MLS Betting Odds, Picks, Preview (Sunday, July 19): Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders

MLS Odds: Vancouver vs. Seattle

Odds as of Saturday afternoon and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.

There is plenty on the line Sunday when Seattle plays Vancouver in a crucial Group B match at the MLS is Back Tournament.

Both sides are looking for their first win in Orlando and a loss for either club in this fixture sends them home early from the competition.

Seattle, the reigning MLS Cup champion, was anything but steady in its opening two matches. The Sounders settled for a scoreless draw in their opener against San Jose before being a dealt a 2-1 loss against Chicago. That leaves Seattle with a single point and its back up against the wall in a group it was favored to win prior to the tournament.

On the other side, Vancouver must put its opening-game debacle to the side and focus on the task at hand. The Whitecaps looked well on their way to a victory against San Jose on debut, jumping out a 3-1 lead in the second half. However, San Jose rallied for three unanswered goals the rest of the way, including Shea Salinas’ miraculous winner in the waning seconds of stoppage time, to pull off the stunning 4-3 triumph.

Historically, Seattle holds the edge between the Cascadia rivals, boasting an 11-7-6 record against Vancouver in the series and has dominated even more so as of late. The Sounders are unbeaten against the Whitecaps in the last six meetings, putting together a 4-0-2 record during that streak. Seattle has outscored Vancouver by a 7-1 margin in that timeframe with five shutouts.

On paper, this match screams under. However, there is something going on in Florida that made the defenses ultra leaky on a consistent basis.

Three of the last five matches at the tournament have gone over the number, including a whopping 11 goals combined scored in Saturday’s two evening tilts.

And after watching Seattle struggle against Chicago, followed by Vancouver’s defensive collapse against San Jose, I really can’t see anything improving for either side defensively in such a short period of time.

That said, I am backing the total going over the number. Neither can afford to sit back and play a passive game, simply due to the fact both need all three points to have any chance at reaching the knockout stage.

I am also playing both teams to score in this game. Both sides have scored in 13 of the 17 matches this week at the tournament and I see that trend continuing in what should be an exciting, back-and-forth contest.

The Bets:

• Total Over 2.5 Goals (-154)
• Both Teams To Score (-150)

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