Kilmarnock are unbeaten in their last five home matches (W3 D2) and have only lost one of their last eight Premiership meetings with Hearts (W5 D2).

However, Hearts are on the up following three league victories on the spin.

A fourth would lift the visitors up to third in the table.

Motherwell haven't won a game since early September (D3 L7), but spirits will be higher after a battling draw at Celtic Park last weekend.

Can they build on that performance today? Having conceded a league high 22 goals, the Fir Park side were organised and determined against the champions but they will be expected to be on the front foot this time.

Dundee are coming off a run of four in a row at home but they did snap a 10-game winless streak on the road in the top flight away to Livingston when last on their travels.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty was not getting too carried away with the suggestion a win would take them 10 points clear of Livingston at the bottom.

"There is loads of motivation and there are incentives for the boys but I just want them to show the level they've shown consistently," he said.

"They'll get the rewards if they keep doing that. I thought the Hibs performance was good despite the defeat. That's why I've gone for the same team outwith [ineligible] Ricki Lamie."

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith tells BBC Scotland: "It'll be a tough game. Kilmarnock are very well-organised and recruited well in the summer.

"It'll be the way it always with the pitch. It's about dealing with that and their threats. It's about us causing them more problems than they cause us."

On bringing in Calem Nieuwenhof and Yutaro Oda: "I feel like this game just suits them better.

"I think Alex [Lowry] and Alan [Forrest] can be slightly disappointed they're not starting, but we've got a really good group that are all desperate to play. I think they'll cause Kilmarnock problems."

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell: "We do [need a win]. Our level of concentration and application against Celtic will get you results but we have to go and replicate it.

"We know we come against a Dundee side who have been very good so far in the division. They carry several threats and have good options on their bench.

"Tony has brought them straight up to Premiership standard. If we can hit the levels we did last week, and deal with having more of the ball than at Celtic Park, then we can make this a very competitive game today."

Liam Boyce has started the last three league games for Hearts and they've won them all.

No wonder he's all smiles.

Lawrence Shankland is the man banging in the goals but maybe he performs better with Boyce for company.

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Too soon?

Colour scheme is on point for the home side.

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Don't be fooled by the blue skies over the Caledonian Stadium, where Inverness host Raith Rovers. It's bitterly cold in the Highlands, where the temperature is expected to be -3C by full-time.

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Chasing their fourth consecutive Premiership win for the first time since 2018, there are two changes to the Hearts team that beat St Johnstone last time out.

Calem Nieuwenhof is back in the midfield, while Yutaro Oda is tasked with getting the visitors forward.

Alan Forrest and Rangers loanee Alex Lowry both have to make do with a place on the bench.

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On his 700th competitive game as a manager, Derek McInnes makes three changes to the Kilmarnock side that travelled home from Dingwall with a goalless draw last weekend.

In welcome injury news for today's hosts, captain Kyle Vassell and left-back Corrie Ndaba are both fit enough to start, while Brad Lyons returns from suspension to slot back into midfield.

Rory McKenzie and Matty Kennedy drop to the bench, while Joe Wright is out the squad entirely.

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The only change for Dundee from the defeat by Hibs is Aaron Donnelly coming in for Ricki Lamie, who is ineligible to play against Motherwell, his parent club.

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell makes just one enforced change after last week's battling draw at Celtic Park.

Jon Obika scored the equaliser in that game, and replaces midfielder Callum Slattery, who has reached the magic number of six yellow cards, which triggers a one-match ban.

It's Obika's first league start of the season.

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Michael Stewart
Former Hearts midfielder on BBC Sportscene

This is a big test for Hearts. For me, there are still a lot of questions around the club's ambitions and can they reach them?

The team still feels a bit makeshift, I'm not sure there are signs of clear progression in the system. There are areas that have not been recruited properly, no real pace in the side.

Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce coming back is huge though.

Rory Loy
Former Dundee & Falkirk forward on BBC Sportsound

The balance of the team at Kilmarnock is good and home form is excellent. They're second in the home form table.

The squad is more competitive than last season but it's the same pattern of disappointment in terms of away form.

If they pick that up, I think they can push for the top six.

Raith Rovers can move within a point of inactive Championship leaders Dundee United if they win in the Highlands today.

The Kirkcaldy side have lost just once this season but Inverness Caley Thistle remain unbeaten under Duncan Ferguson (W4 D3).

Partick Thistle have won three in a row in all competitions, while Airdrieonians have managed just one away league victory this term but did get the better of the Jags at home back in August.

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The ground staff have been busy at Firhill ahead of Partick Thistle's home game with Airdrieonians.

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These are the games ON in the lower leagues.

Kick-offs all 15:00 GMT

Championship

• Inverness CT v Raith Rovers
• Partick Thistle v Airdrieonians

League 1

• Hamilton Academical v Queen of the South

League 2

• Forfar Athletic v Stranraer
• Stenhousemuir v Bonnyrigg Rose

Motherwell: Kelly, O'Donnell, Casey, Mugabi, Blaney, Spencer, Butcher, Paton, Spittal, Biereth, Obika.

Substitutes: Oxborough, Gent, Bair, Zdravkovski, Shaw, Wells, L Ross, M Ross, Wilkinson.

Dundee: Carson, Donnelly, Shaugnessy, Portales, McGhee, Beck, Boateng, Cameron, McCowan, Bakayoko, Rudden.

Substitutes: Legdzins, Kerr, Tiffoney, Ashcroft, Mulligan, Robinson, Robertson, Howley, Sylla.

Kilmarnock: Dennis, Mayo, Findlay, Deas, Ndaba, Armstrong, Watson, Donnelly, Lyons, Watkins, Vassell

Substitutes: O'Hara, Sanders, Davies, McKenzie, Polworth, Murray, Warnock, Kennedy, Dallas

Heart of Midlothian: Clark, Kent, Rowles, Kingsley, Cochrane, Grant, Baningime, Nieuwenhof, Oda, Boyce, Shankland

Substitutes: McGovern, Haring, Devlin, Halliday, Forrest, Sibbick, Denholm, Tagawa, Lowry

Today's SPFL card has been decimated by the freezing weather.

Across the divisions, 11 games are off, including Livingston v Ross County in the top flight.

That leaves us with two matches in the Premiership, two in the Championship, one in League 1 and two in League 2.

If you are going along to a game, wrap up warm. If not, stay with us for the latest developments across the afternoon.

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