Sporting Kansas City vs. Nashville SC – October 11, 2020

Nashville faces Sporting Kansas City for the very first time in the Tennessee club’s short history on Sunday, October 11. But the MLS newcomers will have their work cut out this weekend.

Back-to-back victories have seen Sporting KC cement third place in the Western Conference, with Nashville sitting tenth in the East. Both sides have played 15 games this year, but the Wizards have managed to pick up eight points more than Nashville.

If you’re looking for some betting tips for this cross-conference matchup, make sure you check out my Sporting Kansas City vs. Nashville SC prediction and pick below.

The online betting sites haven’t sprung any surprises with their odds for this game. Sporting KC (1.60) is challenging for the Supporters’ Shield this year, while Nashville (5.20) is merely looking to finish as high as possible in the Eastern Conference.

Considering that Nashville has tied each of their previous three games, the odds for the draw (3.80) are likely to attract plenty of attention. But does the Tennessee club really stand any chance of preventing the SKC win?

With a game in hand over fourth-place Minnesota United, Sporting KC is now three points clear in third. Following an iffy spell, the Wizards head into Sunday’s clash on the back of successive wins, with Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire both falling to Peter Vermes’ side in the space of four days.

Tim Melia saved a penalty with less than two minutes on the clock against Chicago in midweek, moving joint-third on the all-time MLS penalty saves leaderboard. The goalkeeper set his team up for the victory, with Winston Reid scoring the winning goal midway through the second half.

Before Wednesday’s victory, SKC hadn’t clinched consecutive wins since the MLS is Back Tournament. The Wizards have lost four of their ten outings since the competition in Florida, yet they always seem to grind out results when it matters.

Nashville travels to Kansas on a four-game unbeaten streak, although Gary Smith’s side has drawn their previous three outings. The club’s run was kicked off by a 1-0 victory over DC United at the end of September, with draws against Houston Dynamo, New England Revolution, and Minnesota following.

The Tennessee team has been extremely solid at the back throughout the 2020 campaign. In fact, only four sides in the Eastern Conference have conceded fewer goals than Smith’s men this year, and each of those teams are currently sitting in the top six.

However, scoring goals has been a big problem for the MLS new boys. Nashville has netted just 11 goals in 15 games this year, while only FC Cincinnati has scored less.

When you consider those statistics, it’s hardly surprising that Nashville heads into the weekend on the back of consecutive goalless draws.

It felt as though the Wizards had lost their way a bit last month. But having kicked off October with back-to-back wins, Sporting KC appears to be back to their best.

Nashville has done well to avoid defeat in their previous four outings, but I’m expecting their unbeaten run to come to an end at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday.