Failed Expectations
Prior to the start of the MLS season, Atlanta United was among the dark horses to dethrone New York City FC. Nevertheless, the Five Stripes have failed to meet expectations. If the season ended today, they wouldn’t even qualify for the playoffs.
The good news is that United is only four points behind the seventh place in the Eastern Conference and there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. Plus, they’ve been considerably better when playing at home and that’s why they come in as the soccer betting favorites to defeat the Seattle Sounders. In that regard, we could also say that the visitors are a very tempting underdog.
Let’s check the latest MLS news, stats, injury reports, and MLS odds for Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders. We’ve plenty of MLS picks and predictions for you to consider.
Atlanta United: Welcome Back
Last Saturday, Atlanta United drew 0-0 to the Chicago Fire. Considering the Five Stripes have been terrible when playing on the road, that’s not a bad result. However, the best news was that two players returned after a long absence. We’re talking about Santiago Sosa and Andrew Gutman. Sosa played the whole game while Gutman came off the bench for the last 15 minutes.
Both are more than welcome as Atlanta has suffered a lot defensively. In fact, that was the team’s first clean sheet in its last eight games.
“I think I did a good job defensively. I felt good physically. Maybe to improve, I can be more secure with the ball. I missed a few passes today that I don’t usually miss,” said Sosa during a post-match interview.
Having them back also has a lot to do with the Five Stripes dominating the Las Vegas odds at -110. However, as mentioned before, the main reason is that they’ve been considerably better when playing at home. Five of their six victories were at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Plus, they scored in nine of their previous 11 games.
On the downside, George Campbell will be out two to three weeks after sustaining an adductor injury on Saturday. Again, good thing that Gutman is back.
Seattle Sounders: Aiming for the Podium
The Seattle Sounders also welcomed a key player back in their last match. Raul Ruidiaz, one of the team’s top scorers over the last few years, returned after missing three games due to a hamstring injury. He didn’t score, but the Sounders still defeated FC Dallas 1-0. Nicolas Lodeiro, who’s having a great season, was the scorer.
The victory allowed Seattle to jump back above the playoff line. Now, the Sounders are sixth in the Western Conference, only three points behind third-place Minnesota United.
With Ruidiaz back, Seattle’s attacking unit becomes a five-headed monster. Jordan Morris leads the team with six goals. He’s followed by Lodeiro and Ruidiaz with five. There are also Fredy Montero and Leo Chu. Montero has scored two goals while Chu has made three assists.
The thing is that we’re also talking about a very good defensive team. Seattle has allowed 27 goals. Over the Western Conference, only Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas have allowed fewer goals than the Sounders with 23 and 26.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are no major injuries to report. Now you understand why the visitors deserve to be considered a tempting betting online underdog, especially at +270. That means you could turn a $100 wager into a $370 payout.
Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 4
- Atlanta United Victories: 0 (3 goals)
- Seattle Sounders Victories: 1 (4 goals)
- Draws: 3
Atlanta United has never beaten the Seattle Sounders, but the Five Stripes have always put up a good fight. Last season, they met once at Seattle’s Lumen Field and drew 1-1. Ruidiaz scored the opener only six minutes into the game while Martinez scored the equalizer with only four minutes left.
Their only previous meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was in 2018 and it also ended 1-1. In fact, the total went over 2½ goals in a match between the two only once.
Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 6
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders Live Stream: fubo.tv
Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders Betting Lines
Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders Prediction
If you were looking for an underdog to include in your soccer picks, you can stop: The Seattle Sounders are the way to go. Yes, Atlanta United has been considerably better when playing at home, and the Five Stripes will put up another good fight, but the visitors’ attacking unit is simply too much for the home side defense to contain. Lodeiro is on fire and Ruidiaz is eager to find the back of the net once again. Additionally, Will Bruin and Jimmy Medranda didn’t play against Chicago, meaning they’re well-rested and ready to go.
Score Prediction: Seattle Sounders 2, Atlanta United 1
