Premier League preview and odds: Everton vs Sunderland

Published on: 24/02/2017

Premier League preview and odds: Everton vs Sunderland

February 25, 2017 15:00pm - Goodison Park

Premier League

Everton will look to extend their home winning streak to four games when they welcome David Moyes` struggling Sunderland side to Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, the visitors will be looking for a way to lift themselves of the foot of the Premier League table.

Toffees unbeaten in eight

Everton have now gone eight games without defeat in the Premier League. Their last defeat came at home to arch rivals Liverpool back in December. Since then, they have won five and drawn three and are comfortably positioned in seventh place in the table, four points clear of West Bromwich Albion.

Ronald Koeman`s men have scored in all but one of their home matches this season and have scored three or more goals in each of their last three home games. However, they will have to find their way past a defence that has managed to avoid conceding in the first half of six of their 12 away games.

Sunderland will arrive in the northeast as the bottom-ranked team in the Premier League. However, with things so tight in the lower reaches of the table, a win could lift them out of the bottom three, depending on other results.

The Black Cats have been drawing at half time in 50% of all their Premier League away matches but only finished one of those games on level terms. In their last away match they cruised to a 4-0 win away to Crystal Palace. Prior to that, they lost five on the trot.

Team news

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (knock), Yannick Bolasie (knee) and Muhamed Besic (knee ligament) are out of action for the home side, while, Aaron Lennon (illness), Romelu Lukaku (knock) and Kevin Mirallas (groin strain) are all doubtful.

Meanwhile, the visitors also have plenty of absentees with Papiss Djilobodji (suspended), Victor Anichebe (knee), Jan Kirchoff (cartilage), Duncan Watmore (ACL), Paddy McNair (knee) and Lee Cattermole (hip) all missing, while Jack Rodwell (hamstring strain) and Jordan Pickford (anterior cruciate ligament sprain) are both doubtful.

Recent form (League)

Everton: DWDWW

Sunderland: LWDLL

Betting odds and tips

Everton were drawing 0-0 at half-time in four of their 12 home matches, while Sunderland were drawing 0-0 at the same stage in five of their 12 away games. With a defensive performance expected from the visitors, backing the same outcome looks like a decent option for this game.

You can back a Half-time Score of 0-0 at 5/2 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 24/02/2017

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (24/02/2017 17:32:21) but are subject to change.