Everton v West Ham Tips: It all points to a draw at Goodison

Toffees improving but not winning

Everton have improved after two early defeats to Chelsea and Aston Villa already had some mentioning the 'R' word. Since then, the Toffees haven't lost in four. But they haven't won, either. The pick of their four consecutive draws was the 0-0 at home to Liverpool last time out where Everton were arguably the better side.

As Opta point out, it's now seven in the league without a win because they also lost their last game of the 2021-22 season.

Of all their signings (and there were plenty), Neal Maupay is arguably the most important, while Solomon Rondon looks a spent force. Homegrown talent Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a victim of both injury and poor form over the last year or so.

Playing Anthony Gordon as a striker was a decent makeshift solution but it's certainly not his best position.

Everton will be without Jordan Pickford for this one. He was excellent against Liverpool but a thigh injury will now keep him out for another couple of weeks.

Slow-starting Hammers

It's been a slow start for a West Ham side many felt would have kicked on after being pretty good over the last two seasons. They have admittedly had some tough games, playing Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City but they also made some big signings so results need to come soon or else David Moyes will be under pressure.

Their biggest problem has been in front of goal. Just three goals all season and they're guilty of being the only side in the league yet to score before half-time so far.

Michail Antonio (who scored one of those goals) has been his usual competitive and powerful self upfront.

But they'll surely be a better side when big-money signing Gianluca Scamacca is deemed fit and 'integrated' enough to be starting regularly with Antonio either alongside him, or providing an option out wide.

At least they have almost everyone available with only Aaron Cresswell a slight injury doubt but he should make it.

If it looks like a draw...

West Ham are 2.68/5 favourites. Does that sound right? Well, they have won their last two away at Goodison (Opta) so that's probably the reason. But then again the men in blue have beaten the Hammers 27 times in the Premier League and scored 88 goals against them, both records for the Liverpool-based side.

Sometimes if both sides look well-matched (they do), would both settle for a draw (they probably would) and have a recent history of draws (Everton have had three in a row) then the draw is quite possibly how it will end.

Better still, it's at 3.412/5 the biggest price of the three outcomes with the hosts 3.052/1.

The only fly in the ointment is that draws have been somewhat scarce between these two with just one in the last five in the league. But that's not enough to put us off.

Unders the justified favourite

Just one of Everton's six goals so far this season has gone 'overs' and that was a 2-1 loss at Villa, where the Toffees' goal came via an own goal from their former man Lucas Digne and it was in second-half injury time.

It's the same record for West Ham, their only 'overs' match coming last time out when they lost 2-1 at Chelsea.

It's also just one of the last seven between these two that went over 2.5 goals, a 2-1 win by West Ham last season at home. So you can see why unders is favourite at 1.855/6 and why they're the obvious pick.

Gordon in a two-way Bet Builder

A second good wager in the match can be found on the Bet Builder market.

We've gone through the reasons why we thought West Ham look a bit short so we can cover the Everton and draw options (again) by going with that outcome on the Double Chance market at 1/2.

And if Everton are to get a goal, which they should, it may well come through a contribution from the in-form and extremely influential Gordon.

Two goals (no assists) from six matches doesn't look particularly eye-catching as a raw stat but his performances have been better than that. And with a little more luck or better finishing from either himself or a team-mate, it could have easily been three or four goals and a couple of assists for the season.

The 6/4 he scores or assists a goal looks decent enough and combining the two comes to 3.1654/25.