Austin FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps Prediction: The bookmakers don't rate the Whitecaps

Austin FC meet Vancouver Whitecaps in a crucial MLS encounter with both sides needing to seal their playoff spots. Austin currently lies 9th and finds itself at the cusp of the playoff zone, while Vancouver lies in 6th, a bit securely in the playoff bracket but not yet out of the woods. This match is pivotal for both teams in terms of building momentum in the closing stages of the regular season.

Austin comes into the match in decent form, having won three of their last five games, including a solid 2-0 victory away at Nashville in their last outing. This run has seen them climb to 9th place in the standings. Crucial to their recent success has been their ability to start well into games, netting first in four of the last five and setting the early tone. Their season has been marked by inconsistency, with already 10 losses on the board. Defensively, Austin has been credible in the last couple of outings, having kept two clean sheets in their last five games: a positive to take into the match with Vancouver, which has really found their scoring rhythm.

Vancouver ranks 6th and has been more inconsistent in recent times. Although they beat Pacific 1-0 at home in the Canadian Championship, their league performances show more weaknesses. Indeed, they conceded goals in each of their last seven matches, very often in the first half of the game, seriously putting them behind in those respective games. The games involving Vancouver have been high-scoring, with over 2.5 goals scored in six of their last seven matches; the same number of games saw both teams score. This shows that while they do have attacking capability, their defense is still a huge concern. Another worrying trend going into this away match is that they tend to allow the opponents to score first, as has happened in four of their last five games.

The head-to-head record significantly goes the way of Vancouver, as the Whitecaps won four in the seven encounters between these teams, with Austin managing only one victory. Vancouver is also unbeaten in the last four meetings against Austin, indicating a psychological advantage that Vancouver might hold over them. In the last meeting, Vancouver showed a well-structured backline, and they might lean on this historical dominance as a confidence booster.

This really is a great match-up between Austin's ability to come out and score at home and Vancouver's ability to score, in general, even though they concede far too many. The recent form of Austin suggests they are more than capable of taking an early initiative, especially against a Vancouver side that is vulnerable to conceding first. But really, when it comes down to it, the number could go up with the resilience and habit of scoring that Vancouver has.

Austin will take a headstart in the scoreline, as this Vancouver side has been poor in defense lately, and also if one looks at the games that Vancouver plays these days, it seems like there's going to be a goal-fest on both sides, then "BTTS" would be safe in this fixture. Vancouver is also on a trend to over 2.5, which is likely to see more goals; hence, "Over 2.5 Goals" will equally serve as an important bet in this match.

• Austin to Score First at 1.94 Odds
• Both Teams to Score at 1.6 Odds
• Draw Full Time at 3.50 Odds