It had seemed that Manchester City had been coasting to another Premier League title, Unbeaten in the division since October, Pep Guardiola’s men were enjoying a significant lead at the top of the table before they ran into Spurs last time out.
Defeat at the hands of Tottenham gives hope to Liverpool and the chasing pack and it’s imperative that Manchester City get back to winning ways. Next up for Pep’s side is a trip to Everton to face a team that is battling to get away from the relegation zone (5.30pm Saturday; TV: Live on SkySports).
The match betting may point to a comfortable 90 minutes for the visiting side but, as Spurs proved last weekend, we should take nothing for granted. This EFC vs MCFC preview will seek the betting value with our predictions and tips.
The away win carries the shortest odds this week with Man City available at a general 1/4 to claim all three points. The draw is the next option at best industry odds of 5/1 while most bookmakers are quoting 9/1 on victory for Everton. Neither side were involved in midweek action so the squads should be fresh going into this game.
Form is the obvious concern for anyone looking for another upset this week. Everton have won just one of their previous six league matches and have lost the other five. MCFC may have lost to Spurs last time out but they have taken 13 points from their previous six encounters and remain strong odds-on favourites in the bookies EPL lists.
Nothing can be taken for granted but the indications are that Man City should be back to winning ways at the end of 90 minutes.
If you agree with the bookmakers’ assessment, it’s better to focus on the side bets for some stronger prices. In the first goalscorer betting, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez leads the way at a general 7/2 while Raheem Sterling is a tempting option at an industry best of 5/1.
Everton’s most likely threat, according to the bookies, is Dominic Calvert-Lewin who is out at a top price of 11/1. Options from behind the main front men include City’s Kevin de Bruyne at 6/1 and Jack Grealish at 7/1. For Everton, Andros Townsend gave us a return in the anytime scorer market when the Toffees played Brentford in the FA Cup and he can be claimed here at 20/1.
Moving away from the player options, Both Teams to Score is on offer for this game at best odds of evens. The ‘no’ option on BTTS drops to an odds-on figure this time and it can be claimed at 4/5 in most places.
Based on those odds, the top UK internet bookmakers might not be expecting Everton to find the net but they do feel that there will be a few goals at Goodison on Saturday. Betting Over the 2.5 combined line produces very short prices with many outlets offering just 1/2 but we can push that up to Over 3.5 for more interesting best odds of 6/4.
Correct Score suggestions round off our EPL match preview and, if you agree with the bookies and are expecting a comfortable evening for the visitors, the 3-1 away win is quoted at best odds of 11/1. A 2-2 draw can be claimed at a top price of 25/1 while a 2-1 victory for Everton is on offer at a best of 35/1.
Our Preview’s EFC vs MCFC Betting Tips Verdict
We didn’t give Spurs much of a chance when they travelled to the Etihad last weekend but, in fairness, very few punters would have backed the away win. That result does suggest that this Saturday’s game between City and Everton may not be as clear cut as the match market suggests and it will be fascinating to see how Pep’s team respond.
This preview will steer clear of the result betting this time and start with Both Teams to Score at those evens odds. That’s a relatively generous figure and it reflects Everton’s shaky form right now. The Toffees have, however, scored a respectable eight goals in their last four games, if we include the 4-1 FA Cup win over Brentford.
Man City should ultimately come through and one man who has been profitable for us in the goal scorer betting is Raheem Sterling. He has scored ten leagues goals this season and is one of the more likely sources of strikes from the away side.
You could play safer and take an anytime goal for Sterling at 13/10 but we’ll back him at 5/1 to open the scoring. Everton may not make it easy for the visitors but we are expecting Raheem Sterling and Manchester City to benefit in this Saturday evening kick off. So these are the betting tips for this preview:
- Take both teams to score at top odds of even money with Bet365, William Hill or Betfred.
- Raheem Sterling to score first at a biggest price of 5/1 with Bet365.
Matt Harris is a football writer for Just Bookies. Other sports in his portfolio of specialities include golf and cricket. Matt has contributed to innumerable large organisations and media brands. These include: Betfair, BetVictor, USA Betting & Unibet. 