CLIVE BRUNSKILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images. Pictured: Sergio Aguero (left) and Pep Guardiola.
Everton vs. Manchester City Odds
| Everton Odds | +900 |
| Manchester City Odds | -350 |
| Draw | -450 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-175 / +140) |
| Day | Time | Saturday | 1:30 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | ESPN+ |
| Odds as of Friday afternoon and via PointsBet. | |
A trip to Wembley Stadium is on the line when Everton hosts Manchester City in the sixth round of the FA Cup on Saturday at Goodison Park.
These teams met on Feb. 17 in the Premier League in Liverpool, with City taking all three points in a 3-1 away win. Since then, City have won seven of eight games and continued rolling in the Premier League and Champions League.
Do the Toffees stand a chance? Let’s dig in.
Everton
Everton are still in the mix for a potential Champions League spot in the Premier League. The Toffees are five points behind fourth-place Chelsea with a game in hand. No doubt that will be their focus for the rest of the season.
In the meantime, though, why not try to win some silverware?
Everton have reached this point in the cup by beating Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham, the latter of which was in a thrilling 5-4 win that required extra time.
In the Premier League, Everton’s form has not been great since mid-February — they have lost four of their last seven fixtures, including their last two against Chelsea and Burnley.
There is no doubt that this matchup with City could look very similarly to the game against Chelsea, which would bode poorly for Everton. They were thoroughly dominated in that game, losing 2-0 with the expected goal battle finishing in the Blues’ favor, 2.9-0.3, according to FBref.com.
Manchester City
Since drawing back-to-back matches against Manchester United and West Brom on Dec. 12 and 15, Manchester City has won 24 of its last 25 games in all competitions.
You read that correctly. Twenty four of 25.
Pep Guardiola’s team has conceded just 12 goals over that span, and it’s the City defense that has them in position to win the Premier League for the third time in four seasons.
One of those 12 goals was in that matchup against Everton back in February. City also allowed 1.0 xG to the Toffees, which merits a congratulatory pat on the back for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
City were proven to be beatable back on March 7 when Manchester United beat them, 2-0, at the Etihad Stadium. An early penalty and late goal from Luke Shaw shocked City, although the result does little to affect the Premier League title race.
City have taken care of lower-league opposition to get to this point in the Champions League, knocking out Birmingham City, Cheltenham and Swansea City.
Betting Analysis & Pick
In Everton’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea, the Toffees showed little attacking initiative. Chelsea dominated possession and the game, further enhancing their chances of a Champions League berth in the Premier League.
Everton didn’t register much in terms of chance creation in that game, and they’re going to face a similar type of team in this game. City will keep about 70-75% of the ball and limit the Toffees’ attack.
As if City wasn’t already a juggernaut cup team, this incarnation of Guardiola’s squad is a perfect team for a single-elimination format. Their defense is incredibly stout and the attack has the quality to break through against inferior opposition.
I was pretty surprised to see the under at 2.5 goals at +140. Although Everton has some strong attacking talent, they’re ripe to be shut out by City. I’ll take the big number and run with it.
Pick: Under +140
_BookPromo=19