Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 10/16/21
Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders
The 2021 MLS season goes on Saturday, October 16, with 11 games around the league, including the Western Conference showdown from PNC Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Sounders meet the Orange Crush for the second time this season, and Seattle beat Houston 2-0 as a -120 home fave on July 7, 2021, to extend its winning streak over the Dynamo to three games. Houston is listed as a slight home favorite for this one, so let’s take a closer look.
The Orange Crush are winless in three straight games
The Houston Dynamo are coming off a heavy 4-2 defeat at Sporting Kansas City on October 3. It was their second loss in the last three games overall along with a goalless draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps at home, so the Orange Crush will almost certainly miss the postseason for the fourth straight year.
Houston is currently sitting at the 12th spot of the Western Conference standings with 27 points from 29 games (W5, D12, L12) and a 33:45 goal difference, trailing the No. 7 seed by 11 points. At least, the Dynamo haven’t lost in three straight showings at home, earning seven points in the process.
Winger Fafa Picault had a goal and an assist in that 4-2 loss at Kansas City. He leads the way for Houston with 11 goals and four dishes in 27 appearances this season. Striker Maximiliano Urruti scored six goals in 26 apps, while midfielder Matias Vera added three goals in 27 outings.
The Sounders aim for their fifth consecutive W
The Seattle Sounders are rolling on a four-game winning streak following a 4-1 thrashing of the Vancouver Whitecaps this past Saturday. They took 21 shots towards the opposition goalie (ten on target), while four different players found the back of the net.
Raul Ruidiaz missed the Whitecaps game due to a leg injury, and the 31-year-old striker is questionable for Saturday’s clash against Houston. He’s been the Sounders’ best player so far this season, bagging 18 goals in 28 outings in all competitions. Ruidiaz has accounted for 16 goals in 25 league appearances, while midfielder Joao Paulo has added three goals and eight assists in 27 MLS apps this season.
Seattle is occupying the No. 1 seed in the West, five points clear of Sporting Kansas City and six ahead of the Colorado Rapids. They’ve recorded a 48:23 goal difference across 28 games (W17, D6, L5), winning nine of their 13 contests on the road.
The Pick: Seattle Double Chance X2
The visitors are slight dogs because of Raul Ruidiaz’s injury, but they should stay undefeated even if the Peruvian striker doesn’t suit up. The odds are not tempting at -180, so you can take the risk with Seattle to win at +190. Still, taking a double chance on the Sounders seems like a slam dunk.
On paper, Seattle is a better team than Houston. Also, the hosts have nothing to play for here. They are not eliminated from the contention yet, but Houston won’t be in the playoffs this year. If you like to follow betting trends, you should know that Seattle has beaten Houston in their last eight MLS encounters.
The Total Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
The bookies don’t expect a lot of goals in this matchup, so the Over 2.5 Goals pays -105 which is a rarity in the MLS. Seattle owns the best scoring defense in the MLS, but the Sounders have conceded in four of their last five outings, and four of those five tilts produced three or more goals in total.
It's a tricky wager because of Seattle’s D and Houston’s inconsistent offense, but I’ll take the over. Five of the Dynamo’s previous seven home games saw three or more goals on the scoreboard, and the other two saw the Orange Crush fail to score.