Two clubs who are looking to return to winning ways following defeat at the weekend meet in Texas in the early hours of Thursday morning as the Houston Dynamo hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Dynamo saw their two-match winning run come to an end last time out, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat away at Real Salt Lake, a result that sees them remain a point adrift of the Western Conference playoff places.
Ben Olsen’s hosts did defeat St. Louis City 1-0 in their previous home match, but the Orange Crush have been inconsistent at home all season, winning four of their last eight MLS contests on home soil (W4-D1-L3) and losing six times overall (W4-D1-L6).
Vancouver made a strong start to their MLS campaign, losing just one of their opening 16 encounters (W10-D5-L1) to sit top of the Western Conference table.
However, the Caps have gone on to lose four of their next five, the latest of which was a 3-0 defeat to the Colorado Rapids, meaning they now sit four points behind Western Conference leaders San Diego FC, albeit with a game in hand.
How the bookies view it: Home advantage for Houston?
The bookmakers have The Dynamo as favourites to return to winning ways here, with BoyleSports pricing them at 6/5 to claim all three points.
The Caps are 15/8 to snap their poor run of form, whilst the draw is 23/10.
Head to head: Dynamo do well in Texas against the Caps
Houston are unbeaten in each of their previous six MLS meetings with Vancouver at home, winning four of them.
Players to watch: Ponce to pounce again?
Ezequiel Ponce is Houston’s leading marksman this season, firing in seven goals in the MLS this campaign. The Argentinian forward scored a brace at San Diego and the winner against St. Louis City in the last home match, and is an appealing 13/8 to get on the scoresheet here.
Vancouver have missed Brian White, who was at the Gold Cup with the USA. The Caps talisman has scored 10 goals already in the MLS this season and is 7/4 at BoyleSports to get back on the scoresheet.
Predicted line-ups:
Ben Olsen will yet again be unable to call up on Andrew Tarbell, Daniel Steres, Nelson Quinones and ex-Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko due to injury.
The Caps will once again be without the likes of Giuseppe Bovalina, Ali Ahmed and ex-Dundee United wonderkid Ryan Gauld through injury.
Houston Dynamo: Bond, Andrade, Ortiz, Bartlow, Escobar, Raines, Artur, McGlynn, Bassi, Ennali, Ponce
Vancouver Whitecaps: Takaoka, Laborda, Utvik, Blackmon, Johnson, Berhalter, Priso, Ocampo, Vite, Sabbi, White
Anything else catch the eye?
This is a fixture that has tended to produce goals in recent seasons, with 13 of the last 15 meetings between the pair in the MLS seeing goals at both ends, whilst 12 (80%) have also seen Over 2.5 Goals land.
The Dynamo’s opening 11 home clashes in the MLS this campaign have averaged exactly three goals per game, with Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals paying out in a healthy seven (64%) of them.
Nine of Vancouver’s last 12 MLS fixtures have seen Over 2.5 Goals land, and a repeat of that appeals at 4/5 at BoyleSports.
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