QPR v Everton: improving Toffees can turn up the heat on Hughes
Published:QPR desperately need to pick up points as they commence a battle against relegation, but they could struggle to take a maximum haul at home to Everton, as their 2/1 odds to win suggest.
Their visitors, notorious for post-festive improvement, are 11/8 to record a fourth victory in five games in all competitions, and as two of those triumphs came against giants Manchester City and Chelsea, that could be a price well worth investing in.
It is 11/5 that the sides play out a draw, and with stalemates occurring in six of each team’s fixtures this season, some punters could be tempted to get behind this outcome here too.
Despite winning just once in their past five Premier League games, QPR have managed to find the net in four of the matches, and with the visiting Toffees having scored in each of their past seven matches, the 8/11 for both teams to score looks unmissable.
What could tempt more adventurous punters however, is the 7/2 price for Everton to win with more than three goals occurring in the match, bearing in mind that QPR’s last five league matches have featured 18 goals.
Punters can get a slightly longer 9/2 about Everton winning at Loftus Road after going into the break level, and the fact that they have come out on top in the second half during five of 12 away games this season makes that an attractive gamble.
First goalscorer markets offer tremendous value on this fixture too, as new Blues signing Nikica Jelavic could be set to make his debut, at a respectable 6/1 to score first.
Denis Stracqualursi, with goals in each of his past two games, is available at the same price, while Bobby Zamora will be keen to endear himself to the Loftus Road faithful, at 5/1 favourite to smash the opening goal.
