Most of the clubs in the MLS have either four or five matches left to play in the regular season. The fact that there are just 14 points separating first place and last place in the Western Conference is still remarkable. The Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City are right in the thick of things in fourth and fifth place respectively heading into Sunday's match at Sporting Park.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Sounders are in better form of late than they were a few weeks ago, but that isn't going to change the fact that they are going to be underdogs in this match. There are still no lines posted for this Sunday fixture as of the publication of this article, but it is clear that Kansas City is going to be an odds-on favorite to hop back over the Sounders in the Western Conference standings.
KEY INJURIES
The Sounders have gotten healthier of late, and that's why they are starting to string some points together. Andres Correa and Andy Craven are both question marks heading into the week, while Roman Torres is the only long-term absentee Sigi Schmid has to deal with.
Tim Melia was having a great season for Sporting before hurting his hamstring. He's questionable for this match on Sunday, and you know that KC is going to do everything it can to get him back on the pitch.
Sporting is also likely without Amobi Okugu on Sunday thanks to a knee sprain.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"The highs can never be too high, and the lows can never be too low. But we have an expectation every time we step on the field, and that is to win. Obviously, we haven't been in good form of late, and we realize that. We've given up some soft goals in games, and that's not who we are. But one of the things I like about the guys is that they will make sure it doesn't happen again, and they will get back to where they were." – Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes on his team's lack of form of late
RECENT FORM
A five-match winless run came to a close for Sporting at home against FC Dallas last Friday night. Kansas City had scored just two goals in its previous three matches combined before exploding for three against Dallas in a huge victory which ensured that it would stay on the right side of the cutoff line for the second season.
The Sounders haven't been beaten in four tries, going a solid 3-1-0 in that stretch to get back on the right side of the playoff picture. They've played three overs in that run as well thanks to the fact that they have netted a total of eight goals in those games and are playing a lot more like the Sounders we are used to seeing.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This might as well be a playoff game for both of these teams. If there is a loser of this one, clearly, that team will be outside of the Top 2, and that's going to create a horrendously tough road to get to the MLS Cup.
The Sounders have been in fine form of late thanks to a resurgent Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey.
Dom Dwyer and Benny Feilhaber are having fantastic campaigns for sure for Sporting, but neither is in great form at the moment, and the defense has been in shambles. If Martins and Dempsey are playing with confidence, this match is going to end up going to the visitors.
Seattle 2, Sporting Kansas City 1
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between Sporting Kansas City and the Seattle Sounders will take place at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 27, 2015 at Sporting Park. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
