The start of the season is supposed to be party time but there's an air of gloom hanging over the showdown between Everton and Crystal Palace on Saturday at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes is under pressure from above at Everton following last season's dismal conclusion and needs a fast start despite a number of key injuries and more recruitment needed.
Pierre Sage at Palace has an almost impossible act to follow and admits the Conference League-winning Eagles are undercooked and not ready as they brace for their first competitive fixture of the season.
Everton v Crystal Palace Tips Summary
Best Bet - Everton or Draw Double Chance/1-4 Goals Range @ 8/11
Alternative Bet - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 2+ Tackles @ 10/11
Bet Builder - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 1+ Shots on Target, Jordan Pickford 2+ Saves, Adam Wharton to Be Booked @ 11/1
Everton v Crystal Palace Prediction
Best Bet: Everton or Draw Double Chance/1-4 Goals Range @ 8/11
Almost by default there's a slight preference for Everton this weekend, though not sufficiently to back them in a single.
Everton came out of last season under something of a cloud with no wins in seven and injuries to one or two big stars - James Garner chiefly - plus a lack of too much faith in any of their striker options means it is easy to be less than bullish about their chances.
Then again, Palace look even further off being ready for the Premier League campaign with a central defence to sort out following Maxence Lacroix's departure and new coach Pierre Sage insisting his team is not ready.
That, of course, could be just typical pre-season manager talk, playing down expectations, though after the stunning successes of Oli Glasner and drip-feed sales of their better players, expectations aren't exactly through the roof.
To lay Palace is to do so at a short price. Have a look at the Double Chance/Goals Range market and back Everton-Draw in a game featuring 1-4 goals.
Alternative Bet: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 2+ Tackles @ 10/11
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall going forward was a useful tool for the Toffees last term with the ex-Leicester man weighing in with eight goals and four assists.
Dewsbury-Hall is a rare attacking gem at the Hill Dickinson but with Garner, Christian Norgaard and Tim Iroegbunam all crocked, he could find himself having to put some hard yards in defensively as well.
He averaged 1.8 tackles per 90 minutes for Everton last season and looks a good bet to produce two or more in what could be a physical affair.
Everton v Crystal Palace Bet Builder Tip
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 1+ Shots on Target
Jordan Pickford 2+ Saves
Adam Wharton to Be Booked
Pays 11/1
Dewsbury-Hall's main role in this Everton team, of course, is to create and take chances.
He took 39 shots in 31 games last term, 15 of which were on target, but in a game which Everton ought to fancy against Palace's green defence, he can hit the target at least once, surely.
Make Dewsbury-Hall Over 0.5 Shots on Target the first leg of the Bet Builder and Jordan Pickford to make 2+ Saves the second.
The England keeper made 100 saves last term, the fifth season in a row he has reached three figures playing behind a defence that clearly doesn't protect him quite as much as would hope.
The money shot in this Bet Builder is Adam Wharton to be booked. He saw yellow nine times last season plus one red against Chelsea.
One of those yellows was in the 2-1 loss at Everton where his work-rate, needed to keep Palace in this, will be tested.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Everton won only six of their 19 league matches at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium last season
Palace won more points away from (24) than the Toffees did at home (23), though they did lose 2-1 at Everton in October
Everton signed off 2025/26 on a seven-game winless streak - both teams scored in six of those seven games
Thierno Barry, scorer of eight league goals last season, top scored for the Toffees in pre-season with three goals
Matheus Franca scored four goals and Eddie Nketiah three for the Eagles over the course of their summer schedule
Everton have lost their Premier League opener in each of the last four seasons - without scoring as much as a single goal
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
