Colorado Rapids vs Vancouver Whitecaps Prediction & Betting Tips

Recent form is much closer than the table suggests

Zoom in on the last 20 matches for each side across all competitions, including cup games, and the gap narrows a lot. Vancouver have gone 7-5-8 in that stretch with 35 goals for and 24 against, while Colorado have gone 8-4-8 with 18 for and 22 against.

Colorado Rapids: 20 completed matches; Vancouver Whitecaps: 20 completed matches.

Colorado Rapids

20 matches

Win

40% 8 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

40% 8 / 20

Scored

18

Conceded

22

Difference

-4

Vancouver Whitecaps

20 matches

Win

35% 7 / 20

Draw

25% 5 / 20

Loss

40% 8 / 20

Scored

35

Conceded

24

Difference

+11

So while Vancouver's league position is clearly better, their very recent form, once cup football is folded in, hasn't been dramatically stronger than Colorado's.

Recent results don't back up the size of the gap in the standings.

Comparative Team Statistics: Colorado Rapids vs Vancouver Whitecaps

A head-to-head with no settled pattern

These two have met plenty of times over the years and the results swing around a lot. Vancouver won 3-1 at home earlier this year, but the season before that Colorado won 3-0 on their own patch, and further back there are draws and away wins scattered in both directions.

There's no obvious recent trend either way, home or away, once you look past just the last meeting.

League table tells one story

Vancouver have been picking up points at a much better rate than Colorado this season. They're top with 49 points from 25 games, working out at just under two points per match, while Colorado have 36 points from 26 games and sit seventh.

That's a solid gap in the table, built over a full MLS campaign rather than a short run of games.

On league form alone, Vancouver look the stronger side by a fair distance.

Key men and some uncertainty over squads

Vancouver's B. White has been their standout scorer with 16 goals in 23 matches, a big chunk of their attacking output this season. Colorado's P. Aaronson leads their assist charts, and R. Holding has picked up two red cards in his 23 appearances, which says something about how physical Colorado can be at the back.

Colorado Rapids:

Best assist providers:

P. Aaronson - 7

Penalty cards:

R. Holding x 2 x 2

W. Frederick II x 1 x 2

J. Atencio x 9

Injury list:

A. Fadal

Vancouver Whitecaps:

Best scorers:

B. White - 16

Penalty cards:

É. Ocampo x 7

A. Cubas x 7

Injury list:

K. G. Cabrera Nakamura

Both squads have a number of players listed as unavailable or doubtful, including several tied to international duty. With the fixture still some way off, it's too early to say who'll actually be missing come matchday.