Everton v Man Utd: Back cards and hosts to score
Everton host Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday in a 12:30pm kick-off at Goodison Park.
Neither side comes into the match in particularly great form, with the Toffees losing their last two matches and United taking just one point from their recent games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
The hosts are 2/1 to get back to winning ways, with the draw 13/5 and a United win 5/4.
United have won their last six Premier League matches on the road, but Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League suggested things may have turned a sour corner for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Everton, meanwhile, are still missing the suspended Richarlison and have won just one of the ten matches he has been unavailable for since joining the club from Watford in 2018. However, they do have Lucas Digne and James Rodriguez available again after the duo missed last weekend’s defeat to Newcastle.
Calling a result in this one is very difficult indeed, then, with a draw probably representing the best value in my mind. 1-1 is 13/2 and 2-2 is 12/1 (bet365).
Paul Tierney officiates this intriguing clash and, since football returned behind closed doors, he has shown both sides one or more cards each as well as 30+ total booking points in seven of his nine matches. United have received 13 yellow cards and one red in just six league matches, with Everton receiving 11 yellows and two reds in seven, so I can certainly envisage at least a few cards here with both sides desperate to avoid defeat.
Over 0 Cards for each side and Over 2 Cards for both teams combined provides a nice starting point for a Bet Builder at 4/6.
Everton have scored in every game this season bar the 2-0 defeat to Southampton, with United keeping just one clean sheet in a dour game against Chelsea, so with Digne and Rodriguez back creating chances for the league’s top goalscorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, I’m going to back Everton to score to bring the Bet Builder above evens to 23/20:
Indeed, Calvert-Lewin has had two or more shots on target in six of his seven matches (with the defeat at Southampton the only blip in that regard). He can be backed to do so again at evens (Sky Bet), with the same bookmaker providing a nice double up boost on Calvert-Lewin and Marcus Rashford both having 2+ shots on target at 8/1. Rashford has managed this in four of his nine matches in the PL and CL this season, and may find the ball easier to come by with Anthony Martial leading the line once more, so given this boost essentially prices both players at 2/1 it definitely seems worth a play.
Two other players I have my eye on in the shots on target market are James Rodriguez and Bruno Fernandes. Both attacking midfielders have tested the opposition goalkeeper in five of their six matches this season, and can be backed to do so as a double at around 13/8 (Betfair).
In the cards market, I generally prefer backing midfielders as they tend to be in the thick of the action and more liable to making tactical fouls. Allan and Fred have both picked up two yellow cards this season and are priced at 13/5 and 11/4 (Betfair) respectively, with the double paying a tasty 18/1 (Betfair).
Allan has made three or more tackles in six of his seven matches, with Fred making two or more in all four of his starts. Sky Bet’s lines in this market look on the high side, though, with Allan 8/15 to make 4+ and Fred 5/6 to make 3+. It may be worth throwing both into a request a bet of your choosing, but the line seems to have been set one too high for me to back them as singles.
