Already early in the season, both Everton and Southampton are struggling with injuries. The two sides are off to mark this year with a draw apiece, but both will be hard-pressed to find their first win of the 2015-16 term on Saturday morning.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Southampton is the odds-on favorite to take the three points in this duel. The Saints are -108 on the moneyline, while you can get Everton at either +333 on the three-way line or at +0.5 and -112 vig on the Asian Handicap.
The total is one of the lower we have seen early on in this EPL season. The number to beat is set at 2.5 with -137 vig on the under.
KEY INJURIES
Kevin Mirallas is up in the air for Saturday's tilt with the Saints thanks to an injury suffered during the match against Watford to start the season.
Roberto Martinez though, has better news on Muhamed Besic and Gerard Deulofeu, both of which are expected to be back in the fold for this fixture, albeit as substitutes.
We've got a real question as to who is going to be playing on the wing vacated by Mirallas. We suppose that Deulofeu can do the job, but only if he is able to be on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.
Soton remains without Gaston Ramirez and Fraser Forster. Jordy Clasie was hurt during Europa League qualifying and has yet to debut here in the EPL this year. Even the news on Jay Rodriguez is good, as he should be back on the pitch sooner rather than later as he recovers from a torn ACL. That return won't be on Saturday, though.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I think you saw in the first half a team that was in preseason mode. If we are like that, we cannot compete in this league, and after they scored, we had an incredibly mountain to climb. The second half was completely different, and I think the attitude changed completely." – Everton manager Roberto Martinez on a poor start to the season with a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Watford
RECENT FORM
That draw against Watford truly was a tale of two halves for the Toffees. After falling behind 1-0, Everton was lucky to not be down a second or a third before the intermission. It took until 76 minutes to get back on level terms, but even then, another goal forced Everton to come back a second time. Arouna Kone saved the day with an equalizer in the 86th minute, from the edge of the area to salvage the 2-2 result.
Southampton had to be satisfied with a 2-2 draw against a potentially sneaky Newcastle team on the road last weekend. The Saints let down their guard on either side of the interval, but for our money, Graziano Pelle was one of the best players on the pitch, and Soton deserved significantly better.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
There's good value here on Everton. The Toffees aren't necessarily the better of these two teams, but they do have a defense which is much better than two goals allowed to lowly Watford suggests. Most believe that this team will be destined for relegation this year after that first performance.
Still, Martinez got more out of his men in the second half, and if that is the Everton team which shows up at St. Mary's, there will be a good chance to get a result.
In the end, these are two mid-table teams, and they aren't separated by enough to make us think that either one should be favored by an odds-on margin either at home or on the road.
Southampton 1, Everton 1
BookMaker has live EPL odds for every clash of the season. You can find a moneyline price on Southampton of -108 and a total of 2.5 right now! BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between Southampton and Everton will take place at 7:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at St. Mary's Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
