Everton v Manchester City Betting Markets
Manchester City are likely to beat Everton according to the bookies. Their odds of 1.45 to win Monday night's clash implies that they have a 70% probability of recording a victory. The title contenders are in a rich vein of form right now and it's perfectly possible that they will outclass opposition who have little at stake at this stage of the season.
An argument against lumping on City at such short odds is that they have fumbled on numerous occasions this term. Although there have been nine wins on the road, four of the games have ended in a draw and they've also suffered four away defeats. They're also fairly low on the ground for away goals considering just twenty-eight have been notched compared to thirty-eight at the Etihad.
However, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi were acquired in January to give the team extra impetus and the form of Rayan Cherki has been excellent. We can't be hugely confident of an away win based on their FA Cup semi-final against Southampton where the Championship side were able to defend stoutly and take the lead before succumbing to two late goals.
Everton sit eleventh in the Premier League standings with a healthy return of forty-seven points from their thirty-four games played. David Moyes continues to do sterling work with the Toffees although home form continues to be an issue. They've amassed more points on the road this season, although they can take a shot at their high-flying opponents here.
Recent form has not been great though. There was a 2-1 Merseyside derby home defeat before suffering the same scoreline defeat at West Ham. Previously to this, they spanked Chelsea 3-0 and claimed a 2-2 draw at Brentford. Perhaps they are worth supporting on the Asian Handicap as we know that the Merseyside outfit are defensively strong.
Goals Under/Over
The Over 2.5 Goals odds is available at 1.61 which implies a probability of around 62%. We've said it before, but Manchester City are capable of covering this line on their own. It's something that they did against Liverpool in the FA Cup before putting three past Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They have also achieved 2-1 successes against Arsenal in a crunch title showdown and the same winning scoreline against Southampton in the FA Cup.
However, those two victories sandwiched a more slender 1-0 success at Turf Moor. At this stage of the season, it's all about achieving a victory and City might have to be patient to find the breakthrough against stubborn opposition. Their 2-0 victory in the Carabao Cup final over Arsenal also saw a cagey opening before the north-west side were able to find a way to win.
Everton's past four matches have seen at least three goals being scored. However, their recent 2-1 defeat at West Ham involved a late equaliser from the Toffees before an even later winner from the Hammers.
BTTS
There's not a great deal between the odds for BTTS Yes and BTTS No. The former is trading at a slightly shorter price and the past three Everton games have seen both teams find the net. Previously to that, there were three consecutive matches where one side drew a blank. The Toffees are not power scorers by any stretch and might find it difficult to create chances against a City side likely to dominate possession.
Manchester City nearly always score. Since losing 3-0 at Real Madrid on 11 March, there have been eight consecutive games where Pep Guardiola's side have found the net. It has been sixteen goals scored across those matches, with the visitors clearly having to go for a victory here and it's improbable that they will fail to score.
Therefore, this bet comes down more to whether Everton can find the net. David Moyes' side have a fairly modest twenty-two goals across seventeen clashes at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. However, they will be looking to finish the campaign strongly and will certainly not be in the mood to down tools against a title-chasing City side.
First Goalscorer
Erling Haaland has twenty-four goals in his latest Premier League campaign, with the Norwegian's strike rate having slowed down in the second part of the season. However, he's capable of scoring in lots of ways including aerially and from the penalty spot. Having been rested for the majority of the FA Cup game against Southampton, there could be a freshness about his play.
Rayan Cherki has emerged as the potential Player of the Season and the Frenchman can often find pockets of space in crowded parts of the pitch. He, Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku are likely to be the attacking trident tasked with probing away at a deep-lying Everton defence in search of rewards.
Everton's scoring hopes might rest with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the former Leicester man has scored three goals across his previous six matches. He has recently found the net against Brentford and Everton, with Thierno Barry aiming to end a run of six matches without scoring and he was close to getting on the scoresheet at the London Stadium.