Hearts
- Hearts are top of the Premiership table with 50 points from 22 games.
- Hearts are unbeaten at home in the Premiership this season with eight wins and three draws from 11 matches.
- Derek McInnes has led Hearts well since taking charge in May 2025, instilling a clear style and identity upon the squad.
- Hearts will set up with a narrow, compact, disciplined low block and aim to hurt teams on the counter.
- Beni Baningime will anchor the midfield with his defensive work rate and tenacity, ensuring quick transitions and providing the ball to Hearts’ talisman Lawrence Shankland, who has 11 goals in 21 Premiership appearances and three in his last five.
- Hearts have been extremely tough to break down at Tynecastle, conceding just 7 goals in the Premiership at a rate of 0.64 per game.
- Hearts have beaten Dundee FC away and Saint Mirren FC at home in the Premiership, but fell at the last hurdle in the Scottish FA Cup as they were forced to penalties after a 1-1 draw with Falkirk FC.
Celtic
- Celtic are second with 44 points from 22 matches, six points behind the league leaders.
- Celtic have been impressive since Martin O’Neill took charge in May 2026 and his tactical rehaul appears to already be showing signs of bearing fruit.
- The Bhoys are a high-tempo, high-possession team, with wing-backs, a back three and a midfield setup that allows them to overload the central areas and push up in waves using vertical combinations.
- The chief creator of these attacking chances is Matt O’Riley, a star who is capable of unlocking defences with his passing prowess.
- The most clinical player for Celtic is Benjamin Nygren, who has 10 goals in 22 Premiership matches this campaign.
- Celtic, meanwhile, are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, beating Dundee United FC 4-0 at home before winning back to back games away from home against Falkirk FC and Auchinleck Talbot FC.
Head-to-Head
- Hearts have won each of the last two head-to-head meetings between the clubs and beat Celtic 2-1 away six weeks ago in the Premiership.
- Recent H2H games have averaged 4.5 goals per match, with Hearts averaging 2.0 and Celtic 2.5 as visitors in the head-to-head.
Key Players
- Lawrence Shankland - proven goalscorer with 11 goals in 21 league games.
- Beni Baningime - midfield anchor who drives quick transitions.
- Matt O’Riley - main creator for Celtic with excellent passing range.
- Benjamin Nygren - Celtic’s clinical forward with 10 goals this season.
Betting Insights
- Hearts are priced at 2.85, Celtic 2.34 and the draw 3.45 for Sunday’s clash.
- Considering Celtic’s away form has been patchy and Hearts are undefeated at the Tynecastle in the Premiership this term, we’re going for Hearts Double Chance.
- Given Hearts’ counter-punching approach, Celtic’s possession-based style, the head-to-head stats and both sides’ recent form, the Over 2.5 goals market at 1.8 looks very tempting.
- Celtic have also averaged 1.27 goals scored per away game in the Premiership, scoring 14 times away from home.
Prediction
Hearts Double Chance and Over 2.5 goals is the combined leaning for this Tynecastle showdown.
