Houston Dynamo vs. Colorado Rapids Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 10/31/21

Colorado will be trying to make a late charge at one of the top two seeds in the Western Conference when it travels to Houston on Sunday. The Rapids are currently in third place, trailing Sporting Kansas City and Seattle by three points. Houston has been eliminated from playoff contention, so it will be trying to play spoiler in this match.

Colorado looks to move up

Colorado is not going to finish worse than third place in the Western Conference, but it could still make a move. The Rapids are six points clear of Portland in the standings—they are just three points behind Seattle and Sporting Kansas City. Sporting Kansas City is an underdog to Minnesota on Sunday, so Colorado has a real chance to move into a tie for second place at the very least. The Rapids have been inconsistent this month, losing three matches, winning two and playing to one draw. They are coming off a 1-0 loss to New England, who has the best record in the MLS, on Wednesday.

The Revolution broke the MLS single-season record for points with the win. Tajon Buchanan scored the lone goal 74 minutes into the match. Colorado is going to host a playoff match regardless of how the regular season ends. The Rapids have lost three of their last four road games, so they will be hoping for more success in this match. They are No. 12 in the MLS in scoring this season, netting 45 goals in 32 matches. Colorado will be facing a Houston defense that has allowed the sixth-most goals (51) of any team in the league.

Houston hopes to win home finale

Houston will play its final home match of the 2021 season on Sunday afternoon. It has been a disappointing season for the Dynamo, who are third from the bottom in the Western Conference. The only teams below them in the standings are FC Dallas and Austin FC. There is still a chance that Houston could finish in last place, as it is only two points clear of Austin for last place. The Dynamo have only notched one win in their last six matches, beating Western Conference-leading Seattle 2-1 on Oct. 16. They are now coming off a 3-0 loss to the Galaxy and a 2-1 loss to Austin.

Marko Maric scored an own goal seven minutes into the match and Austin doubled its lead right before halftime. Houston’s lone goal came in stoppage time of the second half and it was also on an own goal. The Dynamo held a 52-48 advantage in possession, but they were out-shot 19-15 (8-6 SOG). They went through a single-season record 16-game winless streak earlier this season. Houston has scored the third-fewest goals of any team in the MLS. Fafa Picault has netted 11 goals, while Maximiliano Urruti has seven goals—they have accounted for half of the team’s goals. This is going to be a challenge for them, as Colorado has allowed the fourth-fewest goals (33) of any team in the MLS.

Spread (Colorado PK -105)

I know Colorado has not been the best road team this season, but I trust them to get the job done on Sunday. The Rapids still have a chance to move up in the standings, so motivation is not going to be a problem. The same cannot be said for Houston, who has been eliminated from playoff contention and is wrapping up another disappointing campaign. Sure, the Dynamo are capable of pulling off upsets as they did against Seattle, but the more common results have been losses. Their attack is going to struggle against Colorado’s stout back-line.

Total (Under 3)

There are multiple factors working together to make the under a strong play on Sunday afternoon. Colorado’s poor road form is certainly something that should be accounted for. I expect the Rapids to come away with three points, but I would be surprised if they score more than two goals. An even bigger surprise would be Houston netting more than one goal. The Dynamo have been one of the worst attacking teams in the MLS this year and they are facing one of the best defensive teams. They are most likely going to end up with a goose egg in their final home match of the season.

Teaser

Houston will wrap up another disappointing campaign when it hosts third-place Colorado on Sunday afternoon.