Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Montreal Impact Betting Preview – MLS, September 16, 2020

It’s safe to say that Vancouver and Montreal will be getting a bit sick of each other now. The two sides have already clashed twice since the MLS is Back Tournament, and they meet for the third time in weeks on Wednesday, September 16.

The Impact has beaten the Whitecaps on both occasions this year, with a 2-0 win on home soil coming before a 4-2 away victory. The Canadian rivals return to BC Place for a cross-conference matchup this week, but who will come out on top this time around?

I assess the odds before sharing my Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Montreal Impact prediction and betting pick.

Given that Montreal has completely dominated Vancouver in 2020, it’s no shock that the betting sites have made the Impact the favorite to win again on Wednesday. Having said that, I am slightly surprised that the odds gap isn’t a bit bigger.

Considering the Whitecaps are rock bottom of the Western Conference and Montreal is sitting pretty in fifth place in the east, the price for the away win definitely stands out here.

Vancouver has not had a good time against Montreal this season. Despite enjoying a decent amount of possession at Saputo Stadium last month, the Whitecaps failed to trouble the Impact’s goal. Marc Dos Santos’ side did manage to score twice in the previous encounter, but Montreal netted four times in reply.

Ultimately, an inability to draw games has seriously cost Vancouver this term. Sure, only the top six teams in the Western Conference have won more games than the British Columbia club. But the Blue & White has failed to register a single draw in 2020.

The Whitecaps have lost seven of their ten outings this year. That’s three more defeats than their nearest challenger. It’s also worth noting that Dos Santos’ men are the joint-lowest scorers in the division.

On the flip side, Montreal has been marching up the Eastern Conference standings. Despite suffering two defeats to Toronto FC since the regular season resumed, three wins – including a revenge victory over the Reds – have propelled the Quebec outfit to fifth in the table.

Winger Romell Quioto and midfielder Saphir Taider have been at the heart of the Impact’s recent rise. Taider notched up one goal and two assists in the previous meeting with Vancouver, while Quioto has two goals and one assist against the Whitecaps this year.

At the end of the day, it’s difficult to ignore Montreal’s recent victories over Vancouver. Thierry Henry’s side has dominated this fixture lately, and the gulf between these two teams has continued to grow. When you look at the previous two encounters between the sides, odds of 2.05 for the Montreal win seem very generous.