Three teams. Three points between them. Eight games to go. One unmissable title race.
The battle for Scottish Premiership glory served up another twist in the tale as Hearts‘ five-point advantage was cut to just two when champions Celtic beat Motherwell, before the league leaders lost at Kilmarnock on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Rangers‘ win at St Mirren the following day saw them stay a point behind their Old Firm rivals and move to within striking distance of the Jambos.
The only thing predictable about this title race is… its unpredictability! Well, here’s what those brave enough to guess what will happen have to say, plus your chance to vote for who finishes top of the table and more…
What Opta predict and the bookies think…
There are just three games to go until the Premiership split, when the table breaks into a top six and bottom six. That will set up five massive matches to determine the destination of this season’s title.
Yes, Hearts lead the way, and their fearless challenge has created a run-in rich with jeopardy and showered in excitement.
However, either half of the Old Firm have got their hands on the trophy every season for the last 41 years and are now closing in on the top.
Celtic have won 13 of the last 14 top-flight titles alone, and perhaps it is for that reason they are now the bookies’ favourites, despite being unable to beat Hearts or Rangers in the league this season.
Well, Hearts are second on that list of favourites, and perhaps they can take some comfort from Opta’s super-computer.
They believe McInnes’ side will be leading the way come April 11, after matchday 33, with Martin O’Neill’s Celtic second and Danny Röhl’s Rangers in third.
Strap yourself in for plenty more twists and turns…
Can Hearts recover from away-day blues?
Final pre-split fixtures:
- Dundee (H) – Saturday
- Livingston (A) – April 5 – live on Sky Sports
- Motherwell (H) – April 11
When Tony Bloom became involved with Hearts, his prediction was to win the title within 10 years.
Despite losing their last three away league games, Bloom and Hearts are still on the verge of delivering that unlikely promise – well ahead of schedule.
Brighton owner Tony Bloom invested in Hearts ahead of the new season
Just two transfer windows in and his Jamestown Analytics model has worked its magic – delivering the likes of Claudio Braga, Alexandros Kyziridis and Alexander Schwolow. They were not brought in to make statements or create noise, they were signed to solve problems. Hearts have targeted skillsets, not CVs, and gone shopping in markets others ignore.
While Braga (17) and Kyziridis (10) have been responsible for 27 goal involvements this season, and Schwolow has 12 clean sheets – second to only Motherwell’s Calum Ward – Hearts’ form has been inconsistent in recent weeks.
Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis have impressed since joining Hearts
Perhaps the void left by star players Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin, who have both missed the last eight league games, is part of the reason.
Since losing the injured duo, Hearts have won just half of their Premiership matches in that period since the end of January. The good news is, they are both expected to be back in the coming weeks.
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland (left) and midfielder Cammy Devlin are close to a return
McInnes knows holding off the Old Firm over an entire season is a unique challenge. Could the return of Shankland and Devlin breathe new life into their title bid?
Amid a battle where pressure grows by the week, the return of two key players may be the difference between daring to dream – and delivering something truly historic.
Why are Celtic favourites?
Final pre-split fixtures:
- Dundee Utd (A) – Sunday – live on Sky Sports
- Dundee (A) – April 5 – live on Sky Sports
- St Mirren (H) – April 11
Waters have been far choppier in Glasgow, yet it is second-placed Celtic who are the bookmakers’ favourite.
That is despite a season which has seen Brendan Rodgers quit and Martin O’Neill return for two interim spells – those either side of Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous 33-day reign.
Nancy’s brief Celtic tenure was ended after defeat to Rangers at the start of the year
At times, logic would have suggested the title race had tilted away from Celtic. The form line certainly did amid a run of four defeats in six league matches under Nancy.
However, his sacking and the return of O’Neill for a second interim spell ignited fresh belief at Parkhead.
Celtic have left it late at times but minus the odd blip, they are getting the results. That’s what champions do, right?
Martin O’Neill, 74, won the league title three times during his first spell as manager at the start of this century
For all the changes in the dugout, the bookmakers’ prices on the champions have not shifted: Celtic remain favourites with Sky Bet.
Whether that will prove right or wrong come the end of the season, only time will tell. But bookmakers do not price emotion. They price probability. And in this title race, probability still leans heavily towards Celtic – even amid the mid-season turbulence.
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Celtic kept their title bid on track with a win over high-flying Motherwell
The bookmakers are banking on institutional memory in that this is a club that knows how to win a title when the pressure tightens. And, crucially, the underlying data also offers comfort.
Even under Nancy, Celtic were still controlling matches. Chance creation did not collapse – conversion did, while defensive lapses were costly.
Celtic are starting to look like a team that could get over the line. A team that could become champions, again. Under O’Neill, they will feel that anything is possible.
Rangers’ season of twists and turns
Final pre-split fixtures:
- Aberdeen (H) – Saturday
- Dundee Utd (H) – April 4
- Falkirk (A) – April 12 – live on Sky Sports
“Did I say Hearts last week? I’ll go back to Rangers this week!”
Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd, firmly tongue in cheek, perhaps sums up how many fans are feeling at Ibrox when they look at their title hopes.
Like Celtic, there has been managerial change, following Russell Martin’s reign, which left some thinking the Gers might even struggle to break into the top six.
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A look at how Russell Martin’s 123-day spell as Rangers head coach unravelled
However, Danny Röhl’s appointment has sparked life into a campaign that could still have the sweetest ending.
Rangers’ revival under Röhl has never been loud or flashy. But it has been increasingly effective.
After a turbulent spell under Martin, where possession football often came at the expense of defensive security and goals, Rangers have been winning games by becoming harder to beat. The chaos has been dialled down. The risks have been managed.
Rangers boss Danny Rohl has turned the club’s Premiership fortunes around since taking over earlier this season
Is it the best watch you’ll see this season? No. Is it effective? Yes.
There have been bumps along the way – such as defeat at Hearts before Christmas, and several draws on the road.
However, Rangers are one of the few to also beat Hearts this season, and are yet to lose to their city rivals, Celtic, in the league.
You’d be a fool to predict it; there will be so many twists and turns. Whoever deals with the pressure is obviously going to come out on top. I think this will change; there will be different teams at the top of the table through the coming weeks.
There are only three points separating them and the summit, so could that ability to go head-to-head against their rivals in the league be the key to helping land a historic 56th top-flight title?
Rangers may not yet be the finished article, but they will be hopeful of having the final say in this enthralling story.
