Everton vs. Liverpool: Premier League betting odds, preview, and pick

The stage is set for one of the strangest Merseyside Derby games in recent memory. Very few players or managers will dare cross the forbidden line between Liverpool and Everton, but manager Rafa Benitez has done just that. After six years managing Liverpool between 2004 and 2010, in which time he won the Champions League and became a club legend, Rafa became Everton manager this summer.

His record in the Merseyside derby is 8-3-3, but now he’s in the blue corner and attempting to upset the fans who used to sing his name.

A Rafa Disaster

Benitez was not a widely welcomed name when he was appointed Everton manager in the summer. The former Liverpool legend who guided the Reds to the most famous of Champions League wins, swapping sides of the city to manage Everton did not go down well with fans.

That anger somewhat subsided after Everton picked up 13 points from a possible 18 at the start of the season, but it is back with a vengeance now.

The Toffees have fallen to 14th in the league, and are the team in the worst from in the entire division, losing five of their last six games. Last week’s 1-0 defeat to newly promoted Brentford means that Everton have now failed to score in three straight matches, and have only kept one clean sheet in the last seven.

Last year they shocked Liverpool at Anfield, winning 2-0, but that is their only Merseyside Derby win in almost a decade. They haven’t won a derby in front of their home fans since October 2010. There isn’t much to smile about as an Evertonian, and Rafa’s bizarre Liverpool reunion is unlikely to lift their mood.

Top of the Klopps

Liverpool sauntered to an easy 4-0 win over Southampton last week, which was their second 4-0 win in a row in the league. Jurgen Klopp’s men are playing with a swagger and scoring for fun, topping the goal-scoring charts with 39 in just 13 games.

That puts them on track to smash the record for number of goals in a season currently held by the 2016-17 Manchester City team. And with a front three of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Diogo Jota, it’s hard to put it past them.

The Reds are now just two points off Chelsea in the title race and have found the net in every single game they’ve played this season. Now they get to feast on an Everton team that’s in disarray.

The red half of the city have been enjoying free-flowing football all year, and while the derby can sometimes become a disruptive affair, it’s hard to see anyone stopping the Reds in their current form.

There have surprisingly only been three Liverpool goals in the last five Merseyside Derby games, but it’s no surprise to see Sadio Mane has two of them. He has four goals in his last seven league games this year, and can help heap pressure on Benitez.

Everton vs. Liverpool Betting Trends

• Everton are winless in seven Premier League games, their longest run without a victory since April 2016
• Everton are 1-6-12 straight-up in the last 19 games against Liverpool
• Eight of the last nine Everton vs. Liverpool matches at Goodison Park have ended in a draw
• Everton have kept clean sheets in just three games out of a possible 13 this season
• Over 2.5 goals has clicked in Liverpool’s last 10 league games
• Everton have failed to score in four of their last six league games

Reds Rule on Merseyside

This could get messy for Everton. Despite their decent derby record at home in the last few years – earning a point in eight of the last nine meetings – they come into this fixture in hopeless form. The Rafa reunion is sure to create a strange atmosphere, but it would be no surprise to see Liverpool go a few goals up and let the away fans sing songs about their former legend. The Reds can’t stop scoring and the Toffees can’t stop conceding, which is a recipe for disaster, while Klopp’s men have been ruthless in swatting away lesser opposition this season. This has all the makings of a huge derby day for Liverpool.   

Score prediction: Everton 0-3 Liverpool (+850)

Everton vs. Liverpool pick: Liverpool (-1) 3-Way Spread (+100)

Same Game Combo: Everton Under 0.5 goals, Liverpool Over 2.5 goals, Sadio Mane to score (+750)

Everton vs. Liverpool pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for Liverpool to win.