Peterhead vs Hearts
10 July 1500hrs
Football – Scotland – League Cup
Pick Hearts to win to nil
Bookmaker Paddy Power
Odds: Evens odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 8 July
Peterhead and Hearts go head to head on Saturday as both teams look to get their League Cup campaigns off to a winning start.
Table of Contents
Peterhead Preview – Can League One Peterhead shock their Premiership opponents?
Despite being one of the smaller teams in League One, Peterhead were in with a chance of qualifying from their League Cup section last season going into their final game. They needed to beat St Johnstone to top their group but were beaten by 3-1 and it’s already been noted what the Perth saints went on to do later in the competition. Peterhead can take a lot of confidence from their participation last year, a section which contained a famous 1-0 win away to Dundee United.
Jim McInally will be hoping his players can reach similar levels once again but will be well aware of how challenging a top two finish will be considering they are alongside Championship Inverness, League One favourites Cove Rangers and the lowest ranked Stirling Albion, as well as Saturday’s opponents.
They will have to do without midfielder Scott Brown for this one. Brown has been a mainstay of this team for the last five years and his presence and quality will be missed.
Hearts Preview – Will Hearts show their class as they bid to top their group as expected?
Hearts’ objective last season was to win promotion back to the Premiership and that was achieved with a minimum of fuss. It was not always pretty but Robbie Neilson won his third Championship title (second with Hearts) and knew what it took to get out the division. The Tynecastle club were 12 points clear of second place Dundee in the end.
The recruitment is well underway as they prepare for the top-flight and they have managed to keep their key players who will be hungry to prove a point. Craig Gordon, John Souttar, Peter Haring and Liam Boyce will form the spine of their team for the coming season and have shown quality at Premiership level before.
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Neilson will feel he has to bring a certain style to his team’s performances now both in league and cup. They went out disappointingly to Alloa last season having won all four of their group games. They are once again favourites to top this section but with a longer participation in the knockout phase.
Hearts have Cove Rangers and Inverness at home in the group whilst also travelling to Stirling Albion in between those games. They will feel a repeat of their semi-final appearance in 2019 is not beyond them
Peterhead vs Hearts Betting Advice
Hearts will have ambitions of a really successful campaign both in terms of the league and cups. They’ve reached two Scottish Cup finals in the last three years as well as the semi-final of this competition back in 2019. Although they are newly promoted to the Premiership they remain one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and have the resources to compete for trophies.
Peterhead have shown in the past they can trouble teams from the top league and with home advantage they may fancy their chances of an upset.
Key Facts – Peterhead vs Hearts Betting Tip
- Peterhead defeated Premiership opposition (Dundee United, away) in their League Cup section last year
- Hearts will be playing top-flight football again this season having won promotion last season
- These teams will face each other at least another four times this season now they’re in the same league again
Neilson is pragmatic in his style so expect Hearts to control possession and manage the game. Back their quality to come through and win without conceding.
Best Betting Odds for Peterhead vs Hearts
