Colorado Rapids will host Orlando City in the early hours of Sunday, 15 June, as both teams look to avoid a third loss in a row in the MLS.
Colorado Rapids are currently ninth in the Western Conference with 22 points, just one point behind a guaranteed playoff spot, but their recent form has been worrying since they've lost five of their last seven matches in the league. If this trend continues, Colorado will find it hard to get to the post-season.
Meanwhile, Orlando City have been in much better form in the league, at least they were until their last two matches, in which they lost to Chicago and Atlanta. However, before these two losses, Orlando have been on a great run of three straight wins and 12 games in a row without a loss. They are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with 27 points.
How the bookies view it: Bookies favouring the guests
With 11/10 odds at Boylesports, Orlando City are the more likely winners in this match and we agree with the bookies on this since Orlando have been in better form lately, although both teams enter this game after losing their last two matches.
Meanwhile, the odds on Colorado Rapids are 9/5 and a draw is priced at 5/2, all at Boylesports.
Recent head-to-head: No wins for Colorado lately
In the last five meetings between these two teams, we saw two wins for Orlando City and three draws. Meanwhile, Orlando City have the advantage when it comes to their overall H2H record too: 7-4-2.
Players to watch: Keep an eye on Orlando's attackers
Orlando City might not be near the top when it comes to points won, but they are there when it comes to the number of goals scored this season. With that in mind, their two starting forwards Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel are players to watch in this match as the team's top two scorers with eight and six goals. Add Orlando's winger Mario Pasalic to the mix with six goals and you have a potent offence that can score at any time.
So, Orlando should score at least once in this match, but who will get the ball in the net? Our pick is Ojeda since he has been the most consistent of the three with eight goals and we also like the 2/1 odds on Ojeda to score at any time at Boylesports.
Predicted line-ups
Colorado's injury list is not too long, but they are missing a few players, namely Cole Bassett and Ali Fadal. In addition to them, the hosts will also be without Wayne Alix Frederick II, who is at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Trinidad & Tobago.
The guests are without injured Wilder Cartagena, Yutaro Tsukada, and Nicolas Rodriguez, while Alex Freeman is with the USA national team at the Gold Cup.
Colorado: Defreitas-Hansen, Travis, Awaziem, Maxso, Cannon, Larraz, Atencio, Ku-DiPietro, Mihailovic, S. Bassett, Navarro
Orlando: Gallese, Freeman, Schlegel, Jansson, Brekalo, Cortes, Gerbet, Atuesta, Pasalic, Muriel, Ojeda
Anything else catch the eye?
We saw both teams score in seven of the last eight meetings between Colorado and Orlando. Both teams have scored in three of the last four Orlando City matches in all competitions and in 59% of their games in the MLS. All things considered, we should see goals on both sides in this match, but the odds are not that great, only 4/9 at Boylesports.
However, both teams to score and over 2.5 total goals comes with 5/6 odds, and we do expect the guests to win the game, so we also expect this combo to deliver.
GambleAware