PaddyPower
Player Valuation: £225k
Stoke come in to this game off the back of two league losses and a Carling Cup expulsion at the hands of a struggling West Ham. Everton on the other hand are still very much on the rise, putting together a four game unbeaten run, only one of which was played at Goodison.
Although that home win was the most enjoyable for the fans, it was perhaps last week’s point at White Hart Lane which was the most promising. Spurs were on form and playing well and yet it took an uncharacteristic error from Tim Howard to get them back to parity. The hard work and application which has been evident all season has been bolstered by the confidence of recent results and Everton are rightly 8/13 to beat an out of form Stoke side.
The manager said it himself that his side are getting tougher to beat and looking more likely to score than they were in the early part of the season. There are still a few players out injured but there’s more than enough quality to get the job done. Mikel Arteta’s expected return will be a welcome one though, after he missed the Spurs game, and he’ll be worth a bet to score if he starts. The Spaniard is 15/2 to score first and 13/5 to score anytime. As Everton’s top goalscorer this season Cahill at 5/1 and 13/8 in the same markets will be a popular choice though Yakubu is sure to score eventually and shouldn’t be ignored at 9/2 and 7/5. With Arteta back the Nigerian will have better service and being at home against a side with a limited style of football he should see more of the ball too.
Stoke, no matter their form, are still going to be tough opposition and though they don’t always offer the greatest of threats going forward they will work hard to stop Everton from scoring. One thing the boys in blue have shown this season is determination so they won’t lose heart if their early advances are frustrated. Everton -1 goal at 17/10 is a risk but one which could pay off if Everton can breach the Stoke backline early on but the correct score bets of 1-0 at 9/2 and 2-1 at 7/1 look more sensible bets as well as offering a greater profit. This game may be tight but on recent form it’s one which Everton should win as they continue their climb up the table.
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