Alika Jenner/Getty Images. Pictured: Manager Brian Schmetzer of the Seattle Sounders.
Sporting KC vs. Seattle Odds
| Sporting KC Odds | -115 |
| Seattle Odds | +300 |
| Draw | +290 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-120 / -105) |
| Day | Time | Sunday | 7 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | FS1 | fuboTV |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. | |
The top spot in the Western Conference standings is on the line when Sporting Kansas City hosts the Seattle Sounders on Sunday evening.
Kansas City have kept clean sheets in back to back home wins to keep a one-point lead atop the West standings entering the weekend.
The Sounders have only scored once in their last three league matches, and are coming off consecutive defeats if you include a loss to Club Leon in the Leagues Cup Final on Wednesday night.
Kansas City won these teams’ first meeting 3-1 in Seattle in late July, and the Sounders will also host the third and final MLS meeting in late October.
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KC Showing Signs of Turning Things Around
Manager Peter Vermes’ side has put together its first back-to-back wins since Independence Day by starting both games extremely well.
Summer signing Jose Mauri scored his first MLS goal four minutes into 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire, who conceded again to Johnny Russell two minutes later.
Then SKC took a 3-0 lead into halftime of their 4-0 romp past rivals Minnesota United. Daniel Salloi scored his team-leading 13th goal and Russell converted a penalty for his sixth.
After 11 days’ rest, they’ll be looking for a third three-game winning streak overall and a second run of three consecutive home wins when they face Seattle.
Another clean sheet from SKC’s defense would mark the first time they’ve kept three in a row this season.
Striker Alan Pulido is questionable after missing SKC’s last game with a knee injury.
Struggling Sounders Face Difficult Matchup
Brain Schmetzer’s Sounders have absorbed a pair of difficult blows this week.
On the field, Seattle gave back an early second-half lead in a 3-2 loss to Leon that spoiled the club’s first chance of continental silverware.
Off it, captain Nicolas Lodeiro had a scope on his right knee, his second procedure on the joint. The injury has limited him to seven appearances and three starts in 2021.
In some ways, the latter news makes things simpler for Schmetzer, who changed Seattle’s shape to a back three at the beginning of the season.
Some observers questioned if Schmetzer might return to a back four with Lodeiro healthy, in order to utilize his playmaking skills.
Aside from Lodeiro, Schmetzer has most of his squad to choose from for Seattle’s fifth game in two-and-a-half weeks.
Midfielder Nicolas Benezet — used mainly off the bench — is questionable with a hip flexor strain.
Betting Analysis & Pick
After fielding a best possible XI for the loss to Leon, I suspect we’ll see a lot of squad rotation for Seattle, with some of the key stars entering the match after halftime.
Therefore, the pressure is on Vermes to try and get three points against arguably the league’s best road team.
And it’s a tough task. Seattle has actually earned nearly as many points away with their 7-2-2 record (win-loss-draw) as Kansas City has gone 7-5-1 at home.
Given that pressure, and the reality that the Sounders are more comfortable than most absorbing early pressure, I’d back Seattle to win at these +300 odds when fully rested.
Since they’re not, I like the draw here given the likely squad rotation and the fact the Sounders’ away form comes in spite of a -1.1 difference in expected goals (xG) on the road.
Also, 10 of Seattle’s 11 away trips have been decided by no more than one goal, which means the draw is almost always in play. That makes it pretty easy to back at a price of +290 odds and an implied 25.6% probability.
Pick: Draw (+290)
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