Hearts vs Hibernian
31 October 1700hrs
Football – Scotland – FA Cup
Pick Under 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 17/20 odds taken 2000 GMT, Friday 30 October
It’s a huge Edinburgh derby for the first rescheduled Scottish Cup semi-final as Hearts and Hibs go head to head for a place in December’s final.
Table of Contents
Hearts Preview – Will Hearts upset their city rivals to reach another Scottish Cup final?
A lot has changed at Tynecastle since Hearts defeated Rangers in March to reach the semi-final of the 2019/20 Scottish Cup. Robbie Neilson has replaced Daniel Stendl, a number of players have come in and more have left, and Hearts also find themselves in the Championship following their relegation. Despite all of that, expectation is still high at the club and they will be going into this game with the intention of making the final for a second consecutive time.
Hearts’ start to their season is encouraging with five straight wins across the Championship and League Cup. They have scored 12 goals and conceded only two in that time.
Hibernian Preview – Can Hibs’ live up to favourite tag and make the final for the first time in four years?
Handling pressure is not something you often associate with Hibs but they will have to do that on Saturday as they go into the match against their bitter rivals. Not only are the Easter Road club in the higher division but they are also very well placed. Jack Ross’ team are currently third and just a couple of points behind Celtic in second spot. Since losing at Celtic Park, Hibs have won five and drawn one so they are in excellent form.
The challenge for them is being able to put all that together when the expectation is on them. To highlight that, they lost 3-1 at home to Hearts back in March – just days before the season was ended and Hearts ended up bottom of the table.
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Key to Hibs’ start to the season is the form of summer signing Kevin Nisbet. The striker scored 18 goals in the league Hearts are competing in last season and has already scored eight goals in all competitions this term. His presence up top has given their attack a completely different threat.
Hibs’ record in the Scottish Cup is far from great with just three successes in their history but they did win it as recently as 2016.
Hearts vs Hibernian Betting Advice
It’s set up to be an excellent game despite being played without a crowd. That won’t diminish the hopes of both teams trying to get the bragging rights and more importantly, to face either Celtic or Aberdeen in December’s final.
A real interesting aspect of this game is the differences in both squads – and in Hearts’ case, coaching – there is no compared to when the two clubs booked their place in the fixture some seven plus months ago.
Key Facts – Hearts vs Hibernian Betting Tip
- Hearts find themselves in a new division and with a new manager since initially reaching the last four
- Hibs are hoping to get within a game of winning what would be just their fourth Scottish Cup triumph
- The last time the teams met in this competition at Hampden ended with a 5-1 win for the Tynecastle club
There are definitely goals in both teams but the circumstances surrounding this match make me thing this could be a low-scoring game. Neilson is traditionally a defensively minded coach and three clean sheets in five games so far this season prove that. Hibs have also kept three clean sheets in as many games.
With no crowd I’m happy to veer towards under 2.5 goals in this one.
Best Betting Odds for Hearts vs Hibernian
Hearts: to win: 7/4 Betway
Draw: 11/5 at Betway
Hibernian: 7/5 at Betway
