Dundee United vs Hibernian Betting Tip Over 2.5 goals – 19 January 2020

Dundee United vs Hibernian
19th January 1500hrs
Football – Scotland – Scottish Cup
Pick Over 2.5 goals
Bookmaker: Marathonbet
Odds: 39/50 odds taken 1000 GMT, Saturday 18 January

This is very likely going to be a top-flight fixture again next season but as it stands Championship leaders host a Hibernian team who may fancy their chances of repeating their 2016 triumph in the Scottish Cup.

Bet at Marathonbet

Dundee United Preview – Can United take their league form into cup action and knockout a Premiership side?

Robbie Neilson knew that promotion to the Premiership was his only objective this season. He led Dundee United to the playoff final last year only to lose out on penalties before the club’s owners backed him again in the summer, making it clear that going up – and doing it in some style – was the obvious expectation.

Now, as we approach the final third of the season in Scotland’s second tier, United are well on course to winning the league and returning to the top-flight for the first time since 2016. They are 17 points clear of second placed Inverness having won 17 of their 21 league games.

As they are so far clear in the league Neilson will see the Scottish Cup differently as he may have if United were involved in a close title battle. He can afford to go as far as possible in the cup competition without meaningfully impacting upon their league form.

United reached the quarter-finals last season, losing out to Inverness in a game they were well beaten in at home. They have reached two finals in the last decade, winning one, and a number of last four appearances as well. So it’s a competition they have good recent form in.

Hibernian Preview – Can Jack Ross lead his team into the fourth round and on an extended cup run?

Jack Ross would have been pleased to utilise the winter break as it was a first opportunity for him to get away with his players and work with them since joining the club in November. It was a rather inconsistent first few weeks in charge but there’s no doubting it was still an improvement on what had went before.

Hibs finished the year just inside the top six but losing tamely away to Livingston in their final game of 2019. Considering that came on the back of a win in in the Edinburgh derby, it illustrates those inconsistencies which have blighted them for over a year now.

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Just like their opponents, Hibs have also performed well in the Scottish Cup. That wasn’t always the case considering they ended a 114-year wait when lifting the trophy in 2016. They reached the semi-final a year later and have also were defeated in the 2013 final by Celtic. Whilst this is a difficult fourth round tie for them, it remains their best chance of success this season and one they will definitely be targeting.

Martin Boyle returned from injury in the latter part of 2019 and he’s already proving to be a hugely influential player in attack with five goals in 11 matches.

 

It would be an upset if Dundee United were to win but at the same time it wouldn’t be surprising considering how good they have been this season and Hibs’ inconsistent form.

Rather than pick a winner for a betting tip, I’m happy to side with goals in this one. Games involving both teams this season average over three goals. As such, back over 2.5 goals with some confidence.