Things are never boring around Everton Football Club these days.
Just 48 hours after the Toffees’ first win since December 16, news broke that the team would be given their second points deduction of the season for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.
They also picked up two points, taking their total for the season to eight points from Everton and dropping them to 27 points.
As a result of this penalty, Everton are currently at the bottom of the relegation table, with Luton Town (25 points) in danger.
A win against Chelsea on Monday afternoon would go a long way towards helping Everton avoid relegation.
Everton vs Chelsea predictions
(3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports)
Chelsea have been a very difficult team to handicap over the past two seasons.
The Blues have a wealth of talent and an iconic manager, but the numbers fall short of matching the team’s star power and budget.
Adding to the confusion is that Chelsea’s statistical profile ranks among the best in the league.
Only Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have a higher expected goal difference per 90 minutes than Chelsea, but the Blues are nearly 30 points behind all three title contenders.
And while Chelsea haven’t lost a Premier League game in over a month, the Blues have drawn four of their seven games in that period. Three of those games were against Sheffield United, Burnley and Brentford.
Everton have also been a frustrating team to play with this season, and it’s not just because of their off-field drama.
Like Chelsea, Everton’s underlying numbers suggest they are playing better than their record.
According to Understat’s expected points model, the Toffees should be close to 45 points (not including deductions).
Both teams are difficult to predict, but Chelsea have shown they can beat almost any team in the Premier League.
Therefore, it would be undesirable for Chelsea to fall behind as a favorite to win the title. Especially in a relatively meaningless game at home.
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Everton are still fighting for their lives and should be worth rooting for as underdogs on Monday.
Bet: Everton (+360, FanDuel)
