EVERTON can get some respite from their grim Premier League relegation dogfight when they head to Crystal Palace looking to book a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Hopes were high that Frank Lampard would spark a Goodison resurgence when he started his reign with an impressive 4-1 thumping of Brentford in the Cup.
But four successive defeats in the league left the Toffees hovering just above the drop zone on goal difference before a much-needed 1-0 win over Newcastle on Thursday eased some of the tension.
Relegation would be unthinkable for a club that has invested so much money on players in the last few years but the threat is very real and you'd imagine the FA Cup is pretty low on Everton's list of priorities.
Lampard, however, will be desperate to build on that huge win over the Magpies so I'd be surprised if he fielded a weakened team here.
Crystal Palace can pretty much prioritise a cup run as they sit comfortably in mid-table, 12 points clear of trouble.
Patrick Vieira has done an incredible job with the Eagles and their midweek draw with champions Manchester City bust the coupon of our man Mark.
It's now just one defeat in nine games for Crystal Palace so their fans will be confident of victory against an Everton side in such poor form.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Crystal Palace as favourites but they're still a decent price at 23/20 with Coral for a win inside 90 minutes while William Hill make them 8/13 to qualify.
Everton are 31/20 with Paddy Power to reach the semi-final and 14/5 at SBK to finish the job inside 90 minutes. The draw at full-time pays 49/20 at Unibet.
Recent head to head
Crystal Palace won 3-1 at Selhurst Park when these sides last faced off (below) but Everton had bossed this fixture before that. The December defeat ended a 13-game unbeaten run against the Eagles, stretching back to 2014.
The last knockout tie between these sides came in the League Cup in 2001, with Palace winning on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Players to watch
Palace's success the season is probably down to the fact they no longer have to rely so much on Wilfried Zaha. But the winger remains their most dangerous player and is 39/19 with SBK for a goal here which looks good value.
Richarlison is having to shoulder the burden for goals at Everton with Dominic Calvert-Lewin having injury issues. The Brazilian is due a goal after seven successive blanks and is 15/4 at Unibet for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Everton have drawn blanks in four of their last six games and could only score twice against minnows Boreham Wood in the last round. Palace also haven't been free-scoring of late so I'd be surprised if this was a thriller. Under 2.5 goals is just 5/7 at SBK while betting against BTTS is a bit better at 10/11 with Betfred.
Frustration is beginning to get the better of Everton and they collected three yellows and a red last time out against Wolves. Over 3.5 match cards appeals at evens with Bet365 while the Toffees are 10/11 with Bet365 to collect most cards.
This FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton will be played on Mar 20, 2022 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Crystal Palace vs Everton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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