Football Tips: Andy Robson’s 7/1 Bet Builder for Hearts v Rangers

Twitter's top tipster fancies plenty of goals in the season opener.

Hearts v Rangers betting tips

Hearts +2
Over 2.5 Goals
Lawrence Shankland to Score
Over 3.5 Cards

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Saturday 12:30pm: Hearts v Rangers
Scottish Premiership match at Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh
TV: Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event

Hearts +2

Given the pre-season that Rangers have endured, they are a very short price to overcome Hearts when the sides meet at Tynecastle in the opening match of the Scottish Premiership season.

The Ibrox club have seen Connor Goldson depart, while there is an element of turmoil given the futures of James Tavernier and Todd Cantwell also appear to lie away from the Glasgow side.

This has been reflected in the Gers’ pre-season results. Rangers have failed to win any of their four friendly matches, and while Hearts are coming off a stinging 3-0 loss against Fleetwood, there is more of a sense that this was a simple aberration.

The stability in the Hearts squad should ensure that this is not a rout.

Over 2.5 Goals

Both of these teams have been miserable defensively in pre-season, and while both are likely to tighten up in this encounter, there should still be a strong sense of optimism that this will be a game packed with goals.

Rangers, for example, conceded at least twice in each of the four games they
played and are coming off a 4-4 draw with Union Berlin.

Certainly, that has been the trend between these clubs. Six of the eight matches these sides have faced each other in since the beginning of 2023 have finished with at least three goals. The last time these sides met was the final day of last term, with the game finishing as a 3-3 thriller in Edinburgh.

 

Lawrence Shankland to Score

Last season’s runaway top scorer in the Premiership is an outrageously long price to get off and running this season by finding the net against Rangers. After all, he did just that on the final day of last term by scoring his 24th league goal of the campaign – six more than any other player managed.

Indeed, if there is anyone who can take advantage of the defensive confusion that has plagued the visitors in recent weeks, it is the former Dundee United hitman.

Adding to his scoring potential in this game is the fact that he is Hearts’ regular penalty taker.

Over 3.5 Cards

With these sides having played six times last season, there is plenty of familiarity between the players, and it also appears there is a fair amount of contempt. Across the first five games last term, each match saw at least four cards shown.

The exception came in the final game of the season, when the teams were effectively playing a friendly that still managed to yield a couple of bookings. Hearts received more bookings in the first three matches, with the number of cards tied in the three games thereafter.

With this likely to be a competitive affair, expect more of the same.

Hearts v Rangers betting tips

Hearts +2
Over 2.5 Goals
Lawrence Shankland to Score
Over 3.5 Cards

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