West Ham v Everton: Expect extra time to be required

Romelu Lukaku has an exceptional record against West Ham

The numbers suggest that there is a strong chance of West Ham and Everton engaging in another 1-1 draw...

West Ham v Everton
Tuesday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport 1

Match Odds: West Ham 2.447/5, Everton 3.211/5, The Draw 3.55n/a

The preview of Everton and West Ham's initial FA Cup third-round clash at Goodison Park focussed on two powerful streaks: Everton's lengthy unbeaten run against West Ham and the Londoners' 58 years without an FA Cup loss to the Merseysiders.

One week and one 1-1 draw later, both sequences remain alive, forcing them to "go again" at the Boleyn Ground to decide who travels to Bristol City or Doncaster 12 days later in a fourth-round tie selected for TV coverage despite none of its participants being confirmed.

The bad news for West Ham is that their record against the Toffees is even worse in the capital than it is on Merseyside over the course of their 15-match head-to-head winless stretch. Whereas their numbers at Goodison Park are P8 W0 D4 L4, the picture is P7 W0 D1 L6 as hosts.

Encouragement for the Irons can be found in the fact that Everton have gone six fixtures without a victory in all competitions. However, they haven't triumphed in five themselves, indicating another draw to be the most likely result at 3.55n/a.

Over/under 2.5 goals

West Ham and Everton have played three times each in 2015 and all of those encounters provided two goals or fewer. Indeed six of the Hammers' past seven games dipped under 2.5 goals compared to three in 13 prior to that.

Correct Score

West Ham have contested three successive 1-1 draws and both clubs followed their 1-1 draw at Goodison Park with the same again in their weekend Premier League outings. Sam Allardyce's side earned theirs at Swansea, while Everton's was achieved at the expense of champions Man City.

The bubble-blowing enthusiasts have scored exactly one goal in five of their most recent seven matches and are without a clean sheet in nine, conceding precisely one in six of those.

Everton have gone 11 games without shutting out their opponents, giving up one goal in seven of the latest ten, and are scoring at a rate of one per 90 minutes across their past seven fixtures.

To score

If you want a goalscorer bet on this collision then one option leaps outs above all others: Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian striker has faced West Ham four times and has always found the net, even on the two occasions that he was used as a substitute.

In the words of Allardyce: "Whether he's just come back from injury or is in the middle of a lean spell, he invariably scores against us."

Be warned that he may make keep you waiting though. Three of his four goals against the claret-and-blue crew came in the final ten minutes.

Best Bet: Back the 1-1 draw @ 7.413/2

Other Recommended Bets:
Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.991/1
Back Romelu Lukaku @ 3.39/4