Hearts host St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership. Get our prediction, predicted lineups, bet builder tips, and latest odds ahead of the clash.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Match Summary
Competition | Scottish Premiership |
|---|---|
Match Date | Saturday 29 August 2026 |
Match Time | 15:00 UK time |
Venue (City, Stadium) | Edinburgh, Tynecastle Park |
Hearts host St Johnstone at Tynecastle Park on Saturday, both sides arriving with a win and a defeat from their opening two Scottish Premiership fixtures of the campaign.
The Jambos, under Wouter Vrancken, come off a draining midweek in Europe but sit fifth and remain heavy favourites on home soil against the newly promoted visitors.
St Johnstone are back in the top flight and will fancy catching a tired hosts side. They landed a wild 4-3 opener before slipping to a narrow away loss.
History points one way. Hearts have won their last 10 meetings with St Johnstone in all competitions, a run the Perth side badly want to end at Tynecastle.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Form
Hearts split their opening two Premiership games and thumped Dundee United 4-0 at home earlier this month. Midweek they were heroic in Europe, drawing 2-2 with Rapid Wien before winning on penalties to reach the Conference League league phase. There have been over 2.5 goals in eight of their last nine Premiership outings, with Blair Spittal a threat in the engine room.
St Johnstone are freshly promoted after winning the 2025/26 Championship, and Simo Valakari's Saints have been all-action early. They edged Kilmarnock 4-3 in their opener before a 1-0 defeat at St Mirren. Josh Fowler leads the line, but the visitors have been leaky, something Hearts will look to punish on Saturday.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Lineups & Team News
Injuries & Suspensions
Hearts: T. Renaud (Injured/out), S. Kingsley (Injured/doubtful), M. Fagan-Walcott (Injured/doubtful), C. Halkett (Injured/doubtful), Ageu (Injured/doubtful)
St Johnstone: No injuries or suspensions reported.
Hearts
Hearts made just one change in Vienna, with Beau Reus the hero between the sticks and an unchanged back four of Jamie McCart, Stuart Findlay, Oisin McEntee and Jordi Altena. Tom Renaud partnered Blair Spittal in front of the backline but was stretchered off through injury, with James Wilson leading the line in place of Landry Kabore, supported by Josh McPake, Claudio Braga and Calvin Miller.
St Johnstone
St Johnstone named an unchanged side last time out. Toby Steward kept goal behind Matty Foulds, Cheick Diabate, Zach Mitchell and Liam Smith. Jason Holt and Reece McAlear sat in front of the back four, with Ruari Paton, Jamie Gullan and Sam Stanton supporting sole striker Josh Fowler in Paisley.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Predicted Lineup
Hearts
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: B. Reus; J. Altena, S. Findlay, O. McEntee, J. McCart; B. Spittal, T. Magnússon; C. Miller, C. Braga, J. McPake; J. Wilson
St Johnstone
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: T. Steward; L. Smith, C. Diabate, Z. Mitchell, M. Foulds; J. Holt, R. McAlear; S. Stanton, J. Gullan, R. Paton; J. Fowler
Hearts vs St Johnstone Key Stats & Match Facts
Hearts have won their last 10 matches against St Johnstone in all competitions.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in eight of Hearts' last nine Premiership games.
Hearts have scored at least two goals in eight of their last 10 matches against St Johnstone in all competitions.
St Johnstone scored 68 league goals and conceded 31 across 36 Championship matches in their 2025/26 title-winning season.
Hearts finished the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season in second place, while St Johnstone came up as champions of the Championship.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Prediction & Best Bets
Our prediction: Hearts are clear favourites here and the projected 2-1 scoreline says as much. Fatigue from Europe is the one worry, but their dominance in this fixture and firepower at home should carry them. Our prediction is a 2-1 Hearts win in a game with goals at both ends. You can weigh up the full Hearts vs St Johnstone betting odds market before kick-off.
Best Bets
Both Teams To Score - Yes. The numbers back a busy game, with both teams projected at just under an even-money shout to find the net. St Johnstone have scored in each of their last four meetings with Hearts even in defeat, so the visitors should trouble the hosts.
Hearts to win and Over 2.5 Goals in Match Result and Over/Under 2.5. Hearts are the standout favourites and the projected total sits at 2.7 goals, so this leans into their home strength. Ten straight wins over Saints, plus over 2.5 goals in eight of their last nine Premiership outings, makes this a tidy combination.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Bet Builder
Our four-leg bet builder leans on Hearts' dominance in this fixture: Total Home Goals Over 1.5, Both Teams To Score, and Blair Spittal to fire over 0.5 shots on target and over 1.5 shots.
Hearts have scored 2+ goals in four of their last four Premiership meetings with St Johnstone, so backing the hosts to net at least twice makes sense at Tynecastle.
Spittal has recorded 1+ shots on target in five of his last seven appearances against Saints in the Premiership, making the shots on target leg a strong shout.
St Johnstone have scored in four of their last four meetings with Hearts in the Premiership, so both teams to score adds value alongside the goals angle.
Spittal has also attempted 2+ shots in four of his last five outings against St Johnstone in the Premiership, rounding off the bet builder nicely.
At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 27/4 and is as short as 3/1 elsewhere. That's a difference in potential winnings of £48 from best to worst price.
Make sure to get the best odds on your Bet Builder with Oddschecker's Exclusive Bet Builder Comparison Tool.
Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Talking Points
The big question is whether Hearts' European heroics catch up with them. They battled bravely to reach the Conference League league phase in midweek, and Wouter Vrancken, the club's first Belgian head coach, must manage tired legs. St Johnstone, back in the top flight under Simo Valakari after a Championship title, will sense a rare opening. But the head-to-head is brutal reading for the Perth side: Hearts have won their last 10 meetings in all competitions and have been winning at both half time and full time in the last four. Saints have scored in each of the last four league meetings yet lost every one, so their attack is not the problem. Tightening up at the back is, and doing that against a fresh, in-form Hearts front line at Tynecastle is a tall order even with the hosts short of rest.
Hearts vs St Johnstone Predictions FAQs
What is the prediction for Hearts vs St Johnstone?
Check our match preview for the latest prediction, analysis, and expert betting insights ahead of Hearts vs St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.
Where is Hearts vs St Johnstone being played?
The match will be played at Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh.
Where can I find Hearts vs St Johnstone lineups?
Predicted and official lineups for Hearts vs St Johnstone are updated in our match preview as soon as team news is announced.
What are the best betting tips for Hearts vs St Johnstone?
Explore our match preview section for top bet builder picks, key statistics, and current odds.
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