Look North: New-look Dundee to frustrate broken Hearts

PROUD Scot (@chrisgraham79) pinpoints his best bet from the weekend Scottish Premiership action.

Dundee v Hearts | Saturday 9th March 2019, 15:00

Back in October Hearts went to Dundee and beat them 3-0. That win put them six points clear at the top of the table and made it 25 points out of 30.

Since that Tuesday night Hearts have picked up 19 more points from a further 18 games. Their points per game ratio has tumbled from 2.5 to 1.05 since their last visit to Dens Park. On Saturday they return to The City Of Discovery and have been chalked up at 4/5 to win – it’s not a price that appeals.

It’s hardly been a stress-free few months for Dundee either. They were bottom the night they lost to Hearts and are still well and truly in the relegation soup in 11th place.

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However Jim McIntrye’s side have picked up 15 points over the aforementioned 18 games, just four shy of Hearts. Their form since they returned from the winter break has been reasonable with figures of P7 W2 D2 L3 in the Premiership. Coincidentally exactly the same figures as Hearts.

January window

One of the reasons for the pick up in the Dark Blues form has been some of their transfer activity over the January window. Andrew Nelson has been an inspired signing from Sunderland with the Englishman notching four times, Scott Wright has come in from Aberdeen and scored twice while former Man City player James Horsfield has looked composed. It bodes well as Dundee look to stay in the division.

McIntrye’s side are 15/4 to pick up three points on home turf on Saturday and it certainly appeals when one further looks at Hearts.

The Edinburgh side have lost to bottom side St Mirren, Livingston, Motherwell and indeed Dundee this season. That’s four of the bottom five in the table that Craig Levein’s side have succumbed to. Why can’t it happen again on Saturday?

Another big negative for the JT’s on Saturday is that talisman Steven Naismith has been ruled out for two months. The Scotland international’s injury last autumn was the precursor to Hearts’ drop off in form and there’s no doubt this fresh news damages the club. Take Dundee to avoid defeat on Saturday.