Tips Feed

Crystal Palace are the first of our teams with little to play for, manager Oliver Glasner is not even attempting to hide the fact that the Premier League is second in their priority list in his post-match interview after defeat at Bournemouth. The Eagles will be battling fatigue from a Thursday night second leg against Shakhtar and sit 15th in the table, nine points above the drop zone and gave up 16 shots last time out, five of which found the target.

If Everton are to take advantage of Palace’s approach, Iliman Ndiaye will likely play a starring role as the Toffees winger is one of their most productive players in the final third. Ndiaye has averaged 0.75 efforts on goal per 90 this season and is in great recent form, working the goalkeeper seven times in his last five league starts. He’s also on penalties and scored in the reverse fixture.

Everton's average of 2.51 goals per game in the Premier League is one of the lowest figures in the division, but that number has been climbing steadily in recent weeks as David Moyes' side have been more attack-minded in their push for the European spots. That urgency has left them a bit vulnerable at the back, and the Toffees have conceded nine goals across their last four matches. An injury to Jarrad Branthwaite's injury hasn’t helped their cause, either.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in each of Everton’s last five Premier League games, with BTTS in four of those five as well, highlighting just how open their matches have become.

Palace have had relatively little to play for in the league at this point of the season, and that has been reflected in their results. They were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth in their last league outing and 3-1 by Liverpool in the fixture before that.

Everton still have plenty to play for in the race for European football, so they have played with a lot more attacking intent in recent weeks. There are still several teams in contention to finish among the European spots, and Everton are one of those, so David Moyes’ men will be desperate for the three points this weekend. 

With just 44 goals conceded from 35 league games this season, the Toffees have been one of the most secure defensive sides, but their high standards have slipped in recent weeks, and they have shipped nine goals in their last four games alone. Jarrad Branthwaite being out injured hasn’t helped, and Palace will fancy their chances of finding the back of the net at Selhurst Park this weekend, especially after their positive result in midweek.

However, Everton have scored 10 goals in their last five matches, and they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas here.

BTTS has landed in each of the last four competitive meetings between Palace and Everton, and the reverse fixture was an enthralling encounter. Jack Grealish snatched all three points for his side with a goal in the 93rd minute. It was an even game with chances available at both ends of the field - Everton recorded 14 shots, Palace had 15, and both goalkeepers were forced into five saves. 

Palace forced four saves from the Shakhar goalkeeper on Thursday, which was impressive considering Palace went into that match with a 3-1 aggregate lead. Everton are a level above Shakhtar, but it is worth noting that the Everton goalkeeper is averaging 2.66 saves per game in the league this season, rising to 2.88 when playing away. Jordan Pickford has been kept increasingly busy in recent weeks, and he has landed this bet in six of his last 10 away games. 

Beto scored in the reverse fixture back in October when Everton won 2-1 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, as he registered two shots in the match. He has recovered from the concussion that ruled him out recently, and he will hope to pick up where he left off. In the weeks before that injury, Beto had been in excellent form, with four goals to his name from just three starts. He had two shots against Man City last time out on his return, but was unfortunate not to hit the target with either. However, this selection did still land as Thierno Barry came off the bench to score a brace. 

Beto is averaging 2.54 shots per 90 in the Premier League this season, and he has seen an uptick in recent weeks as Everton have been pushing for a top seven finish.

James Garner was booked in the reverse fixture against Crystal Palace, and he was also carded at Selhurst Park in this fixture last season, which suggests that Palace aren’t his favourite opponent to face. The 25-year-old has accumulated 10 yellow cards from 35 Premier League appearances this season, which is the most of any Everton player, and one of the highest tallies of any player in the league. 

Garner is averaging 0.97 fouls per 90 in the league this season, which is nothing to write home about, but that figure rises considerably when playing away. Garner is averaging 1.48 fouls per 90, and he has landed this selection in seven of his last eight appearances on the road. He has also been booked in five of those games, which shows how the midfielder usually has a lot more defensive work to get through when Everton play away.