The Seattle Sounders and the LA Galaxy are going to get to know a heck of a lot about each other over the course of the next few weeks. They're set to meet three times between now and the end of July, including the game this Saturday at CenturyLink Field.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Sounders +125
LA Galaxy +205
Draw +250
Over/Under 2.5 (over -144)
ODDS ANALYSIS
It's strange to think that both the Sounders and Galaxy, stalwarts of the MLS, have struggled so much this year, but neither one is on strong ground. The Galaxy are sitting on just 26 points in 17 matches, fourth best in the West, while Seattle is at a dreadful 17 points in 16 fixtures and eight points out of the last playoff spot.
That said, the Sounders are 4-0-4 at home this year and historically have a fantastic home pitch advantage. They're set at +125 as a result against a team with just one win in eight away matches this year.
The total is high considering how much offense the Galaxy bring to the table at 2.5 and -144 vig on the over.
KEY INJURIES
The Galaxy are relatively healthy at the moment. Their biggest injury is probably that of Robbie Rogers, who will be out for the rest of July thanks to an ankle injury.
The Sounders still have problems at the back. Roman Torres is out for the rest of the year with a torn ACL, and Brad Evans is still fighting through a calf strain which has had him limited in training in recent days.
LIVE BETTING
Sigi Schmid is under a lot of fire right now in Seattle. He has his club advancing in the U.S. Open Cup, but it's MLS play in which the Sounders are in the most trouble. They've only managed one point from their last three matches, and that flat out isn't going to cut it at this level, especially with just one goal scored in the three duels.
The Galaxy meanwhile, have done well to hang in there in spite of the fact that they really haven't been at their best when you watch them on the pitch. They beat the Whitecaps at home 2-0 on the Fourth of July, giving them three straight matches with at least a result. The win though, was the first in MLS play dating back to a 4-2 win at home against the New England Revolution on May 8.
LA's one away win this year came against the Houston Dynamo, and that was way back in the middle of April and has long since been forgotten.
QUICK PICK
The big problem the Sounders are having right now is that they just can't put the ball in the back of the net. Clint Dempsey, now back from his stint with the U.S. men's team at Copa America, just hasn't gotten anything going this year with just two goals, and going against a team which has scored 30 times on the year and has four men with at least four goals is a big problem from that standpoint.
We do think that LA's road woes are going to come back to haunt it. Neither one of these teams has had any luck historically on the road against the other, and we see no reason why that isn't going to continue in this match. The first draw of the year at CenturyLink feels just about right.
MLS Odds: Seattle Sounders 1, LA Galaxy 1
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