Everton vs Crystal Palace Prediction & Betting Tips (22 August)

Everton and Crystal Palace kick off their 2026/27 Premier League campaigns on Saturday, 22 August 2026, meeting at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool for a 14:00 GMT fixture that marks the opening weekend of the new season. The Toffees are aiming to build on David Moyes' stabilising influence and secure a first top-half finish in six years, while the Eagles begin a new chapter under French manager Pierre Sage following a historic 2025/26 season that saw them lift the UEFA Conference League trophy. With both clubs eager to claim early momentum, this Merseyside encounter promises to be a competitive start to the domestic calendar.

Everton's squad for the 2026/27 season has been strengthened by five permanent summer signings, including £16m Championship Player of the Year Hayden Hackney and attacker Brennan Johnson, who joined in a swap deal from Crystal Palace. David Moyes will be without injured midfielders James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam, while summer arrival Christian Norgaard is also unavailable, meaning Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may drop into a deeper role alongside Hackney. The expected starting XI features Jordan Pickford in goal, with Merlin Röhl, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko across the back, supporting forwards Iliman Ndiaye, Tyler Dibling and Thierno Barry. The Toffees ended the previous campaign with a 1-0 reverse at Tottenham and a 1-3 home defeat to Sunderland, though pre-season brought encouraging signs including a 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

Crystal Palace travel to Merseyside with a fully fit squad and the confidence of European champions after Jean-Philippe Mateta's second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final in Leipzig. Pierre Sage has replaced Oliver Glasner and spent the summer instilling his tactical ideas during an active pre-season that included fixtures against Swindon Town, Bromley and SC Freiburg. The Eagles are expected to line up with Dean Henderson in goal, Jaydee Canvot, Chris Richards and Chadi Riad in defence, and an attacking unit led by Ismaïla Sarr, Dwight McNeil and Jørgen Strand Larsen, though goalkeeper Henderson is a slight doubt after twisting his ankle in the friendly defeat to Freiburg. Palace concluded their league programme with a 1-2 home loss to Arsenal and a 2-2 draw at Brentford, finishing 16th domestically but with continental silverware in tow.

European odds for the match reflect Everton's formidable home record against Crystal Palace, with the Toffees available at 2.17, the draw at 3.20 and an away win for the Eagles priced at 3.34. The most recent Premier League meeting between the two clubs ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park on 10 May 2026, and Everton have lost just one of their last 23 league encounters with Palace while winning eight of the last ten competitive meetings on Merseyside. With the Toffees' superior head-to-head statistics and the Eagles still adapting to Sage's new system, our prediction is a 2-1 home victory for Everton in what should be an entertaining and open cont