Can Moyes shoot down Clarke in battle of Flying Scotsmen?

This unseasonable August weather must really be playing havoc with the radar aboard the good ship Everton ahead of their trip to West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

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Usually at this time of year, the Toffees are convalescing from having their best players nabbed by the Premier League elite and struggling to register any points before the clocks go back.

But with wind and rain lashing the Isle of Britannia, David Moyes’ men must think it’s the bleak mid-winter and about time they put together a second half of the season surge to get out of the lower reaches and mount an assault on the European places.

The blue half of Merseyside are notoriously sluggish starters but after hugely impressive wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa, Everton find themselves as one of only a trio of clubs with a maximum haul after the opening couple of rounds.

Being so quick out of the blocks has invariably led to talk about the Toffees breaching the top six and the joke doing the rounds is one about Steven Gerrard demanding a move to Everton as he wants to win trophies with his hometown club.

What’s more, it’s not the results themselves that have necessarily gathered the plaudits but the manner of those performances. The Red Devils were battered into submission at Goodison and a dishevelled Villa were then made to look as bad as they are last weekend.

Being so quick out of the blocks has invariably led to talk about the Toffees breaching the top six and the joke doing the rounds is one about Steven Gerrard demanding a move to Everton as he wants to win trophies with his hometown club.

But if the Blues are to keep their early momentum going they face a stern test at the Hawthorns on Saturday in what could easily be described as the game of the weekend – despite the relegation six-pointer between Liverpool and Arsenal taking place at Anfield 24 hours later.

The Baggies have been just as eye-catching as their visitors in dismantling Liverpool and eventually claiming a richly-deserved point at White Hart Lane.

It says much about the squad that Steve Clarke has inherited from Roy Hodgson that West Brom – in previous seasons considered among the relegation contenders – are now massive 9/2 ninth favourites for the drop, while Everton to finish in the top four could also be worth a couple of quid early doors at 13/2 as that price is likely to get shorter.

Results across the opening two weekends do little to shed any light on the way things will go when the pair meet, but bwin’s 3Way football betting market has the visitors as slight favourites for the win at 29/20, with West Brom 37/20 and the draw out at a tempting 11/5.

The last six clashes between the sides at the Hawthorns have thrown up three victories apiece, with Everton claiming the points with a slim 1-0 victory last time here.

Indeed, the Baggies lost at home more times last season than anyone outside the bottom three and even what seemed like a comprehensive beating of Liverpool came courtesy of Luis Suarez missing a host of presentable chances to take the lead, followed by a Zoltan Gera wonder strike and a couple of dubious penalties.

If you want to shirk calling the result, there are a few bets which might be worth putting in as part of an overall accumulator and both teams to score at 3/4 is definitely one.

Another is for there to be over 2.5 goals in the game at 21/20, which allows for the possibility of both scoring but one emerging victorious. But given West Brom’s past foibles at home and the way Everton have come out of the traps, I’m siding with Moyes’ boys for this one.

Again, I reckon both sides have got goals in them so Everton to win with over 2.5 goals in the game is massive value at 31/10, while the Toffees to triumph following a drawn first half also looks a cracking punt at 5/1.

If you fancy registering with bwin you’re entitled to a free £20 bet and putting that on my tip of the half-time draw followed by an Everton win could get your bwin career up and running with a £120 return.

As ever, I like to wrap things up with a quick look at the scorers market and Nikica Jelavic is 3/2 favourite to score at any time, with Marouane Fellaini (scorer of two goals already) and Romelu Lukaku (who ruffed up Spurs last week and looked extremely threatening) both out at 9/4 any time and a very long 8/1 to break the deadlock.

Recommended bet: Everton to win a game of over 2.5 goals @ 31/10
Outside punt: Everton to win after drawn first half @ 5/1

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