The Merseyside derby is never dull, and here’s how we reckon you can make a few bob from the clash too.
Hopes are high that the first Merseyside derby of the season may be more open and flowing than many recent encounters due to the philosophies of Messrs Martinez and Rodgers. Both sides are committed to passing, possession football, and when you blend in the intensity of the occasion, it has all the makings of a real cracker.
First the result. History suggests that this should be a win for Liverpool. In the last 20 games at Goodison, Liverpool have won nine, and there have been six draws. That makes the Reds’ odds of 13/8 pretty decent, even with this Everton side being better than many over the last two decades.
The draw, a result that has happened 66 times in the fixture’s history, is also appealing at 11/5, and even the home side at 7/4 is a bet you could be convinced to put on. Ladbrokes’ own Hayley O’Connor went for them.
With the proverbial ‘form’ going out the proverbial ‘window’ this game has a healthy record of goals. Yes, the last game, in May, was 0-0 but the previous 11 league meetings had at least one goal. With that in mind, both teams to score at 7/10 could be a smart punt.
If you think the 0-0 will be repeated, it is a very juicy 10/1.
As for first goalscorer, the obvious selection is Liverpool’s Luis Suarez. He has scored three times in four derbies and is in sensational form. At 11/2, he is very keenly priced to net first. You can get Daniel Sturridge at 6s, and the top Blue is Romelu Lukaku at 13/2.
We actually prefer a different player, and with his penalty taking duties, we reckon Steven Gerrard at 10/1 is a very big price to score first.
If, as he seems to do these days, Suarez nets more than once, he should be a shoo-in for man of the match, and you can back him at 6/1 to pick up the champagne post-game.
And if you are very confident in the Uruguayan, you can back him at 25/1 to score a hat-trick. Gerrard, who nabbed a hat-trick in an Anfield game against Everton in 2012, is 125/1 to do it again.
