Seattle Sounds vs. Sporting Kansas City Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 7/25/21

Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting Kansas City

The MLS betting action goes on Sunday, July 25, with five games around the country, including the Western Conference showdown at Lumen Field in Seattle where the Sounders welcome Sporting Kansas City. We’re expecting a great game, as Seattle is topping the Western Conference at the moment, while Kansas City is right behind. These two foes haven’t met since 2019, and Sporting Kansas City has won its previous two encounters with Seattle.

The Sounders bounced back from their first loss of the season

The Seattle Sounders are coming off a 1-0 victory at Austin FC this past Thursday, as Raul Ruidiaz broke the deadlock in the 67th minute. The 30-year-old striker got his 11th goal of the season to surpass Chicharito at the top of the MLS scoring chart and help his team earn all three points despite having the ball on their feet for just 25 percent of the time.

It was the second win in the last three showings for the Sounders who bounced back from a 1-0 defeat at Minnesota. Seattle now has 32 points on its tally (W9, D5, L1) along with an excellent 24:9 goal difference.

While Ruidiaz continues to torture the goalies around the MLS, the 30-year-old Brazilian midfielder Joao Paulo is the team’s top assist-maker with four dishes in 15 appearances. The Sounders have some selection problems ahead of Sunday’s clash, as goalkeeper Stefan Frei, midfielders Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordy Delem, and winger Jordan Morris are all sidelined with injuries.

The Wizards have just put an end to their three-game winning streak

Sporting Kansas City is coming off a disappointing 1-1 home draw against the San Jose Earthquakes this past Wednesday. The Wizards failed to win as huge -215 favorites, while winger Daniel Salloi scored in the dying moments of the second half to at least save a point for his team.

Kansas City snapped a three-game winning streak, remaining at the second spot of the Western Conference standings with 27 points (W8, D3, L3) and a 25:16 goal difference. The Wizards have been impressive at home so far this season, while in six outings on the road, they’ve recorded three wins and three losses.

Daniel Solloi commands the way for the Wizards with eight goals and four assists in 14 appearances. Striker Alan Pulido has six goals in 11 outings, but he’s scored just once through the previous six matchdays while missing the previous two contests due to international duty. Pulido won’t be available for Sunday’s game against Seattle, so Khiry Shelton (one goal and three assists in 13 apps) will lead the line.

The Pick:Seattle Sounders to Win

The Sounders are unbeaten in eight home games this term, tallying five wins in the process, and I’m expecting this betting trend to continue. Of course, this is the clash between the two best teams in the Western Conference, so anything is possible, but I think the visitors will miss Alan Pulido a lot.

Seattle leans on its stout defense. The Sounders won’t mind leaving the ball to the Wizards, who love to control the middle of the park, averaging 62.3 percent of the ball possession. However, without their top scorer, the visitors could easily struggle to find the back of the net. On the other side, the hosts will wait for their chances to launch deadly counter-attacks.

The Pick:Under 3.0 goals

As I’ve mentioned above, the Sounders and Wizards meet each other for the first time since 2019, and four of their previous six encounters produced fewer than a couple of goals in total. I’m sticking with this trend, though the odds are not tempting at -140.

Anyway, Seattle has allowed only two goals in its previous four games overall. Also, eight of the Sounders’ previous 11 contests saw fewer than three goals on the scoreboard. On the other side, four of Sporting’s last ten tilts produced two or fewer goals in total, including the previous two.

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Viktor Allenson

Viktor "The Viking" Allenson has been slaying the books for many years now. He has hammered the lines in all sports including basketball, football, soccer, MMA and baseball. The Viking's strength is his versatility and research in all sports. He also has the ability to find soft lines that the public loves and goes the other way.