- 1 Hibernian vs Hearts: Edinburgh derby too close to call
- 2 Hibernian want to erase the European exit
- 3 Hearts have turned things around in a month
- 4 Football prediction Hibernian vs Hearts
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Hibernian vs Hearts: Edinburgh derby too close to call 
It is all set up nicely. Six points apiece, three matches played and only goal difference separating them: Hibs and Hearts are already battling for bragging rights at the top of the city.
The first derby of the season takes place on Thursday at 20:45 (Paris time) at Easter Road. Fireworks are all but guaranteed, with two rivals arriving level on points and ready to trade blows.
Hearts sit third, Hibernian fifth, with exactly the same total. Both sides come into this one on the back of two straight league wins.
But the routes here could hardly have been more different. Hibernian opened with a 2-1 defeat to Motherwell before winning 2-1 at Rangers and 2-1 at Dundee.
Hearts, by contrast, endured a far rougher start. Wouter Vrancken, appointed after Derek McInnes left for Rangers, lost his first four games in charge.
The breakthrough came with a 4-0 hammering of Dundee United on matchday two. Since then, the Jambos have gone six games unbeaten in all competitions.
European football has also split the pair. Hearts reached the Conference League group stage by beating Rapid Vienna on penalties, while Hibernian were knocked out by Gent in the previous round.
Recent history also leans towards Tynecastle. Hearts have won three of the last four meetings, including a 2-1 win at Easter Road in April 2026.
Hibernian want to erase the European exit 
The second-leg defeat to Gent is still fresh in the memory. David Gray’s side were ahead on aggregate, and at 2-1 up at Easter Road with 13 minutes left, they looked set to go through.
Then Gent struck twice in the final six minutes, including Miguel Chaiwa’s own goal in the 91st minute. The 3-2 loss ended Hibs’ European run.
The league response was instant. A 2-1 win at Dundee followed a 2-1 victory away to Rangers, making it back-to-back wins.
That trip to Ibrox remains Hibs’ best result of the season so far. Winning at one of Glasgow’s two giants tells you plenty about what this side can do.
Still, inconsistency remains the story of their season. Four wins, two draws and two defeats from the eight matches since the preliminary round against Malisheva.
In terms of personnel, Gray has just one absence to deal with. Rocky Bushiri is sidelined with an Achilles issue and is not expected back until the end of the month, which leaves the door open for an unchanged side.
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Hearts have turned things around in a month 
Wouter Vrancken’s early days looked grim on paper. Six goals conceded over the two legs against Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying, then a 6-1 drubbing in the first leg against Benfica in the Europa League.
A 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen on the opening day completed the picture. Four matches, four defeats for the Belgian coach.
Then came the 4-0 win over Dundee United and everything changed. The return leg against Benfica finished 1-1, a sign the team had found some backbone again.
European qualification followed. Two 2-2 draws with Rapid Vienna, then a 4-3 penalty shootout win that sent the Jambos into the Conference League group stage.
They are also into the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals after a 6-2 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The 2-1 victory over St Johnstone at the weekend kept the momentum rolling.
The downside is a crowded treatment room: Ageu, Craig Halkett, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Stephen Kingsley and Tom Renaud are all out. James Wilson, 19 and already with three goals in four appearances, should lead the line.
Expected Hibernian lineup: Sallinger ; Passlack, Kerr, Hanley, Obita ; Wright, Devaney ; Boyle, Mulligan, McGrath ; Lowe
Expected Hearts lineup: Reus ; Altena, McEntee, Findlay, Borchgrevink ; Magnusson, Mendy ; Kerjota, Braga, McPake ; Wilson
Football prediction Hibernian vs Hearts
Our pick: both teams to score
Hibernian have scored in all three of their league outings, and Hearts have done the same across their six-match unbeaten run. Neither attack has been kept quiet for weeks.
The two defences, though, still look vulnerable. Hibs conceded three to Gent after leading, while Hearts are missing five players, including two out-and-out defenders in Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley. The last derby at Easter Road, back in April 2026, also finished 2-1.
So the likeliest outcome looks like an open game, with goals at both ends. We are backing both teams to score.
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