Crystal Palace vs. Everton Betting Preview – EPL, September 26, 2020

Two of the seven unbeaten clubs come together on Saturday as Everton faces more London opposition on the form of Crystal Palace.

The Eagles have defied the pundits so far by looking good for their two victories but now have to work out a way to stop James Rodriguez.

The top sports betting sites have gone with Everton to win this one at Selhurst Park but the closeness of the odds does suggest that there is a recognition that Palace has started the season well and could be difficult to beat at home. The Palace defense was particularly tough to break down last season and if that is the case again, the draw bet could be worth considering.

The 3-1 win at Old Trafford for Palace last week was well deserved and Wilfried Zaha, in particular, will be pleased about his performance as he scored twice against his former club. Finding the net was a problem for the entire team last season, so managing four in two games has to be seen as an improvement.

Palace will want to take the game to Everton – as it did against United – in a bid to stop the playmakers in Carlo Ancelotti’s side from being heavily involved There is some real quality on the Eagles’ bench as well, so Roy Hodgson will not be fearful of Everton this weekend – even with the way it has started the new campaign.

All eyes have been on Everton in the opening weeks of the season after one of the most exciting offseasons in recent memory. It may have been short but Ancelotti was still able to make headlines with the acquisition of James Rodriguez – as well as Doucoure from Watford.

Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has definitely benefitted from the new arrivals. He scored the winner against Spurs the week before and then managed a hat-trick in the thrashing of West Brom. He has been looking like a real threat for a few seasons, but with the arrival of Rodriguez, he now has the guaranteed delivery to give him even more chances.

Everton should score a lot of goals this season – if the main players remain fit. But, as the West Brom game showed, there will be chances at the other end that may cause some problems. Palace is one of the hardest defenses in the league to break down and that could make for a relatively tight game on Saturday – with a well-fought draw the eventual outcome.