This article is also available in French.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Austin FC Preview
The MLS regular season is serving up a feast of soccer action. This looks set to continue when Austin FC takes on the Vancouver Whitecaps. The game will kick-off on Saturday 4th May 2024 at 7:30 PM PST.
It looks set to be a tasty clash between a high-flying Vancouver side and an Austin team that has not enjoyed the start to the season. This will see the Texas-based side eager to get back on track against Vancouver and pick up their first away win of the campaign. After a slow start, a win is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Vancouver will be in no mood to make it easy for them and will be keen to cement their position towards the top of the Western Conference. The Canadian side will fancy their chances on home soil, having only tasted two defeats so far against Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy. After two recent away games in which they performed well, returning to BC Place will surely see them put on an attacking show of intent for their adoring fans.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Austin FC Head-To-Head and Key Stats
A head-to-head results comparison for Vancouver Whitecaps vs Austin FC clearly shows that Vancouver has had the edge. They have played six games, with four wins for the Whitecaps, one for Austin, and one draw. The team from Texas has not won against Vancouver since 2022. They lost the last match against them in July 2023 2-1.
Looking at the recent results is key for anyone interested in sports betting on leagues such as the MLS. For the Whitecaps, this shows that they have three wins, a draw, and a loss in their last five matches. It’s fair to say they remain in pretty decent form overall and should be at their best when Austin FC comes to town.
The draw in this sequence came in their previous game against the New York Red Bulls. This might dent their confidence coming into this matchup, but you still feel they will have enough to beat Austin. They will be keen to get back to winning ways on home soil. They enter this clash as the favorites.
The offensive firepower of the Whitecaps has also made them favorites to win. The 4-0 romp against Toronto in early April is proof. Austin will know how ferocious the Canadian side can be on the attack. Brian White opened the scoring early doors with a fine strike into the bottom corner. A Fafà Picault header made it 2-0. Late goals from Gauld and Veselinovic did the rest, as the Vancouver defense stood firm.
When you look at their last five results, Austin FC enters this match as the better team. This has seen them pick up four wins and suffer one loss (a 0-1 away defeat to St Louis). A 2-0 victory over the LA Galaxy in their last match should set up this match nicely.
Two early goals from Rubio and Obrian gave them a sizeable advantage against the Galaxy. Their defense also stood firm to take home the points. All four recent wins have come on home soil and Austin does not always travel well. When you consider the amount of miles they have to cover to play in Vancouver, this might go against them.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Austin FC Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 – 1 Austin FC
We believe Vancouver will have too much-attacking talent for Austin FC and win the match 3-1. Although the Austin defense has looked solid enough in this campaign, we feel it cannot keep the Whitecaps at bay over 90 minutes. This leaves the home side as favorites for the victory. They are likely to clinch the points with two clear goals.
Betting on Vancouver to win is the most likely outcome. But, this does not always give the best returns. With this in mind, it can be worth looking at other markets to get involved with for this game. We expect Vancouver to come out strongly in the first half, as they try to put the game to bed in the first 45 minutes. We predict they will win the first half 2-0, scoring the first goal.
For this match, both teams to score is a market worth considering when betting on soccer. Austin might have kept clean sheets in the last two games but should find Vancouver tough to stop. Vancouver’s games this season have usually seen both teams find the net. As a result, we predict both teams will score when they face off at the weekend.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Austin FC Betting Tips
Although our soccer predictions might sometimes focus on games with a clear favorite, we believe the outright win market might not be the best choice in this match. Vancouver has odds of 3/5 to take home the points. A $10 wager would only pay $16. If you join Novibet to wager on MLS matches, we recommend using your welcome bonus in other ways.
Backing Austin to win as the underdog comes with better odds at 17/4, but we feel this is not a likely outcome. Odds of 3/1 for the draw come with better value, but these two sides seem unlikely to end up level.
This is a great candidate for finding alternative markets. As a result, live wagers are a good place to start. These bets allow you to wager while the match is playing and when you have seen how things are going. An early goal from either side is perfect for betting on both teams to score at 7/10. If a player picks up an early yellow card, then a live bet on them to be sent off can also be an excellent strategy.
Goalscorer markets are an excellent alternative to dive into. Brian White could be worth backing as an anytime goalscorer. With a goal in his last game, he is obviously in decent form to find the net again. Both Rubio and Obrian scored against the Galaxy last for Austin time out. This could make a bet on them to score at any point in the game worthwhile.
An 11/1 correct score bet at 3-1 for Vancouver offers great value odds and is the scoreline we feel is most likely to happen. These tips are all worth considering when betting on the MLS.
Record-breaking performance 🤩
Congratulations to Brian White on being named to @MLS Team of the Matchday for his stellar display against New York Red Bulls!
📰: https://t.co/Qhh65OFaoV#VWFC | #RBNYvVAN pic.twitter.com/8djUFytu5L
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) April 29, 2024
Vancouver Whitecaps Team News & Lineups
For Vancouver, the star players to watch out for this match include Brian White. He is their danger man up top and has 5 goals in 8 games to date. Both Ryan Gauld and Fafà Picault ably support White. Gauld was a very astute signing by the club in 2021 and has pitched in with several goals/assists again this season.
The Whitecaps squad has no confirmed injuries to report for this game. But Picault is a potential doubt because of a back problem he has picked up. This would be a blow to the Whitecaps’ chances and mean they will not have one of their most creative players to select.
- Vancouver Whitecaps predicted lineup: Y Takaoka, T Blackmon, R Veselinović, M Laborda, R Raposo, P Vite, S Berhalter, A Ahmed, R Gauld, A Schöpf, and B White
Austin FC Team News & Lineups
Austin FC has question marks over Owen Wolff and Leo Vaisanen. Both players are eligible, but there remain doubts about this upcoming game. Neither is crucial to the side and their absence won’t be heavy.
This means that Austin has a strong roster to choose from and all their top men to call on. Diego Rubio looks to continue his decent form in this campaign and add to his tally of three goals. Jafar Obrian has also been on the scoresheet a few times this season and looks forward to testing Vancouvers’ defense. The creativity of Alexander Ring will be vital to this happening and it is worth looking out for him, supplying the passes for them to score from.
- Austin FC predicted lineup: B Stuver, J Gallagher, J Cascante, B Hines-Ike, G Biro, A Ring, D Pereira, J Obrian, S Driussi, E Rigoni, and D Rubio
