LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo – MLS, October 28, 2020

Fresh from securing a 2-0 El Trafico victory, LAFC will be aiming to make it two wins on the bounce when Houston visits Banc of California Stadium on Wednesday, October 28.

The Dynamo heads into this clash on a four-game winless run and has only managed to claim one victory in their previous 11 outings. Fourth-place LAFC has a seven-point lead and a game in hand over the Texans, who sit third-bottom in the Western Conference.

Keep reading to see my LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo prediction and betting pick.

This matchup has produced one of the biggest odds gaps in MLS this week. 10bet clearly thinks that LAFC (1.45) should win on Wednesday, but it is important to remember that the Black & Gold has been pretty inconsistent throughout 2020.

With that in mind, the lofty odds for the draw (4.30) and the Houston win (6.65) are bound to attract some attention.

Having lost the previous two El Trafico derbies, LAFC got their revenge over LA Galaxy on Sunday. Bob Bradley’s men completely dominated their Los Angeles rivals, racking up 27 shots (eight on target) and finishing the game with 65% possession.

Danny Musovski broke the deadlock just before the hour mark, although there is no questioning who the most popular goalscorer of the day was. Following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Carlos Vela came off the bench to secure the points with a stoppage-time strike.

It is no secret that LAFC has sorely missed their MVP over the past couple of months. Overall, Vela missed 12 games due to injury, and the team has struggled for consistency during that time.

Still, the Black & Gold has managed to hold onto fourth place in the Western Conference and is now only five points behind frontrunner Sporting Kansas City. With the Supporters’ Shield still up for grabs, Vela’s return could not have come at a better time.

Carlos Vela puts the finishing touch on an @LAFC El Trafico victory on his return from injury ?

Follow @MLS for more pic.twitter.com/7l6TfS8A8A

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 25, 2020

Houston’s struggles are underlined by the team sitting directly below them in the table. The Dynamo has played 20 games this year but has only managed to pick up four wins. By contrast, Colorado has played just 14 times this season and has claimed five victories.

Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for Tab Ramos’ men in 2020. In fact, they are the top scorers in the bottom seven. But only four sides have conceded more goals than the Texans this term, and their weak defensive record is likely to see them miss out on a place in the play-offs.

A top-eight finish is still achievable for Houston, but having won just one of their last 11 games, I can’t see the Dynamo qualifying for the next phase of the competition.

I really wanted to make a case for Houston getting something from this game. Even the draw would be hugely profitable. But after taking everything into consideration, I can’t see the Dynamo upsetting the odds on Wednesday.

We all know that soccer isn’t a one-man game. However, it is difficult to overstate just how important Carlos Vela is to LAFC. The Mexican’s return looks set to galvanize the team.