Everton v West Ham predictions: free betting tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Everton v West Ham in the Premier League on Friday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 5.30pm Friday

Best bet

Under 2.5 goals
1pt Evs bet365

Team news

Everton
Richarlison (concussion) could return but James Rodriguez (calf), Lucas Digne (ankle) and Allan (hamstring) are ruled out.

West Ham
Arthur Masuaku (knee) remains sidelined.

Match preview

Defensive improvements have been key to Everton's recent rise up the Premier League table and Carlo Ancelotti will be targeting another clean sheet when the Toffees take on West Ham at Goodison.

The absence of Richarlison, who may be ready to return after the completion of concussion protocols, James Rodriguez and Lucas Digne have detracted from the attacking strengths which were key to the Toffees' flying start to the season.

But Everton have found other ways to be successful and are chasing a fifth successive league victory as they seek to keep up the pressure on Liverpool in the title race.

Their chances of beating West Ham were boosted by the postponement of Monday's scheduled fixture at home to Manchester City, giving them the luxury of extra few days to prepare.

Punters have been quick to latch on to Everton's advantage but it could be a risky business to consider jumping on the bandwagon at reduced odds.

West Ham have got themselves into the top half of the table by being tough to beat and they looked a robust outfit in Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Southampton despite playing just two days after a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton.

David Moyes, who would love to get a win at his former Goodison Park base, made full use of his squad by making five changes for the Saints fixture and could tinker again as he seeks to manage his squad's playing time.

He has strong options across the pitch and key striker Michail Antonio, who was a 77th-minute substitute against Southampton, may feature for the first time since November.

However, Moyes admitted in his post-match interview that Antonio will need to be managed carefully and it may be too soon for the 30-year-old to start.

Jarrod Bowen looks a more likely candidate to return to the side but the Hammers' tactical approach – solid defence and swift counter-attacks – is unlikely to change and it could cause Everton a few problems.

Everton have excelled in recent high-profile fixtures at home to Chelsea and Arsenal by being well-organised and exploiting their opponents' high defensive line.

But the onus will be on them to carry the fight against a deep-lying Hammers side and they may lack the creative vision to get the job done.

A cagey affair is likely to ensue and a wager on under 2.5 goals looks the most sensible approach.

Key stat

Six of Everton's last seven matches have featured no more than two goals.

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