CF Montreal vs. Atlanta United Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 8/4/21

Atlanta United has not won a match since May 15. It will take some confidence into Wednesday night’s road tilt, as that last win came against this week’s opponent. CF Montreal has not been in good form either, losing its last three matches. All three of those matches were on the road, so it will be happy to return home.

Atlanta looking for a rare win

Atlanta appears destined to miss the playoffs this season, as it has been unable to find three points in any match of late. Its last win came in a 1-0 final at home against Montreal on May 15. Since then, there have been six draws and five losses. Atlanta is coming off consecutive setbacks, falling in a 1-0 final to Columbus and a 3-2 result at Orlando. It got off to a great start on Saturday, as Josef Martinez netted a goal in the opening minute of the match. Orlando leveled things two minutes before halftime and Atlanta recaptured the lead 20 minutes into the second half.

The home side would come through in the clutch, though, scoring in the 79th and 87th minutes. Nani put home a header to seal the comeback win. The Five Stripes were out-shot by a 15-6 margin, including a 9-3 tally in shots on goal. They are now in a franchise-record winless drought of 11 games. Atlanta goalie Alec Kann made six saves, including three in the first half. Road matches have not been kind to Atlanta, as it is now 0-7-6 in its last 13 road contests. Marcelino Moreno scored a spectacular goal in the loss.

Montreal falls apart against Miami

CF Montreal desperately needs to find a way to record three points in this match. It is now teetering on the edge of the playoffs, leading DC United by just one point for the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference table. Montreal has now lost three consecutive matches, dropping a 1-0 final to New York City along with back-to-back 2-1 finals to New England and Miami. Its last win came on July 17, notching a 5-4 thriller against Cincinnati. That marked a third straight victory and a sixth consecutive unbeaten contest, but it has been downhill since then.

Like Atlanta, Montreal is coming off a frustrating result. It took a 1-0 lead just 20 minutes into its match before falling apart. Gonzalo Higuain scored on a penalty kick in the 49th minute and added a winner in the 69th minute. Miami was on a seven-game winless streak heading into that match, making it a very frustrating result. Montreal held an advantage in possession, but it was out-shot 12-11. It is trailing Columbus by two points in the standings, so this result could move them up or down a spot in the table.

Pick: (Montreal +115)

Atlanta is in the midst of a franchise-record winless drought and I am not expecting that to change on Wednesday night. There should be a clear motivation gap between these teams. Montreal is right on the edge of the playoff picture, while Atlanta is basically out of the race at this point. Road matches have not been kind to Atlanta, which has not tallied a win in its last 13 matches away from home. Montreal is a healthy team that should be motivated, so I expect them to come away with a win.

Total (Under 2.5)

Neither of these teams have been getting many shots on target lately. Atlanta has only scored multiple goals once in its last four matches, which came in the loss to Orlando last week. Montreal has only tallied two goals in its last three matches combined. I think both teams will come out frustrated and disappointed, which will not lead to a ton of goals. The home side desperately needs points from this match, so it will be determined to play a cautious match.

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Blake Von Hagen

Blake is a lifelong sports fan and hoops junkie. Prior to joining our team at Winners & Whiners and StatSalt, Blake worked for several newspapers and websites. He enjoys combining his beat writing expertise with the knack for finding the winning edge in a matchup. Blake is also an avid sports being expert and you would not be disappointed in following him on a daily basis. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.


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