San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids – MLS, September 5, 2020

There really is nothing to separate San Jose and Colorado as the two teams prepare to face off at Avaya Stadium on Saturday, September 5. Both sides sit on eight points at the bottom end of the Western Conference, with only Vancouver Whitecaps below them in the standings.

Neither side has picked up a win since the MLS is Back Tournament, so it’s difficult to foresee the outcome of this clash. Nevertheless, I share my San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids prediction and betting pick below.

The top-rated online soccer betting sites view San Jose as the favorite to win this game, although the high price for the home win suggests that the Quakes won’t find it easy to claim all three points against Colorado. In fact, it could be argued that the Rapids have been in better form since the regular season got back underway.

Let’s attempt to make sense of the odds by assessing both teams’ chances.

It is no secret that San Jose’s defense is in desperate need of a shake-up. No team in either conference has conceded more goals than Matias Almeyda’s men this season, so it’s hardly surprising to find the Goonies second from bottom in the Wetsern Conference.

Following a heavy 4-1 defeat in the MLS is Back Tournament quarter-finals, it was clear that Almeyda needed to sort out his backline. The club had almost a month off to work on their problems, yet it seems as though the team has failed to fix their defensive issues.

San Jose lost 3-2 to LA Galaxy last weekend before suffering a humiliating 5-1 thrashing at the hands of LAFC in midweek. The Quakes can take confidence from the fact that they have scored in all of their last six outings, but they have failed to outscore their opponent in each of their previous three.

In fairness, Colorado’s defense isn’t much better. The Commerce City club has conceded five goals in just two games since the regular season returned, although a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City last time out saw the team bounce back well from a heavy 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend.

After sitting on the substitute bench against RSL, teenage prodigy Cole Bassett netted the Rapids’ only goal in midweek. The 19-year-old is developing into an exciting player, but the team cannot solely rely the youngster. Manager Robin Fraser will surely be looking for experienced forwards Kei Kamara and Diego Rubio to up their game.

We saw a lot of draws in the previous round of fixtures. In fact, five of Wednesday’s 11 games were tied. And after taking everything into consideration here, I think San Jose and Colorado will share the points on Saturday. Both teams are enduring a poor run of form at the moment, so I can’t see either side winning this weekend.