Non-league Boreham Wood travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton in the fifth round of the FA Cup and Jake Pearson has previewed the fixture, picking out his best bet.
Boreham Wood are bidding to become just the second non-league team to reach the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after their giant-killing exploits away at Bournemouth in the last round.
Luke Garrard’s men are currently third in the fifth-tier of English football, but they do hold three games in hand on the two sides ahead of them, though it is difficult to imagine any of their players will ever play in a bigger game than this one at Goodison Park on Thursday evening.
Kick-off time: 20:15 GMT, Thursday
TV Channel: ITV
Frank Lampard’s team enter into this fixture on the back of successive defeats, and it is safe to say things haven’t quite gone to plan for the former Derby and Chelsea manager since he replaced Rafael Benitez on Merseyside.
The Toffees did get off to the dream start under Lampard, hammering Brentford 4-1 in the previous round of this competition, but just one win in four league matches for their new boss has seen Everton edge even closer to potential relegation.
Despite the catastrophe that has been Everton's season so far, it would be a major shock were they not to comfortably progress past the fifth round of the FA Cup – something they have successfully done in each of the last five times they have made it to this stage of the competition.
A price of 1/9 about a home win tells you all you need to know about Boreham Wood’s realistic chances of coming away from Goodison with anything but fond memories, but there is no value in siding directly with the Toffees to win. Instead, selecting a goalscorer could be the best route into this fixture from a betting perspective.
RICHARLISON has started all five games under Lampard, and though it is difficult to know if the Brazilian will be given the nod in this fixture, his price of even money to score anytime makes appeal regardless. Even should he come on as a substitute he would not be a huge price to get himself on the scoresheet.
The striker scored the second goal of the game against Brentford in Lampard’s first game in charge, while only Dominic Calvert-Lewin – whose injury problems may lead to Lampard leaving him out – has racked up a higher expected goals total than Richarlison for Everton this season.
Plenty of firms have the Brazilian at much shorter, which further enhances the appeal of the even money price, particularly when considering that Richarlison scored three times in three appearances in last season's FA Cup, as well as bagging one in one this term.
Everton v Boreham Wood best bets and score prediction
- 2pts Richarlison to score anytime at 1/1 (Unibet)
Score prediction: Everton 4-1 Boreham Wood (Sky Bet odds: 14/1)
Odds correct at 1600 GMT (01/03/22)
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