of the most pivotal in years.
Here’s how we see it unfolding…
HIBS VS HEARTS: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Kick-off time: 16:30 BST
- Match date: Sun 26th Apr
- Venue: Easter Road, Edinburgh
- Competition: Scottish Premiership
- How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football
- Form (last five league): HIB LWDDD / HEA WDWLW
- Match market: Click here
TIP 1 – HIBS/DRAW DOUBLE CHANCE, OVER 5.5 TOTAL SAVES, OVER 9.5 CORNERS & WOODWORK TO BE HIT @ 5/1
There’s a compelling case for the home side to at least avoid defeat here.
Hibs have lost just one of the last five derbies at Easter Road and their overall home resilience – losing only to Celtic and Rangers this term – makes the Hibs/draw double chance selection look a smart play.
Hearts’ away form, they have lost five times on the road and have dropped points in half their league games outside Gorgie, suggests they might find the Leith atmosphere a hurdle too high for a maximum haul.
With Hearts gunning for the title and Hibs pushing for Europe, expect a far more open and shot-heavy affair than their combined 4.8 saves per 90 might suggest.
The occasion demands attacking intent, which should keep both goalkeepers busy enough to surpass the six or more saves line.
The threshold of over 9.5 corners has been met in 64% of both teams' league matches this season and their games average over 10 corners each.
With the last five derbies averaging 9.6, the numbers point towards another high count as both sides press for a potentially season-defining result.
Finally, we’re adding a woodwork to be hit leg: these sides have rattled the frame of the goal 27 times between them this season and the post or bar has intervened in three of the last four derbies.
BETMGM’S 5/1 EDINBURGH DERBY BET BUILDER
- Hibs/draw double chance
- Over 5.5 total saves
- Over 9.5 corners
- Woodwork to be hit
TIP 2 – LAWRENCE SHANKLAND TO SCORE & BE CARDED @ 19/2
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland is a perpetual thorn in Hibs' side.
With 11 career goals against them, no other team currently in the top flight has witnessed the Scotland international hit the back of their net more than the Hibees.
Shankland is also currently locked in a fierce internal battle with team-mate Claudio Braga for Hearts top scorer honours, trailing the Argentinian by just one in the league but level with him on 17 overall.
He missed the last derby through injury but scored in the previous one at Easter Road and, as the Jambos’ designated penalty taker, he is always a prime candidate to find the net.
A look at his disciplinary record adds another layer of value to this selection.
Though he has just one booking this term Shankland has received a career-high seven yellow cards against Hibs, making them his most-carded opponent by a clear distance.
For a player who has failed to beat the Hibees more often than any other club he has faced more than 15 times, bar Rangers, the intensity of a title-chasing derby at the home of your fiercest rivals is the perfect environment for that number to rise whether that’s in jubilation or frustration.
TIP 3 – CAMMY DEVLIN TO BE CARDED @ 11/5
If there’s a battle to be had in midfield, Cammy Devlin will be at the heart of it.
The Australian's style can generously be described as ‘robust’ and he will be tasked with disrupting Hibs’ rhythm from the first whistle.
Devlin leads the league in interceptions as well as tackles made and averages more than four of those per 90 minutes while committing 1.65 fouls per 90 and ranking among the league’s most fouled players himself into the bargain.
The 27-year-old is no stranger to the feisty nature of this fixture having already picked up six bookings against the Hibees in his career – a caution in more than half of his starts against them.
While Devlin's five yellows this season represent a relatively low tally for his career, at 11/5 he is worth supporting to pick up another caution in a match where he’ll likely be at the centre of every midfield skirmish.
Fancy all our Edinburgh Derby selections to land? You can combine them all into a 120/1 Bet Builder by clicking here
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
