Match

Ross County vs Hearts U21: prediction and stats

Challenge CupGroup Stage - 5Kick-off on September 26, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC)Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall

Ross CountyHearts U21

The Footlab model makes Ross County the favourite at 82%, against 11% for a draw and 6% for Hearts U21. The most likely score is 3-0.

This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy

Probabilities recomputed on Aug 24, 2026 — the full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.

Who will win Ross County vs Hearts U21?

Ross County is a heavy favourite: 1,801 Elo points against 1,400 — a 401-point gap.

Ross County win82 %
Draw11 %
Hearts U21 win6 %

What is the recent form of both teams?

Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Ross County have 12 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeats; Hearts U21 have 5, 1 and 9.

The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.

Ross County
DateOpponentScoreCompetition
Aug 22, 2026Airdrie United(away)3-1League One
Aug 15, 2026Dunfermline(away)2-1League Cup
Aug 11, 2026Elgin City(away)2-1Challenge Cup
Aug 8, 2026Montrose(home)2-1League One
Aug 1, 2026Peterhead(away)1-0League One
Hearts U21
DateOpponentScoreCompetition
Aug 11, 2026Berwick Rangers(away)4-3Challenge Cup
Apr 18, 2026Cowdenbeath(away)0-3Football League - Lowland League
Apr 10, 2026Albion Rovers(home)3-0Football League - Lowland League
Apr 3, 2026East Stirlingshire(away)2-4Football League - Lowland League
Mar 20, 2026Clydebank(home)0-8Football League - Lowland League

How many goals should we expect?

Ross County score 2.7 and concede 0.9 goals per match over their last 15; Hearts U21 score 1.1 and concede 2.4. The model gives a 80% probability of over 2.5 goals and 59% for both teams to score.

ClubGoals scored / matchGoals conceded / matchClean sheetsBoth teams scoredOver 2.5 goals
Ross County2.70.9510/1512/15
Hearts U211.12.417/1511/15

Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.

Verdict, probable XI and verified absences

The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.

Open the full match card in the app

No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.

How does Footlab compute this prediction?

The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy

Frequently asked questions

Who is the favourite for Ross County vs Hearts U21?
The Footlab model makes Ross County the favourite at 82%, against 11% for a draw and 6% for Hearts U21.
Where and when is Ross County vs Hearts U21 played?
Ross County vs Hearts U21 is played on September 26, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC) at Global Energy Stadium, in the Challenge Cup.
Will there be over 2.5 goals?
The Footlab model gives a 80% probability of at least three goals in this match.
How reliable is this prediction?
The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.

Other matches in the same round

Next match: Ross County and Hearts U21

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