- Recent form: Denver Summit FC have won three of their last five games, but lost 0-3 at home to Kansas City Current in their last game.
- Houston form: Houston Dash have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five matches, losing their last two.
- Home stats: Denver Summit have scored 1.25 goals per game and allowed 1.75 goals per game at home in NWSL 2026 (W1, D1, L2 from 4).
Denver can edge a close game
Denver Summit FC sit 10th in NWSL 2026 with 15 points from 12 games, while 12th-placed Houston Dash have 14 points from 13 games. So this is a close mid-table matchup on paper, but the odds make Denver the clear favorite, with Denver available at 1.62, Houston at 4.8 and the draw at 3.85.
The hosts have won the better of the head-to-head record, beating Houston 4-1 on the road in NWSL 2026 eight weeks ago and they come into this game looking for a win. They've won three of their last five, but suffered a 3-0 defeat to Kansas City at home during that time, so they do fluctuate.
The matchup of styles also suggests Denver may just have the advantage as the possession team can dictate where the game is played and they have the more creative players to make the ball go to the right places. Nick Cushing has set Denver up with a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 system, depending on the game, which has a flexible structure for build-up play, counter-pressing and transition.
Houston have no Sonis
Style and structure
Houston are a more direct unit now that Fabrice Gautrat is in charge, with the French coach's set-up seeing them play a more vertical game where they can counter quickly when they win the ball back. They've got wide runners to make the most of when they do turn the opponent over, but the Dash have looked one-dimensional at times and haven't been quite good enough to trouble the sides at the top of the table.
Form and prediction
So this game is likely to be a cagey affair, but Denver have the better of the form, home record and head-to-head and should be able to edge a competitive game at some stage.
The odds are good enough on the hosts to take them at 1.62, while we'll take Under 2.5 goals and Both Teams to Score – No at 1.87 and 1.82.
- Houston have been opportunistic, but not clinical, with five goals in their last five and the burden of creating and scoring goals being shouldered by Faasse who has two of the five.
- Denver have been more lively in the attacking third in the same period with nine goals scored, but the same is true of them with Sonis having four of those nine in her last five appearances.
- Houston are in mixed-to-poor nick after three defeats in their last five and have lost their last two – defeats to Gotham FC and Washington Spirit.
