Austin (9-12-7) travel to face off against Los Angeles (14-7-6) on Wednesday, September 18th. This match will be played at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Both Austin and Los Angeles will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous matches. The match is scheduled for 10:30 PM ET.
Austin vs Los Angeles
Austin Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Austin will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Toronto FC. This was their second straight match on the road, and they went into the match as the heavy underdog at +280. The three combined goals surpassed the over/under line of 2.5 goals.
Owen Wolff was the most efficient player for Austin, scoring on his only shot attempt and his only shot on goal. As a team, Austin took six shots on goal and 17 shots overall. They also had six corner kicks compared to just one for Toronto FC.
On the defensive end, Austin allowed two first-half goals but then held Toronto FC scoreless in the second half. Brad Stuver finished with one save on Toronto’s three shots on goal. The Austin defense blocked three shots and intercepted four passes.
Through 28 matches, Austin is 9-12-7, putting them 11th in the Western Conference. They have dropped two straight, including a 2-1 loss to Toronto FC on September 14th. Overall, Austin has struggled on the road, going just 3-8-3. After this match, they will return home to face the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, September 22nd. Over their last four matches, Austin is just 1-2-1.
Los Angeles Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Los Angeles will be looking to bounce back from a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy. This game finished with a total of six goals, which was higher than the line of 3.5 goals. The over/under payout on this line was +120.
On offense, Los Angeles scored two times on their five shots on goal and 15 total shot attempts. Denis Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz were the only two players to find the net, with Bouanga taking four total shots and three shots on goal.
Defensively, Los Angeles allowed four goals on the 10 on-target shots by the Galaxy. Hugo Lloris finished with six saves on the day, and as a defensive unit, Los Angeles intercepted 17 passes while blocking one shot.
Through 27 matches, Los Angeles is 14-7-6, putting them in 2nd place in the Western Conference. They have been strong at home, going 9-2-3, but have struggled on the road, going 5-5-3. Overall, they have been favored in 22 matches, going 11-6-5, and have been the underdog in just five matches, going 3-1-1. Their last three matches have not gone well, as they are 0-2-1. After this match vs. Austin, they will take on FC Dallas on September 22nd.
Austin Offense Breakdown
Sebastián Driussi is the top scorer for Austin this season, with five goals, which is also 80th in MLS. He also leads the club in shots on goal, with 17, which is 67th in the league. Alexander Ring is the leader in assists for Austin, with four, which is 58th in MLS. He also has two goals, which is 173rd in the league. This season, Austin is averaging 1.1 goals per match, which is 27th in MLS. They are also 29th in shots on goal and 25th in corners. In 50% of their matches, they have had fewer corners than their opponents. Their passing percentage of 84.4 is 10th in the league.
Los Angeles Offense Breakdown
Denis Bouanga has been the top scorer for Los Angeles this season, finding the back of the net 17 times, which is the fourth most in the MLS. He has also taken the most shots on goal in the league, with 47, and has been the most accurate shooter for Los Angeles. Overall, Los Angeles has been one of the most accurate teams in the league, as they are first in shots on goal and seventh in goals scored. However, they have had fewer shots on goal than their opponents in 40.7% of their matches this season.
Austin Defense Breakdown
Brad Stuver and the Austin defense have been up and down as of late, but they have been able to keep opponents in check for the most part. Over their last seven matches, they have given up an average of 1.4 goals per match. However, they have had some favorable matchups during that stretch, including a shutout against Nashville SC, who is last in the MLS in scoring. Overall, Austin is 13th in goals allowed this season, and they are 27th in blocked shots and 28th in interceptions. Stuver is 6th in clean sheets this season.
Los Angeles Defense Breakdown
Los Angeles has the 9th best defense in the MLS this season, allowing 1.3 goals per match. They are also 16th in blocked shots and 1st in interceptions. However, they are coming off a match where they gave up four goals to the 2nd ranked offense in the MLS, the Los Angeles Galaxy. This was their worst defensive performance since giving up two goals to the 19th ranked offense, the Houston Dynamo, on September 1st. Hugo Lloris leads the MLS with 10 clean sheets, and he is 13th in saves. Overall, they have given up 7 goals over their last five matches (1.4).
Austin vs Los Angeles Prediction
Looking at how we expect this match to play out, we are going to take Los Angeles on the money line at -278 as our top pick. Coming into the match, Los Angeles is one of the top offensive clubs in the league in terms of shots on goal and they are also 9th in fewest goals allowed. Our prediction is that Los Angeles’ Olivier Giroud, who is our top projected goal scorer for the match, will find the net in a 2-1 win for Los Angeles.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 17, 2024 Austin FC, Los Angeles FC