Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Minnesota United FC Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 10/27/21

There won’t be an MLS match on Wednesday with more on the line than when Vancouver hosts Minnesota United at BC Place. Minnesota is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference standings and is unbeaten in its last three matches. Vancouver is clinging to the final playoff spot in the conference and only has two points of cushion to work with.

Minnesota needs this game

Minnesota will be looking to at least pick up one point on the road in this match. It has gone unbeaten in its last three outings, beating Austin and Philadelphia before playing to a draw against LAFC. Los Angeles took the lead 32 minutes into the match, but Minnesota was able to salvage the draw on a goal from Osvaldo Alonso 20 minutes after halftime—it was his first goal of the season. Minnesota held an 18-6 advantage in shots and had a 7-4 edge in shots on target. The regular season concludes with matches against Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy, so the final three matches for Minnesota will all come against playoff teams.

Minnesota is currently in sixth place in the standings, trailing the Galaxy and Portland by one point. However, the club is also just one point ahead of Vancouver and three points in front of Real Salt Lake, so this is a critical match. Minnesota has been scoring goals at a high rate lately, netting in seven of its last eight contests. Five of those matches came at home, though, as Minnesota has only scored two goals in its last five road tilts. It has not been a high-powered attack for most of the season, ranked seventh-worst in total goals in the MLS.

Vancouver is at peak form

Vancouver comes into this match in nice form as well. It has only dropped one of its last five matches and that setback came against Western Conference-leading Seattle. Outside of that 4-1 loss, the Whitecaps have picked up wins over San Jose, Sporting Kansas City and Portland. Their most recent contest resulted in a 1-1 draw at San Jose in a rematch three weeks after the meeting earlier this month. Vancouver got on the board first when Bruno Gaspar scored eight minutes after halftime. San Jose responded just seven minutes later and the match was scoreless the rest of the way.

The Earthquakes dominated possession (64%) and total shots (16-7). Vancouver wraps up the regular season with matches against LAFC and Seattle, so it needs to find a way to get three points on Wednesday. The Whitecaps are holding onto the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, leading Real Salt Lake by two points. They have only lost one of their last eight matches, so they are in good form heading into this contest. Vancouver has won seven of its last 10 home contests, losing just one of those matches. Defender Jake Nerwinski should return for this match. Vancouver has not been a high-scoring team this year either, netting just 41 total goals.

Pick: (Vancouver PK -113)

I absolutely love Vancouver as a pick’em in this match. The Whitecaps have been playing excellent soccer over their last few matches and they have been even better at home. They have

only lost once in their last 10 matches at BC Place. Meanwhile, Minnesota has struggled away from home. It has only scored two goals in its last five road contests this season and is now facing a solid defense. The Whitecaps have a difficult schedule down the stretch, so they will be placing an extra emphasis on winning this match.

Total (Under 2.5 +110)

I know this is a low total, but there are so many factors pointing towards the under on Wednesday night. The most important point is Minnesota’s recent struggles away from home. It has been unable to get its attack going on the road and could easily put up another goose egg in this match. Vancouver has not been lighting up the scoreboard this season either, so I would be surprised if it scores more than two goals. Both defenses are much better than the respective attacks—this one should be a 1-0 type of match.

Author Profile
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.


Follow on Twitter @Blake_Vonhagen