Everton vs Middlesbrough Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

Everton secured one of the most impressive managers of last season in the summer when they brought in former Southampton man Ronald Koeman to replace the sacked Roberto Martinez. It was hoped that he could turn Everton’s fortunes around after a dreadful showing last term, and so far the signs are very encouraging.

They opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur, but the following weekend they went one better as they beat West Brom 2-1 at the Hawthorns.

A 4-0 thrashing of Yeovil Town followed in the League Cup, and they then beat the out of form Stoke 1-0 in the Premier League. Last weekend saw Romelu Lukaku get off the mark this season in emphatic fashion as he banged in an 11 minute hat trick to guide his team to a 3-0 win at Sunderland. This puts them in an impressive 3rd position in the league after four games, and they remain unbeaten so far this season.

Middlesbrough returned to the Premier League after a long absence this season, and their summer signings indicated that they are planning on a long stay in the top flight. Top players such as Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes have joined, and the likes of Marten de Roon and Viktor Fischer coming in adds some more youthful talent to the squad.

Negredo instantly endeared himself to the North east as he netted in their 1-1 draw at home to Stoke in their season opener. They followed this with a 2-1 win at rivals Sunderland, with Negredo turning provider for Christian Stuani.

This was a promising start to life in the top flight, but it’s taken a turn for the worse since then. They were knocked out of the League Cup by Fulham and followed this with a drab goalless draw at West Brom. Last weekend saw them fall to defeat for the first time in the league as Crystal Palace beat them 2-1 at the Riverside.

I’m fully expecting Everton to continue their fantastic start to the season on Saturday. They are high on confidence and Lukaku finding the net on Monday will only increase his influence on their talented attacking players. Middlesbrough have dipped recently and looked poor last weekend, and they have a very poor record of five losses in their last six meetings with Everton. Odds of 8/11 for an Everton Win look good value to me. I’m going for a 2-0 correct score prediction at 7/1 as well due to their new found defensive stability.