On Saturday, August 24th, the Toronto FC will travel to Houston to take on the Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium. This match is set to start at 8:30 PM. Toronto is +350 on the money line compared to Houston at -148. The line for a draw is sitting at +310, and the over/under goal line is 2.5 goals. Toronto is 9-14-3 and in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, while Houston is 10-7-7 and 6th in the West. The Dynamo have won two straight matches.
Toronto vs. Houston Dynamo Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Toronto at Houston Dynamo
- Where: Houston, TX at Shell Energy Stadium
- Date: Saturday, August 24th
- Betting Odds HOU -148 | TOR +350 O/U 2.5
Toronto Preview
Through 26 matches, Toronto has a record of 9-14-3, putting them in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. On the road, they have struggled, going just 3-8-3. Over their last three matches, they have gone 2-1, with wins over CF Montréal and Philadelphia Union. Following this match, they will return home to take on D.C. United SC on August 31st. In the standings, they are just one point behind Austin FC and FC Dallas.
So far this season, Toronto has scored an average of 1.2 goals per match, which is 22nd in the MLS. They have failed to reach this average in each of their last nine matches. Federico Bernardeschi is the team's top scorer, as he has found the back of the net eight times this season, which is 34th in the league. He also leads the team in shots on goal, as he has 30, which is 10th in the MLS.
Heading into their match against the Houston Dynamo, Toronto's defense is currently 23rd in MLS, allowing 1.8 goals per match. However, they are coming off a shutout against CF Montréal, who is 20th in scoring. Over their last three matches, they have given up an average of 1.3 goals. Sean Johnson is 15th in MLS with five clean sheets, and he is 27th in saves with 44. Overall, Toronto is 19th in blocked shots and 16th in interceptions.
Houston Dynamo Preview
Through 24 matches, the Houston Dynamo have a record of 10-7-7, which has them in 6th place in the Western Conference. They have won two straight matches and have gone 4-1-2 in their last seven matches. Overall, they have been favored in 13 matches, going 5-3-5, and have been the underdog in 11 matches, going 5-4-2. After this match vs. Toronto, they will hit the road to take on Los Angeles FC on September 1st.
The Houston Dynamo have taken more shots on goal than their season average in three straight matches. On the season, they are 9th in MLS in shots on goal. They are 18th in MLS in goals scored, averaging 1.4 per match. Aliyu Ibrahim leads the team in goals scored and shots on goal. He is 51st in MLS in goals scored and 25th in shots on goal. Amine Bassi leads the team in assists and is 26th in MLS in that category. He is also 4th on the team in goals scored.
Heading into their match against Toronto, the Houston Dynamo's defense is currently 6th in MLS in goals allowed per match at 1.2. However, they are coming off a match against Vancouver where they gave up three goals. Overall, they have five clean sheets this season, which is 9th in MLS. Steve Clark is 18th in saves and has five clean sheets. The defense is 7th in blocked shots but 29th in interceptions. They are also 25th in fouls committed.
Toronto vs Houston Dynamo Free Pick
Looking at how we expect this match to play out, we are going to take Houston Dynamo on the money line at -148 as our top pick. Coming in, Houston has been the better defensive team and we have them holding Toronto to just one goal on two shots on goal. Ezequiel Ponce has been playing well for Houston and is our top projected goal scorer for the match. On the season, Houston is 9th in shots on goal and facing a Toronto club that is 23rd in goals allowed.
- KnupSports.com Free Betting Pick: Houston Dynamo -148
