With as tight as the Western Conference was this year in the MLS, literally every single match may as well have been worth the entire season. There were just eight points separating the first eight teams. Just because the Seattle Sounders finished No. 2, while the Vancouver Whitecaps finished No. 3 means nothing now. This home-and-home series is going to be spectacular starting on Tuesday night.
Don't miss the MLS action from B.C. Place at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 29, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Vancouver Whitecaps
Seattle Sounders
Draw
Over/Under
Odds Analysis
You're not going to find a tougher home-and-home series to call than this one. The Sounders figure to have the very slight edge because of their playoff pedigree and their recent history of success in the Cascadia Cup matches that mean the most.
That said, there's no way Seattle can be construed as a favorite going into Vancouver, especially after the abuse the Whitecaps just gave San Jose in the knockout rounds of the playoffs. The Whitecaps are now 10-5-3 at home this season, and their wide open style lends itself to big victories here at B.C. Place more often than not.
How They Got Here
The Sounders knew they were going to need some success at the very end of the season just to get into the playoffs in the West. They had their final two matches at home and handled their business accordingly, blowing out FC Dallas 4-0 and Colorado 3-0. Those two fixtures were just enough to move Seattle into second place in the West, avoiding the dreaded knockout round fixtures in the middle of the week.
The road trip to Vancouver won't be all that bothersome given the alternative. Having to face either Sporting Kansas City or Houston with such a short turnaround could have been problematic for a team with so many injury woes.
The Whitecaps had a chance to avoid playing in the opening round of the playoffs themselves but slipped in their last three matches. A 3-0 loss at New York wasn't all that surprising, but to come home and draw San Jose, then blow a 1-0 lead at Providence Park against Portland to ultimately lose 2-1 put them in this dubious spot.
That said, Vancouver looked the part of the best team in the West against San Jose in the opening round. The 'Caps were always the better team, and though it took 33 minutes to get on the board thanks to Fredy Montero, the dam broke in the second half. Cristian Techera, Kendall Waston and Nicolas Mezquida came through with goals in a span of 23 minutes, and Mezquida tallied twice in that span.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The Sounders have some real problems in this match. Clint Dempsey has been suspended after his red card against Colorado at the end of the season, while Jordan Morris, Brad Evans, Ozzie Alonso and Gustav Svensson are all very likely to sit this match out as well. That's a heck of a lot of talent that is left on the touchline for such an important match in such a hostile environment.
After Vancouver's five-goal outburst against the Earthquakes, we can only imagine the pressure that will mount on Stefan Frei and the combination of Chad Marshall and Roman Torres at the heart of this Seattle defense.
The Sounders' history may give them a relatively positive result thanks to an away goal, but we can't see them headed home with anything less than a one-goal advantage left to make up.
MLS Odds: Vancouver 2, Seattle 1
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