These two clubs aren't overly dissimilar, despite their contrasting standing in the league table.
They are both their city's traditional little brother, who have spent the majority of their history overshadowed and beaten up by their big red brother, Liverpool in Everton's case and Man United in Manchester City's case.
They both have enjoyed an influx of cash in recent years, with City becoming one of the world's richest clubs in 2008 and Everton briefly cracking the Top 5 in EPL wealth in 2016.
Once we look to the pitch, however, the similarities end with City — a heavy EPL betting favorite on Saturday — gigantic in stature compared to Everton. Our picks and predictions expect that disparity to be evident for 90 minutes at Goodison Park.
Everton vs Manchester City match odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Everton vs Manchester City betting tips
Predictions made on 2/25/2022 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Everton vs Manchester City game info
• Location: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England
• Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022
• Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
• TV: Peacock, DAZN
Everton vs Manchester City betting preview
Weather
Some clouds are forecast in an otherwise sunny, chilly Saturday Merseyside, with temperatures expected to be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit for kickoff between City and Everton.
Injuries
Everton: Demarai Gray AM (Questionable), Yerry Mina CB (Out), Ben Godfrey CB (Out), Abdoulaye Doucoure CM (Out), Fabian Delph CM (Out), Tom Davies CM (Out).
Manchester City: Jack Grealish AM (Questionable), Cole Palmer AM (Questionable), Gabriel Jesus FW (Questionable).
Everton vs Manchester City predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Side analysis
This analysis is fairly academic, with Manchester City arguably the best team in the world and Everton in the midst of a relegation scrap. Though City have played three more games than Everton, the gap between the two, in reality, is greater than the 41-point gap between the two in the table.
City are a near-flawlessly run club from top-to-bottom, with alignment between the executives and manager Pep Guardiola in the transfer market, as well as between the first team and City's youth teams at every level. Very rarely do City make a move in the transfer market that isn't comprehensively thought out.
Then, there's Everton. The disconnect within the club is no better exemplified than the appointment of now-former manager Rafael Benitez, whose most successful time came with hated rival Liverpool, where he brought trophies and tremendous success.
Despite outrage from fans and laughter from outsiders, Everton went ahead and hired Benitez last summer. He could've won every trophy under the sun for Everton and he would still be, to Evertonians, former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. To the surprise of no one, he is now, simply, another failed Everton manager.
And despite spending over 550 million pounds under new ownership, Everton's squad is a mishmash of highly-priced, underperforming players from abroad, and cast-out squad players from England's biggest clubs. It's fitting, then, that they replaced Benitez with Premier League legend Frank Lampard. And it's even more fitting that, despite the weight of the name Lampard brings, the performances haven't improved as they've lost two of three, to Newcastle and Southampton.
These two teams are in the same league by technicality only. City are a worldwide elite, capable of beating any challenger across the globe. Everton are just another club born with the silver spoon of Premier League money in their mouth and spending it so hastily you'd think it was going to run out.
Prediction: Man City (-401)
Over/Under analysis
City score an average of 2.4 goals per game and have created 2.3 expected goals per 90 in the league this season. They have the most shot-creating actions per 90, at 29.54, and are second to Liverpool in goal-creating actions per 90. Liverpool have, quite emphatically, the best attack in the world right now and yet City are toe-to-toe with them in most metrics.
Then there's Everton, who have conceded the seventh-most goals despite having games in hand on most of the league. They've conceded five goals across two losses under Lampard, and going back to Benitez's time in charge, have conceded three goals or more in five of their previous 12 games — including a 3-0 loss to City.
Defensive stability has never been a hallmark of Lampard's teams, with Chelsea finishing fourth in the table but conceding the ninth-most goals in his one full season in charge. He must now navigate a matchup with City without his two top centerbacks in Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey, as well as midfielder destroyer Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Everton are in trouble here and City could top this total on their own.
Prediction: Over 3 (-122)
Best bet
We don't have any reason to expect Everton to be competitive here. They are one of the worst teams in the division, have a fair number of injuries to deal with, and are yet to show anything of promise under Lampard — who himself is unconvincing as a manager at this level.
A three-goal City win looks a bit daunting, but we aren't without previous instances here. Eight of City's 20 wins in the league this season have come by three or more goals, including the previous 3-0 win against Everton. And, of Everton's 13 losses in the Prem, four have been by three or more goals (and another three by two goals). These teams have a habit of winning (or, in Everton's case, losing) by multiple goals.
Not to mention, hell hath no fury like a scorned Pep Guardiola.
City's missteps are rare and they are immediately righted — a foreboding notion for Everton, after City were beaten by Spurs last weekend. Between this season and last (excluding last weekend), City have lost eight games in the league. They've won seven of the eight subsequent fixtures by an average margin of 3.14 goals. Everton saw this firsthand in the final game of last season when they were beaten 5-0 by City after the champions had lost to Brighton the previous weekend.
Everton will get another front-row seat at their own beating, with City coming to Goodison and winning in dominant fashion.
Pick: Man City -2.5 (+190)
