Celtic, Hearts and Rangers cut to the chase - one result might suit all three teams

In a three-horse race, who are the favourites to win the Premiership title? Come 5pm tomorrow, it may be an easier poser to answer.

Scottish football’s latest Super Sunday is a cracker. Leaders Hearts take on second-placed Celtic at Tynecastle while 40-odd miles west, Rangers in third host Dundee at Ibrox.

Hearts have a six-point lead over the Old Firm duo with 16 matches left to play in the top flight. They have beaten both in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Derek McInnes’ side has only lost twice during the whole campaign and have shaken up the establishment. In case you’ve missed it, no team outside Celtic and Rangers has won the division in 40 years.

Most eyes - and the TV cameras - will be on Tynecastle. When Celtic and Hearts last met at Parkhead in early December, the two teams were locked together at the summit. In a caretaker role, Martin O’Neill had drawn the defending champions level with five league wins on the spin. He ceded the dugout to Wilfried Nancy ... and the rest is history. Hearts stormed Celtic Park, won 2-1 and Nancy was removed a month later.

O’Neill is back and Celtic are a slicker machine for his presence. In four matches across three competitions, they have won three and drawn one. In the Premiership, they’ve been foot perfect under him. Across his two interim spells, the Northern Irishman has won every game.

O’Neill elevates Celtic

The 73-year-old is in position until the end of the season. Hearts fans would have been relishing a visit from Celtic under Nancy in his cavalier 3-4-3 formation that clearly didn’t suit his players, but perhaps less so with O’Neill in the Tynecastle dugout. He’s only tasted defeat once in Gorgie, in 2003, across his three stints in charge. His presence elevates Hearts’ opponents.

Celtic were pushed hard by Bologna on Thursday night in the Europa League but held on with ten men to land a 2-2 draw. They displayed organisation and fortitude that was so glaringly lacking last time they faced Hearts. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and his defence are a far more secure unit.

Fatigue from chasing Bolognese shadows might be a factor at Tynecastle. O’Neill could freshen up his team with new striker Tomas Cvancara, who will be expected to solve one of Celtic’s most glaring problems: a goalscoring No 9. This would be quite the fixture to thrust him into.

As O’Neill readily admits, Celtic do not have much room for error. A defeat by Hearts would put them in a terribly sticky spot.

They will be buoyed by the hosts missing two of their most important players. Hearts head coach Derek McInnes had been pretty fortunate with injuries up until this juncture in the season but like the proverbial buses, two have come along at once. Midfielder Cammy Devlin (ankle) and striker Lawrence Shankland (hamstring) are out for at least five more weeks. In addition, another midfielder in Beni Baningime is out due to suspension.

Hearts have scrambled this week to procure another midfielder. Forest Green Rovers captain Laurent Mendy was targeted, then former Jam Tarts youngster Marc Leonard, who is currently at Birmingham. They are light in that department.

McInnes does not have the same issue at goalkeeper. One of the more intriguing calls will be whether Alexander Schwolow or Craig Gordon wears the gloves. The 43-year-old Scotland keeper more than ably deputised for the German after his two-game ban. Gordon is the only man in the Hearts squad who has won the title - and that was with Celtic.

The six-point gap so brilliantly engineered by Hearts gives them breathing space. One wonders whether a draw would not be terminal for either team - although it could benefit their other title rival.

Rangers have stealthily moved themselves into contention since Danny Rohl took over in mid-October. The only team to beat them in the league is - yes, you guessed it - Hearts and the German has won 11 of his 14 top-flight assignments, allowing the Ibrox men to recover from a terrible start under Russell Martin.

If Rangers want to display their title credentials, then they simply must win at home to Dundee at the same time as rivals Hearts and Celtic meet. At least one of them is going to drop points. The Dens Park side has a spring in its step due to a recent revival under manager Steven Pressley, but Rohl knows this has to be a maximum loot. Winger Andreas Skov Olsen could make his debut, an eye-catching loan signing from Wolfsburg.

Going into this weekend, the bookmakers have the title race chalked up as this: Celtic 13/10, Hearts 21/10, Rangers 11/4. It is a tight, fascinating contest. Those odds will move come the close of the weekend - but in which direction?