FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City – MLS, October 14, 2020

FC Dallas will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, October 14, when the two sides clash for the third time this year.

The Toros recorded a win and a draw against the Wizards last month, although Sporting KC still sits eight points ahead of Dallas in the Eastern Conference. Can Peter Vermes’ men gain their revenge this time around?

Keep reading to see my FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City prediction and betting pick.

Dallas’ home advantage, along with their recent head-to-head record in this fixture, means that 10bet views the home side as the slight favorite to win this game. However, the tight odds gap suggests that it is likely to be a tight encounter.

Third-place Sporting KC is only one point shy of conference-frontrunners Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, so sixth-place Dallas should arguably be the outsider heading into this clash.

Let’s take a closer look at the two teams.

Dallas’ clash with Minnesota United was postponed at the weekend, meaning Luchi Gonzalez’s men have been given extra time to recover from last week’s defeat to Houston Dynamo. Despite completely dominating the Texas Derby, Dallas lost 2-0.

The Toros are without a win in four games, with their previous victory coming against SKC last month. Draws with Orlando City and Columbus Crew, as well as a defeat to Atlanta United, were disappointing. But the loss to Houston was obviously far more humiliating.

Even though Gonzalez’s men find themselves sixth in the Western Conference standings, they actually boast the joint-best defensive record in the division. Still, only one team – Vancouver Whitecaps – has scored fewer goals than Dallas this year.

The Toros will know where they need to improve, but rediscovering form against a team of SKC’s caliber won’t be straightforward.

Following a barren spell, the Wizards are well and truly back on track. A run of one win in seven games across August and September saw Sporting KC slide down the table, but Vermes’ side comes into this clash on the back of three straight wins.

Traditional Final Score Haiku ?

Johnny to Gerso
Hurtado hits a worldie
Give us all three, please pic.twitter.com/IYgB3WobRC

— Sporting KC (@SportingKC) October 12, 2020

Victories over Houston, Chicago Fire, and Nashville have enabled SKC to remain within touching distance of the top teams in the division. Vermes’ men are only one point behind Seattle and Portland, but perhaps more importantly, they are now five points clear of fourth-place LAFC.

Johnny Russel has been pivotal to the Wizards’ Supporters’ Shield bid. The Scottish winger has contributed four goals and two assists in his last six appearances, so Dallas must keep him quiet in order to avoid defeat on Wednesday.

In all honestly, I’m happy the Wizards are playing away from home this week. The bookies are always less likely to favor teams on their travels, but with SKC in such good form at the moment, it simply doesn’t make sense to bet against Vermes’ side.

Dallas has looked bereft of ideas in recent games, so I’m expecting their winless run to be extended to five games on Wednesday.