Everton vs Chelsea — Tips & Analysis

Everton +0.5: Everton are hard to beat right now, and that is the core of this pick. They have tied 6 of their last 13 games and lost only 3, which has carried them up to 5th. They have been beaten by 2 or more goals just once in those 13 games. Chelsea are a different team away from home. At home they score more than 2 goals a game. On the road they have won one of their last five and let in 2 goals a trip. Their 5-1 win last time out came against a bottom three Bournemouth side, and the run before it was poor. Chelsea are also without captain Reece James after knee surgery. Gittens is out for weeks and Emegha picked up a training knock on Thursday. This matchup has been tight for years. The last 20 meetings averaged just over 2 goals, and the last four finished 3-0, 0-2, 0-1 and 0-0. Everton score more than a goal a game and let in just over one, so a 1-1 reads as the most likely score. An even game is the night we are backing. The catch is history. Chelsea have won 9 of the last 20 meetings, and their results swing hard, beaten 0-3 at Brentford one game and scoring five the next. If their attack clicks early, Everton will struggle to stay with them. We still back Everton to hold on here.