MLS Odds & Picks for April 16: Houston Dynamo vs San Jose Earthquakes & Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United

• The Seattle Sounders host Minnesota United in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Final
• The Houston Dynamo take on the San Jose Earthquakes in a battle of two Western Conference clubs with nowhere to go but up
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends as the MLS regular season gets underway with these two Friday night contests

The 2021 MLS season kicks off on Friday night with a pair of matchups. The Seattle Sounders begin their quest for a third straight trip to the MLS Cup finals as they play host to Minnesota United as strong -130 favorites. Earlier in the evening, the Houston Dynamo take on the San Jose Earthquakes as -113 home chalk in a battle of MLS Cup longshots.

Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of these two MLS Western Conference matchups.

Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United Odds

All odds as of Apr 16

Sounders Aim to Extend Home Dominance

The Seattle Sounders will be looking to pick up where they left off last season, when they open their schedule against Minnesota United at 9:30 pm ET on Friday night at Lumen Field. The Sounders dominated on home turf during last season’s march to the MLS Cup Final, racking up an 8-1-0 win-draw-loss record over their final nine home dates, capped by a 3-2 win over Minnesota in the Western Conference Final.

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The club was dominant on both sides of the ball during that run, outscoring opponents by a wide 27-8 margin. Raul Ruidiaz particularly shone on home turf last season. Seattle’s leading goalscorer last season, the Peruvian striker potted seven times during the club’s torrid nine-match stretch at home. The Sounders have also regularly held the upper hand over Minnesota.

Seattle is unbeaten in seven straight meetings with Minnesota in league play and has amassed a perfect 4-0-0 all-time record against the Loons while outscoring them by a wide 9-4 overall margin.

RAUL RUIDIAZ EQUALIZES LATE!!!! OH MY!!!#SEAvMIN // @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/VziSDzPSm4

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 8, 2020

Loons Search for First-ever Win in Seattle

Minnesota also returns to action aiming to take the next step. Pegged as +320 underdogs in Friday’s season opener, the Loons closed out last season in fourth place in the Western Conference. And in addition to enjoying the deepest playoff run in franchise history, the club also gained valuable experience during their march to the semifinals at last summer’s MLS is Back Tournament.

However, the Loons still have plenty of work to do to overcome a lengthy track record of futility on the road. While the club earned a berth in the Western Conference final with a stunning 3-0 victory over first-place Sporting Kansas City, they otherwise struggled on the road, posting just one win in their final eight away contests, while getting outscored by a 14-6 margin.

The Picks: Sounders (-130); OVER 2.5 (-177)

Houston Dynamo vs San Jose Earthquakes Odds

Dynamo Host Earthquakes in Clash of Bottom Feeders

Two clubs expected to battle for the basement in the MLS Western Conference clash on Friday as Houston plays host to the San Jose Earthquakes at 8:00 pm ET at BBVA Stadium. The Dynamo finished at the bottom of the conference standings last season while tallying a league-worst four wins, and are expected to struggle once again this time around.

Friday night’s Houston Dynamo FC season-opening match is sold out, the Club announced today. The Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes at 7 p.m. CDT for Welcome Back to BBVA Stadium Night. @HoustonDynamo

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) April 13, 2021

Houston picked up just one win through their final 14 overall contests, but produced respectable results on home turf, going 3-4-3 on the season. The club underwent a major overhaul during the offseason, but it remains unclear if the moves will boost a moribund Dynamo offense that tallied just six total goals over their final seven matches, and just a single goal in four of their final five home dates.

Earthquakes Expected to Take a Step Back

Prospects are equally bleak for the Earthquakes, who open the season alongside Houston as distant +12500 longshots in the odds to win the Western Conference. While San Jose closed out last season with a respectable 8-6-9 record, they picked up just two wins in their 10 road dates, while surrendering a worrisome 3.3 goals per match.

Final Western Conference standings. Congratulations to Sporting Kansas City for taking the top spot in the West.@SoundersFC get a home playoff match and finish the regular-season in second place.#Sounders | #MLS | #DecisionDay pic.twitter.com/3NtqvHjPBN

— Rachael Kriger (@RachaelKriger) November 9, 2020

Complicating matters is the Earthquakes’ dismal record when visiting Houston, where they have posted just one win in six league matchups over the past decade. It is tough to get excited about either of these clubs. But with neither club showing any indication that they will light the lamp with any regularity, the betting value is best found in the lucrative +265 odds of this contest ending in a draw

The Picks: Draw (+265); UNDER 2.5 (+140)

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