Everton vs Middlesbrough Betting Tips, Prediction, and Preview

Preview

Middlesbrough got their return to the Premier League off to an excellent start by going unbeaten in their first three matches,

But…

…they finally tasted defeat with a loss to Crystal Palace last weekend.

It doesn’t get any easier for Aitor Karanka’s side this weekend, as this Saturday they face the tough challenge of taking on high-flying Everton.

Everton vs Middlesbrough Betting Tips

Bet on a DRAW at half time

Everton vs Middlesbrough betting tips

Prediction: It’ll still be even at the half-time break

Everton have already won three matches this Premier League campaign, but they were not leading at half-time in any of those three victories…

Instead, Ronald Koeman’s men did the business in the second halves of those encounters with West Brom, Stoke and Sunderland.

If Everton are to win again this weekend

– which is what the bookmakers predict –

then they may well get the job done in the second 45 minutes. As such, betting on this match to be level when the half-time whistle sounds – which is priced at odds of 6/5 – could be one of the smartest tips of the weekend.

That is exactly what happened with Middlesbrough last weekend, when they suffered their first loss of the season.

They went in to the dressing rooms against Crystal Palace with the score at 1-1, before giving up the match winner to Wilfred Zaha within two minutes of the restart!

The fact that five of the six goals conceded by Boro in all competitions this season have come after half-time also backs up the prediction that Everton will be held off until the break.

How’s this for a tip? We predict this will be a low-scoring affair

In line with the above prediction that this match will still be level at half-time – probably because of a lack of goals rather than an even sharing of them – betting on goals to be scarce this Saturday could be a wise move.

There has been an average of 1.5 total goals across Everton’s two home matches so far this season, while there has also been an average of 1.5 total goals across the two away matches Middlesbrough have played.

That’s why placing a bet on the 12/5 odds for there to be fewer than 1.5 goals could be well worth looking into.

Although Everton smashed Sunderland in a 3-0 win on Monday evening, it should be kept in mind that they were facing a Sunderland side with a very leaky defence, as should the fact that Everton haven’t been as prolific as that over the rest of the season’s first few weeks.

The double Middlesbrough conceded last weekend made Crystal Palace the first team this season to score multiple goals past the newly-promoted side, so Everton should expect Middlesbrough’s defence to provide a much sterner test than the one offered by the Black Cats last Monday.