And then there was one. Following the wildcard rounds in MLS Cup action, just one Canadian team remains alive in their quest to be the best in Major League Soccer in 2024. It’s not Toronto FC, who fell out of the playoff picture with a week remaining in the regular season. It’s not CF Montreal, who came from behind against Atlanta United in their wildcard game but fell short in penalties. It’s the Vancouver Whitecaps, the pride of the West Coast and Cascadia’s northern hope, who carry all the chips in the basket.
The road only gets tougher from here, though, with a strong Los Angeles FC team in front of them. Let’s look at what they need to accomplish tonight to keep this season going.
9:45 p.m. ET Headliner: Los Angeles FC @ Vancouver Whitecaps
| Los Angeles Win | -200 | Vancouver Win | +500 | Draw | +370 |
| Over 3.5 Goals | +130 | Under 3.5 Goals | -161 | Broadcast | Apple TV |
The odds were against the Whitecaps going into their wildcard game on Wednesday, coming into their matchup against the Portland Timbers in terrible form and, thanks to a scheduling conflict, sacrificing their earned home-field advantage. The thought was that if they were going to advance beyond the game, they’d have to squeak across the finish line, maybe picking up a goal or two and hoping their defence held.
The ‘Caps did not get that memo. Instead, they exploded for one of the most memorable games in franchise history and maybe in Canadian MLS history. Ryan Gauld delivered on our shoutout to him in our wildcard preview and hit the back of the net not once but twice in the first half, with Brian White complimenting him to give the team a 3-0 lead through 45. Rather than sit back, Vancouver kept going, with Stuart Armstrong adding another in the 51st minute and Gauld completing his hat trick in the 59th. It was an absolute stunner and a statement from Vancouver that they weren’t going away without a fight.
Can they carry that momentum into tonight’s game, though? The Whitecaps have scored four or more goals twice more this season, and their record following is split – a 3-1 loss to LA Galaxy after winning 4-0 against Toronto in April and a 3-1 win over Minnesota after beating St. Louis 4-3 in June.
Their record against LAFC is a mixed bag as well, featuring a 2-1 loss just two weeks ago, lost on a last-minute Illie Sanchez goal, and a 2-2 win on penalties in Leagues Cup back in July. Los Angeles, who have been contenders through most of the past few years, enter tonight’s match winners of six in a row, dating back to September 25th. Their players to watch include Denis Bougana, who electrified with 20 goals and 11 assists in 32 games this season, and Carlos Vela, who has yet to play for the team this year but may return as soon as this series. The 35-year-old was one of the league’s top talents in previous seasons and would add to Los Angeles’ counter-attacking threat if he returns.
Tonight’s game isn’t all-or-nothing like the wildcard, nor does the first round follow the traditional home-and-home-total-goals format – this year’s MLS Cup has a best-of-three format in the first round. Nevertheless, when you’re the team on the outside looking in like Vancouver, stealing home turf would be a huge get.
Game Bets To Consider
- If you like the Whitecaps to repeat their magic from the Portland game, you might look for certain boots to strike twice. Brian White, who scored the team’s second goal on Wednesday, has super-enhanced odds to score tonight on Betano, with +300 turning into +400.
- A prop I really like for all the wrong reasons tonight is “Goal Scored After Minute 76:00”. LAFC have scored in the dying minutes in both of their games against Vancouver this year – 87th and 95th in Leagues Cup and 93rd in the regular season. You can get in on this at -114.
Bet on LAFC vs. Whitecaps
LAFC -200
VAN +520
Other MLS Cup Games This Week
There are six other first-round games on the schedule this week, including one tonight between Orlando City and Charlotte. This game is the one with the most lopsided one of the bunch, with most of the others felt to be together in their expectations. Perhaps the biggest nailbiter will be between Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United, with no outcome – a regulation win for both sides or a journey to extra time – feeling definitively likely.
| Home Team |  | Draw | | Away Team | Day | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando City SC | -122 | +285 | +310 | Charlotte FC | Sun. 10/27 | 7:30 PM |
| Los Angeles FC | -200 | +350 | +520 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Sun. 10/27 | 9:45 PM |
| FC Cincinnati | -108 | +260 | +285 | New York City FC | Mon. 10/28 | 6:45 PM |
| Seattle Sounders FC | -125 | +255 | +365 | Houston Dynamo FC | Mon. 10/28 | 8:50 PM |
| Columbus Crew SC | -139 | +310 | +345 | New York Red Bulls | Tue. 10/29 | 6:45 PM |
| Real Salt Lake | +100 | +280 | +250 | Minnesota United FC | Tue. 10/29 | 9:00 PM |
Latest 2024 MLS Cup Odds
Here are the latest MLS Cup futures odds, heading into the matches on October 27th:
| Team | | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Miami CF | +100 | Seattle Sounders | +2100 |
| LA Galaxy | +400 | FC Cincinnati | +2400 |
| Columbus Crew | +750 | Real Salt Lake | +2400 |
| Los Angeles FC | +750 | Vancouver Whitecaps | +7400 |
Vancouver’s odds are very stacked against themselves right now, currently sitting in a three-way tie one spot above the bottom, at +7400. It’s not quite as dire as Minnesota’s situation, as they sit at +9900, but that’s only by virtue of not having Inter Miami in front of them just yet. The books remain bullish on Messi and pals, and it’s not hard to see why.
