- Home form: Preston North End have won one and lost two of their three home matches across all competitions this season.
- Away form: Everton have won two, drawn two and lost three of their seven away matches across all competitions this term.
- Home goals: Preston North End have scored six times in their last three home games across all competitions.
Toffees can edge a close game at Deepdale
Odds & prediction
Everton are priced as the clear favorites at 1.53 to beat Preston North End in Wednesday's EFL Cup 2026-2027 tie while the Lilywhites come into the game as a live outsider at 5.75.
The gulf in class between the sides is clearly there, but we think the odds on the game being a close one are more compelling.
Under 2.5 goals at 2.1 looks a touch on the low side, but we'll take that alongside Both Teams to Score: Yes at 1.8 for our main predictions. David Moyes' Everton should be able to edge it in what should be a cagey match-up of two compact sides.
Form guide
Paul Heckingbottom's Preston North End have won three and lost seven of their ten matches in all competitions so far this season and the Lancashire side are struggling to find their rhythm at the moment.
Everton's form has been inconsistent lately, with the Toffees winning two, drawing one and losing two of their last five matches in all competitions. But the 3-1 home win over Newcastle that was followed by a 1-1 draw at home to OSC Lille is an indication that there has been a sharper edge to the Toffees' attack in recent weeks and Thierno Barry has been the catalyst in this regard.
- The Lilywhites are coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat away at Stockport County and a 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield Town that they won on penalties, while a 2-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers came prior to that.
Both teams will look to play compact and strike on the counter
Preston are a similar side to Everton in that they set up in a compact 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 and rely on their defensive structure and counter attacks to win matches. Heckingbottom's side have not been the best in possession so far this term, so we're expecting this to be a classic compact-vs-compact match-up where transitions and set pieces could decide which side lands the decisive blow.
Heckingbottom took charge in August 2024 and has had time to embed his ideas at the club, while Moyes has been in charge since January 2025. This game will probably be a bit of a chess match for the pair and Everton's superior Premier League quality should be enough to get it done, but Preston should be organized enough to keep it respectable.
The Toffees are averaging 1.29 goals per game on the road across all competitions and are conceding 1.14 per game on the road across all competitions, so this should fit the bill of a cagey away match that they have a bit more quality to edge than the hosts.
