FC Dallas doesn't exactly look as dominant at the outset of this season as it did for much of last year in the Western Conference. The Hoops have a really tough week ahead of them. After they take on the defending champs on the road on Wednesday night, they've got to face the team which is topping the table in the West at the moment, Sporting Kansas City.
With matches to be played in the middle of this week, we won't have MLS odds at BookMaker.eu until the weekend. Be sure to check back before this match kicks off!
ODDS ANALYSIS
As is virtually always the case in the MLS, the home team is sure to be favored in this one. FC Dallas, to its credit, has done the job at home, picking up points in all four of their duels here at Toyota Stadium thus far in 2016.
Sporting Kansas City though, has won both of its road matches heading into this week, though this historically hasn't been a good team on the road.
The home team won all three of the matches between these two last year. All three games went beyond the total, and all three home teams won by at least two goals.
KEY INJURIES
Mauro Diaz won't play on Wednesday night in Portland, and with that being the case, it isn't likely he'll be in the fold on Sunday night either. That's a huge loss for a team which lacks creativity out of the midfield for the most part. The Hoops are based on their counterattack, and Diaz is one of the top creators when he gets a chance to get in some space on the pitch.
SKC has a long injury report right now. Justin Mapp, Soni Mustivar, Kevin Ellis and Chance Myers are all certainly out for this clash. Brad Davis and Matt Besler are both trying to get cleared from their concussions, while Paul Nagamura has a calf strain, and though he could play in this one, we doubt he'll be on the pitch for the full 90 if he plays at all.
RECENT FORM
FCD has drawn a couple matches in a row at home against Columbus and San Jose. Particularly that second game against the Quakes was a disappointing result for a team which thinks it has a chance to win the MLS Cup this season.
Sporting was able to go on the road last week and take care of the New York Red Bulls with a 2-0 victory, but for as great as that win was, a loss at home against Real Salt Lake the duel before was depressing. That said, it's tough to argue with SKC right now considering the fact that it's averaging 2.4 points per match heading into the game at home with Colorado on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
All of the injuries for Sporting Kansas City really seem to be problematic, especially at the back. There have been far too many moments where this defense has looked lost, especially when trying to defend against the counterattack.
That's why FC Dallas is just so dangerous in this one. Even if Diaz doesn't play, the Hoops still have three big time goal scoring threats in Maximilano Urruti, Michael Barrios and Tesho Akindele, the three of which have combined for seven goals of the nine goals scored this year.
As long as Dom Dwyer doesn't have a fantastic game for Sporting, we don't see it getting anything from this trip to Frisco.
MLS Odds: FC Dallas 2, Sporting Kansas City 0
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