Kilmarnock will play Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, 14 March, with both teams in desperate need of the points for very different reasons.
The hosts come into the match inside the bottom two, and if the season ended today, they would have to play a playoff to secure their place in the top flight for another season.
Hearts, meanwhile, are on the cusp of becoming the first non-Old Firm side to win the top division in Scotland since Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen managed the feat in 1985.
Before taking a look at the rest of today's betting tips, check out our Kilmarnock vs Hearts prediction below.
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Kilmarnock vs Hearts key stats
- Hearts have won four of their last six matches without conceding a goal.
- Kilmarnock have won just one of their last five Scottish Premiership matches.
- Fewer than three goals have been scored in four of Hearts' last five matches.
Kilmarnock vs Hearts preview: Visitors to cruise to victory
| Kilmarnock | vs | Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| 11th | Position | 1st |
| 21 | Points | 63 |
| 32 | Goals For | 52 |
| 60 | Goals Against | 24 |
| 5 | Clean Sheets | 15 |
| 11th | Home Rank | 1st |
| 10th | Away Rank | 2nd |
Kilmarnock have had a torrid season at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, and there is little indication that they are going to dig their way out of trouble over the final nine games of the season.
Killie have won just four games all season, and none of those were against teams currently sitting inside the top six of the division, so it feels unlikely that they are suddenly going to find enough quality to topple the league leaders this weekend.
Their biggest issue has been at the back. No side in the division has conceded more goals (60) than Kilmarnock, and their situation would perhaps be terminal if they weren't competent in front of goal.
Only Motherwell have conceded fewer goals than Hearts this season.
On Saturday, Neil McCann will surely make changes to the team that started in the 5-1 loss to Falkirk last weekend. Some decisions will be forced upon him as he has five first-team players - Kyle Magennis, Lewis Mayo, Djenairo Daniels, Tyreece John-Jules and Matthew Kennedy - in the treatment room.
Meanwhile, Hearts have seemingly locked in after a midseason wobble and are now well on their way towards a historic title triumph.
The Jam Tarts are currently five points clear of Celtic and six clear of Rangers in the race for the title. Their next three matches are against teams inside the bottom five, so now is the time for them to stamp their authority on the division ahead of the split.
GKilmarnock have won just two matches since the beginning of October.
While they were brushing teams away at the beginning of the campaign, Hearts' recent form has been built around a resolute defence. Considering their injuries, though, Derek McInnes deserves credit for tinkering with his side's style to get results.
For the trip to Kilmarnock, McInnes remains without nine first-team players - Cameron Devlin, Stephen Kingsley, Oisin McEntee, Craig Gordon, Ageu, Stuart Findlay, Calem Nieuwenhof, Finlay Pollock, and, most crucially, Lawrence Shankland.
Kilmarnock vs Hearts form guide & betting tips
| Kilmarnock | vs | Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| L-D-L-W-L | Form | W-W-L-W-L |
| 4 | Points | 9 |
| 9th | Form Table | 6th |
| 9 | Goals For | 5 |
| 17 | Goals Against | 5 |
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Whispers predicts: Kilmarnock 0-1 Hearts
Hearts have won 1-0 in all three of their most recent Scottish Premiership victories, and they would be more than happy with another repeat on Saturday. Bet365 have priced a 1-0 away win at 13/2.
This result would also comfortably see under 2.5 goals at 1/1 come in. Six of the last nine matches between these two sides have failed to produce more than two goals, so evens feels like an excellent price.
Claudio Braga has been the star of the show for Hearts this season, and he is priced at 6/5 to score anytime with Bet365.
> Scoreline - Hearts to win 1-0 at 13/2 | Likelihood: Outsider
> Match result - Hearts to to nil at 2/1 | Likelihood: Possible
> Total goals - Under 2.5 at 1/1 | Likelihood: Probable