Hearts lose 'title favourites' status as bookies revert to form ahead of Celtic and Rangers matches
The Edinburgh club are no longer considered the favourites to lift the Scottish Premiership title by sponsors William Hill.
Hearts’ 1-0 defeat to St Mirren in Paisley last night has seen a significant shift in the bookmaker’s outright market on the Scottish Premiership title race this season.
Miguel Freckleton’s 88th minute goal against condemned the Jambos to just their third league defeat of the season. Derek McInnes’ side had once again been forced to play the majority of the match with ten men following Craig Halkett’s 29th minute red card.
The Edinburgh club remain five points clear of both Celtic and Rangers in the table but the two Old Firm sides now have a game in hand each which they will play tonight. The Hoops travel to Pittodrie to take on Aberdeen while Danny Rohl’s side host Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
Bookmakers revert to form after Hearts defeat to St Mirren
Even before a ball has been kicked in the Celtic the match the outright Scottish Premiership title odds market by tournament sponsors William Hill has seen the reigning champions reclaim their position as favourites. Hearts’ defeat to St Mirren was enough for a shift in the odds which sees the Hoops move to 11/10 ahead of Hearts.
The Gorgie club are now the same odds as Rangers at 9/4 to lift the Scottish Premiership trophy at the end of the 2025/26 season. Some way behind the leading pack are Motherwell at 100/1.
Hibs, Aberdeen and Falkirk are priced at 1000/1 and Dundee United are 2000/1 while the other four teams are not priced, likely due to now being mathematically out of contention. Hearts were previously the bookmakers favourites in the title race and defeat for one, or both, of the Old Firm sides tonight could see that change again.
What Hearts boss Derek McInnes said after defeat to St Mirren
Speaking after last night’s 1-0 defeat, Hearts gaffer Derek McInnes said: “It was tough, particularly from a set-play, we put so much into the game, it was tough. After we had 10 men, I thought the lads were everything I expected them to be. You could say we are getting used to playing with 10 men, which obviously we don't want, there's an extra stress on everything.
“We all have to work harder when you've got 10 men, us and the dugout, the lads have to put in that extra shift. I thought we restricted St Mirren to very little, to be honest. I thought the organisation, the spirit of the team was brilliant. The irony is, the ball was going for a goal kick, I think, and we pushed it by for a corner. We’ve just got to win a header there in the dying embers of the game, and we get our point, which it would be hard to deny we didn't deserve based on the spirit and everything else.
“We've seen before in recent weeks about when we go down to 10 men, I think there's a belief there that we can go and get results, obviously against St Mirren last time and against Dundee, and I think that showed in the performance when we went down to 10 men. But we've got to own the fact that we can’t keep getting away with it. You can’t keep playing with fire.
“It's a red card, there's no complaint about that, but we caused it, we got ourselves into a fine hole. We've got to play forward, we had two opportunities to play forward, and we get ourselves in a bit of a state, and it culminates in a last-gasp challenge, and we've paid for it. From that point on, it probably takes away the chance - although it's a slight chance still because we've done it before - of winning the game. At that point, it was just making sure we keep it at zero for as long as we can and then hold for a moment.”