Jack Collins here from The Game Day to look at a matchup between two sides currently sitting third and fourth in the West, with just two points between Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo.
Matchday 21 saw both drop points, with Seattle held scoreless at home by Orlando City.
At the same time, Dynamo were heavily beaten in a Texas Derby down in Austin, so both will see this as an opportunity to not just right the ship but also to close the gap between LAFC and St. Louis at the top of the division.
Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo Odds
Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo betting lines are current as of Thursday, June 29, at 8 a.m. ET and were found at bet365 Sportsbook.
- Three-Way: Seattle (-134) • Tie (+260) • Houston (+300)
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (-106) • Under 2.5 (-118)
- Both Teams To Score: Yes (-125) • No (-106)
Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo Match Prediction
Seattle Sounders 1:1 Houston Dynamo
It’s not a particularly brilliant time to be a Sounders fan. Yes, they remain third in the division, but they’ve not won in their last five MLS fixtures, scoring just three times in that spell - and all three of those came in a 3-3 draw with Charlotte in North Carolina.
It’s not an ideal time for top scorer Jordan Morris to have headed out to the Gold Cup for international duty with the USMNT, nor to lose the stalwart Roldán brothers to their respective national teams.
It’s not all bad news - Seattle’s underlying numbers are still holding up, which means that at some point, they should start to see a return to form, but there can be no denying this has been a troubled spell for one of MLS’ most successful franchises.
It was epitomized in that 0-0 draw with Orlando. The Sounders started the game like a train, hitting the woodwork through Nicolás Lodeiro just two minutes in, and they carried on creating chances throughout - but the elusive goal just would not come, and the club finds itself on track for its lowest-scoring season in MLS since the league expanded to 34 regular season games.
An xG of 1.2 drastically underperformed? It’s becoming a hauntingly familiar scenario for the Sounders faithful, and it’s one echoed by the players on the pitch too. Obed Vargas lamented the fact that “if you can’t score goals, you can’t win games” afterward, and it’s never been more true for those of a Rave Green persuasion.
In better news, Seattle’s defensive solidity is keeping them ticking. Nobody has conceded fewer than their 18 in the West, and only the impenetrable Nashville wall tops them across MLS as a whole. Once the goal-scoring drought ends, Seattle will be back in the conversation, but a malaise hangs over things at Lumen Field.
Houston was brought back to Earth with a bump at the weekend as Austin brushed them apart in a Lone Star Derby. Back-to-back wins over LAFC, home and away, and a thumping of San Jose had sent Dynamo soaring up the Western table, but as losses go, that Austin result will sting.
It’s a potentially unnecessary reminder to Houston fans of how tough life on the road can be in MLS, even when you're in form. Dynamo has picked up just five points in ten games on their travels this season, with that lone win coming at LAFC, alongside two draws at Dallas and the Red Bulls.
That said, this Dynamo midfield is one of the strongest anywhere in the country. Hector Herrera’s experience and leadership blend beautifully with Artur's dynamism and ball-winning ability in the pivot.
At the same time, Amine Bassi leads the team for goals from the attacking midfield role in front of them, given the creative license to punch forward and hurt opposition defenses.
The Sounders’ bad luck in front of goal has to break at some stage, but this could be a bit of a war of attrition.
The two sides are looking to bounce back from varying levels of disappointment, but there’s not much between them in the standings, and there may be very little between them on the pitch here.
Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo Best Bet
Under 2.5 Goals Scored (-118) • bet365 Sportsbook
There is a chance that once the dam is breached for the Sounders, the floodgates will open, but nothing we’ve seen in the last few weeks seems to suggest that’s going to happen.
Add in their rock-solid back line, and the absence of top scorer Jordan Morris, and goals don’t look like a guarantee here.
Nicolás Lodeiro Anytime Goalscorer (+275) • bet365 Sportsbook
Of all the Sounders players, it has looked like Lodeiro has been the most likely to provide the spark and break that drought in the past few games.
The Argentine hit the woodwork last time out at Lumin Field, so a little outside bet on him being the one to hit the back of the net finally feels like a punt worth taking.
