Crew vs. Sounders: 2020 MLS Cup Final Odds, Live Stream, TV Schedule
On Saturday, Major League Soccer will become the first sports league to complete its season in a home market after restarting inside a bubble when the Columbus Crew host the Seattle Sounders in the 2020 MLS Cup Final at Mapfre Stadium.
Columbus was pegged as one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference after its group-stage performance at the MLS is Back tournament. The Crew's form dipped a bit when they returned home from the bubble in Orlando, Florida, and they finished third behind Supporters' Shield winner Philadelphia Union and three-time MLS Cup participant Toronto FC.
Caleb Porter's side benefited a bit from the luck of the draw, as it knocked out the No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the Eastern Conference to reach the MLS Cup Final.
Seattle used a dramatic comeback on home soil to advance to its fourth MLS Cup in five years. Brian Schmetzer's team finished second in the Western Conference, and each of its league final berths has come in a year when it has not been the No. 1 seed.
The Sounders come into Saturday night's contest with a significant advantage in midfield since the Crew are without Darlington Nagbe, one of the best midfielders in the league, because of a positive COVID-19 test.
After the news of Nagbe's absence, the odds flipped in Seattle's favor.
MLS Cup Final Information
Date: Saturday, December 12
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app
Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): Columbus (+180), Seattle (+148), draw in regulation (+230)
Preview
The odds shift in Seattle's favor reflects the absences of Nagbe and midfielder Pedro Santos, who were listed as unavailable for Saturday's game.
Columbus was already going to have a tough time containing Seattle's attack with Nagbe in the fold, but now Porter has to come up with a game plan on the fly to replace the the midfielder's impact.
The Crew's dip in form during the regular season can be tied to Nagbe's absence. They had three wins over an eight-game stretch when the 30-year-old was out from September 12-October 18. During that run, the Eastern Conference champion recorded a single clean sheet and conceded multiple goals on five occasions.
If the Crew concede more than once Saturday night, the game could be out of reach given how well Seattle's attacking trio combines. Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz make up the league's best attacking threesome. They proved in the playoff-opening win over Los Angeles FC just how dangerous they can be, with each member of the group finding the back of the net and the other two being heavily involved in the buildup.
A similarly lethal touch in the MLS Cup Final could see Seattle cruise to victory, which is something they did not do in their two previous final triumphs.
In 2016, Seattle needed a tremendous effort out of goalkeeper Stefan Frei to force penalties and defeat Toronto FC. A year ago, the Sounders defeated TFC 3-1 in their home stadium, but two of the tallies occurred in the final 15 minutes.
In fact, the MLS Cup Final has been a low-scoring game for quite some time. Seattle was the first club since the L.A. Galaxy in 2012 to score three goals in the league's season finale.
From 2016-2018, the victorious side held a clean sheet in regulation. The Sounders also did not allow a goal in extra time of their 2016 victory.
Although there will be plenty of attacking talent on the field between Seattle's aforementioned trio and Columbus pair Gyasi Zardes and Lucas Zelarayan, goals could be hard to come by.
Columbus conceded the second-fewest goals in the regular season behind Philadelphia, and Seattle produced the lowest goals-against total in the Western Conference.
With that in mind, an under bet seems like the best way to go for totals, especially if you target the first-half under prop. Both teams will be playing themselves into the game, and Columbus could take a cautious approach to avoid going down early without Nagbe.
Each member of Seattle's attacking triumvirate and Columbus' two front-line stars are the best options to score. Ruidiaz was one of three Sounders to score in the 2019 final, and Zardes scored for the Galaxy in the 2014 showpiece.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from MLSSoccer.com.
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