Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches of the upcoming MLS round will take place on Sunday at Shell Energy Stadium, where the local Houston Dynamo will host Montreal. Here's a value bet suggestion for the outcome of this clash.
Match preview
Houston Dynamo are having a mixed season: the team is teetering near the lower part of the table but remains competitive. Over their last five matches, the club has secured three wins, one draw, and one defeat, highlighting an inconsistent but not disastrous run of form. Offensively, Dynamo have looked lively — 22 goals in 17 games — but their defense clearly needs work.
At home, the team has been unpredictable: three wins and five losses point to vulnerability. A recent defeat to Sporting Kansas City (1-3) dampened the squad's spirits, but the upcoming match against one of the league's underdogs offers a perfect chance for redemption. The head coach is striving to find the balance between defense and attack, and this is precisely where character will be tested.
Montreal are mired in a long-standing crisis, currently sitting at the bottom of the table. The team has lost three of their last five matches and scored just 12 goals all season while conceding 32. It's clear the defense is the Achilles' heel, and even a shift in coaching philosophy hasn't brought improvements.
Their away form is especially concerning: just one win in 10 road games, and their last away outing ended in a heavy defeat to New England Revolution (0-3). Head coach Marco Donadel is attempting to implement a more organized style of play, but the squad's quality still falls short of MLS standards. Montreal are in desperate need of a reset, but doing so away against a motivated opponent will be an uphill battle.
Probable lineups
- Houston Dynamo: Bond – Dorsey, Avodese, Ortiz, Andrade – McGlynn, Artur, Reigns – Lingr, Ponce, Kowalczyk
- Montreal: Sirois, Waterman, Campbell, Neal, Petrasso, Sealy, Saliba, Loturi, Pearce, Vrioni, Owusu
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the last five head-to-head meetings, Montreal have won twice, Houston just once
- Both teams have scored in four of their last five encounters
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet has landed in three of the last five matches
Prediction
Given Montreal's disastrous form and Houston's desire to bounce back at home, backing the hosts to win looks the logical choice. Despite Dynamo's inconsistency, the visitors look far weaker both in attack and defense. Our pick: Houston to win at odds of 1.74.
