Odds favour Hearts, Baccus & Goodwin in spotlight

It's the first Scottish Premiership festive derby day to have full crowds attending for three years now that pandemic restrictions are over - and they should have plenty to cheer as we kick off 2023.

Here's what to look out for in those later kick-offs.

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Game of 15:00 kick-offs: Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian

It is third hosting eighth where the hosts are unbeaten in four outings, winning three of them and scoring eight times in their last three, and where the visitors have suffered five consecutive defeats on the road.

Based on those statistics, there should only be one winner at Tynecastle on Monday, but we all know that derbies are particularly adept at defying the form book.

Hearts, though, also have recent history on their side - they have gone unbeaten in seven meetings with Hibernian since a 2-0 reverse at Tynecastle in December 2019.

Having only suffered two defeats in their latest 10 outings, Robbie Neilson's side have overcome a plethora of key injuries to start inching up the Premiership table again.

They must do so once more - and until the end of the season - without captain and talisman Craig Gordon, but they still managed a gutsy 3-2 win away to St Johnstone on Wednesday in his absence with Zander Clark in goal and striker Lawrence Shankland wearing the armband.

Shankland was Hearts' goalscorer when the sides drew 1-1 at Easter Road in August and it is the continued absence through injury of the scorer of Hibs' late equaliser - Australia winger Martin Boyle - that still hangs like a cloud over Lee Johnson's side.

They have only won twice in 10 outings, their latest game being a 4-0 thumping at home to Celtic.

However, there are still only five points separating the capital sides, albeit Hearts have a game in hand, and Hibs will be keen to put pressure on a home defence that has kept fewer clean sheets than any other in this season's top flight. Hearts have recorded just one shutout in their 18 games - and none in their last 11 league matches.

Indeed, Hearts have gone draw-win-draw-win, so this one should end honours even if that sequence continues.

Player to watch: Keanu Baccus (St Mirren)

Speculation is linking Ethan Erhahon and Keanu Baccus with moves away from St Mirren

Keanu Baccus should perhaps be sharing a double headline along with Ethan Erhahon given the latter could also be on his way out of St Mirren following Thursday's news that a transfer offer from Forest Green Rovers has been accepted for the Scotland Under-21 international.

That St Mirren should be contemplating selling two of their regular midfield starters at a time when they are sitting pretty in fifth place in the Premiership, just three points behind Hearts with a game in hand, is perhaps just another indication of the harsh financial realities of life as a manager in Scottish football.

In saying that, it is only conjecture that suggests the hard-grafting Baccus will be exiting Paisley during the January transfer window.

The South Africa-born 24-year-old has returned from the World Cup finals a more marketable - and seemingly desirable - product after being seen holding his own with the likes of Lionel Messi in Australia's gold in Qatar.

Middlesbrough and Rangers are the latest clubs to reportedly be monitoring his situation with St Mirren, to whom he is contracted until May 2024.

And helping his side extend their four-game unbeaten run when they visit Kilmarnock on Monday could go some way to realising any ambitions Baccus has to again operate on a higher stage.

Manager in spotlight: Jim Goodwin (Aberdeen)

It is only four games since everything seemed to have turned rosy for the Reds of Aberdeen and manager Jim Goodwin.

Since returning from the World Cup break, however, Aberdeen have suffered a quartet of defeats and been usurped by Hearts in third place behind the Old Firm.

Consecutive single-goal defeats, albeit at home, by both sides of the Old Firm are hardly the harbingers of doom.

However, reverses away to St Mirren and Kilmarnock have been made more painful by the fact that the former are Goodwin's previous employers and the latter are led by one of his recent predecessors in the Pittodrie hotseat, Derek McInnes.

The Irishman had his doubters among the Aberdeen support even when his side looked favourites to finish best of the rest behind Celtic and Rangers.

Hosting a Ross County side sitting bottom of the Premiership after four straight defeats is surely a must-win if he is to start to silence them.

However, after a 1-1 draw in Dingwall in September, Malky Mackay's side arrive having gone five games without loss against the Dons and will also take confidence from their 1-0 win at Pittodrie on their last visit there in April.