Rangers host Hearts at Ibrox with title fight intensity
The build-up to this Old Firm-adjacent blockbuster has all the ingredients of a classic Premiership tussle: Rangers, second in the table, welcome leaders Hearts to Ibrox on 15 February 2026 with momentum and points on the line. Don Robertson will take charge at a packed Edmiston Drive venue that holds more than 50,000 — an atmosphere that often lifts the home side. Rangers arrive with recent form that reads as confidence — seven wins, two draws and a single loss in their last ten — and some emphatic scorelines in that stretch, including an 8-0 demolition of Queen’s Park and a 5-1 thrashing of Kilmarnock. Hearts, meanwhile, sit top of the standings with 57 points from 26 matches and have hardly been quiet, boasting 17 wins and a healthy goals tally across the campaign.
Form, structure and the tactical edge
When you dig into the underlying numbers, Rangers show an attacking appetite at home: 22 goals on home soil, 11 clean sheets and an average of 16 total shots per match, backed by 153 shots on target across the season. Hearts are no lightweight — 48 goals overall and 13 clean sheets underline their consistency — but they’re slightly more vulnerable away than at home, reflected by a reduced goals-against figure when on their turf versus on the road. The head-to-head earlier in the season saw Hearts edge Rangers 2-1, which will be fresh in both dressing rooms. Recent single-game performances matter too: Rangers’ stalemate at Motherwell ended 1-1 with Nicolas Raskin earning plaudits, while Hearts snatched a narrow 1-0 against Hibernian where Harry Milne stood out.
Expect a tight, tactical affair where Ibrox’s pressure could be decisive. Both teams register solid defensive records — Rangers have conceded just 19 goals this season, Hearts 20 — and both produce around half their fixtures going under or around the 2.5 goals line. Still, Rangers’ attacking volume at home and their ability to translate pressure into chances gives them a slight edge in a match that could be decided by a single moment or a clinical finish.
What punters should consider
The bookmakers currently price a Rangers victory at 1.90 (implied probability 52.63%), a draw at 3.40, and an away win at 4.00. That market reflects the home advantage and Rangers’ hot form. If you want to sharpen your betting approach, brush up on broader strategy and market selection with focused soccer betting tips and the choice of markets, while also reading about the right time to place bets on goal markets to time any goals-based wagers.
Recommended bet: Back Rangers to win (1X2) at 1.90. The home team’s attacking volume at Ibrox, combined with a superior shots and home-goal record and the marginally better recent form, makes the home victory the most logical single-market play.
