Chicago Fire
Major League SoccerThe case
The total line for this match is 3.25 goals, a bet on the combined score of both teams, and under 3.25 wins on any result of three goals or fewer. Vancouver are missing most of their scoring threat: top scorer B. White, with 12 goals this season, is out with a hamstring injury, and T. Müller, with six goals, is sidelined with a leg problem. Three further regular scorers are also missing for Vancouver, which removes most of the team's attacking production this year. Chicago's attack looks thinner than their recent scoring suggests, since R. Lewandowski and two other regular contributors are unavailable, leaving P. Zinckernagel (5 goals, 7 assists) and M. Haile-Selassie (4 goals) as the main scoring options left. The competition averages 3.2 goals per match, so the 3.25 line is already set above that average, and with both attacks missing key players, a match with four or more goals is less likely than one with three or fewer.
The risks
Both defenses are weakened too: Chicago will be without M. Mbokazi, J. Elliott and Leonardo Barroso, and Vancouver's goalkeeper, Y. Takaoka, is suspended after a red card. Replacement defenders on both sides could allow goals to whichever attackers do play, and neither club has confirmed its starting lineup yet. Scoring has also been high in recent matches: Chicago's last five games produced 17 goals and Vancouver's produced 18, while the last five meetings between these two clubs totaled 4, 1, 4, 5 and 2 goals. If the missing-player lists turn out to be incomplete and the usual attackers play after all, a match with four or more goals is still possible.
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