The Colorado Rapids are one of the tremendous surprises this year of the MLS season. This is actually their best regular season finish in their history, and though they did win the MLS Cup in 2010, they haven't gotten out of their first playoff round since that point. The hope though, is that this season is going to end up being different. On Sunday, that conquest starts in the first leg of the conference semis against the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center.
This MLS playoff duel will go down Sunday, October 30, 2016 at the StubHub Center.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
LA Galaxy
Colorado Rapids
Odds Analysis
Even though the Rapids finished second in the West, they aren't going to be the betting favorites in this series, and that means they're sure to be dogs here against the Galaxy. Here at home, LA has one of the best home field advantages in the MLS, and that's why the Galaxy are sure to be the heavy favorites here in this match. And of course, if Bruce Arena's crew has the intent of reaching the conference finals after a disappointment last year against Seattle in the opening round, it had better win this match.
Key Injuries
The Galaxy didn't play with Steven Gerrard in the opening round against Real Salt Lake, and they probably aren't going to have him in the midfield on Sunday either. Gyasi Zardes is out of the fold as well, and he certainly won't play again this season.
The Rapids have a much longer list of injuries that could play a role here. The team won't have Dillon Serna for sure, who is out for the year after suffering a nasty knee injury in July. Jermaine Jones has an LCL sprain, and though he says he's a whole new player now and is ready to go for the second season, we still haven't seen him back at training as of the middle of the week. Bobby Burling and Marlon Hairston are both up in the air as well.
Recent Form
The Galaxy have been in fine form of late. The team hasn't lost in its last three, going 2-1-0 in that span to lock into the No. 3 seed in the West. An opening round win over Real Salt Lake was really quite easy for LA, and it came on a day when Landon Donovan and Alex Gordon were both in the starting lineup. More about Donovan in a moment.
The Rapids only managed one point in their last two games of the year, and though that was enough to finish as the No. 2 seed in the West, it wasn't enough to ultimately get in front of FC Dallas. Colorado though, has played well on the road, going 2-1-1 in its last four matches outside of Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
These two teams met three times in the regular season, including twice here in LA. All three games stayed under the total, and they were all relatively gritty affairs. The Rapids went 1-2-0 in the regular season against the Galaxy.
The thing about LA though, is that it hasn't had Donovan every step of the way this season. He's only been here since September 8, and the Galaxy have been in pretty good form since his return. There's just something about having that veteran presence in the lineup and a man who has won the MLS Cup several times in the past that's really helping this team out.
We would surely rather see Zardes up top instead of Gordon, but the attack out of the midfield headed by Donovan and Giovani Dos Santos could end up being the difference. If Jones proves to be an elite player in the middle of the pitch, we'll feel different in live betting about this one, but with him still potentially hobbled, we'll go with the Galaxy to draw first blood in this home-and-home series.
MLS Odds: LA 2, Colorado 0
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