- Seattle have won five of their last 10 matches across all competitions, giving them the fresher edge for this MLS matchup.
- Austin have won two of their last 10 across all competitions, suggesting they are in a rut.
- Seattle are a 57/50 favourite to beat the 247/100 hosts, with the draw coming in at 131/50.
Sounders should have the edge at Q2 Stadium
Austin FC have begun to look a little out of sorts after three straight defeats, culminating in a 5-0 thrashing at San Diego FC at the weekend. Davy Arnaud's reset has appeared to have put some shape on to a team that had been searching for identity and cohesion, but a 2-1 home defeat to Sporting Kansas City and a 2-0 loss at home to St Louis City have now followed the San Diego setback.
So Austin are 2-0-2 at home across all competitions, but that record fails to tell the whole story as they have not really been imposing their presence on their home turf yet. Seattle are only 1-1-2 on their travels, but their game is better suited to travelling well and they will be looking to dominate the midfield and slow the game to their advantage.
The Sounders come into this one on the back of a two-game losing streak, having suffered a 2-0 home loss to LA Galaxy and a 1-0 defeat away to Los Angeles FC in their most recent game. So it is 1-2-2 for Brian Schmetzer's side in their last five, a better return than Austin's 1-1-3 and suggesting that the away side will have the better edge on Thursday.
Clash of styles could go either way
Seattle's game is structured and predictable with the ball, building from the back in phases and trying to overload the half-spaces. Austin have more of a free-flowing style and usually play with a back four, but their pressing and tempo has been less predictable of late.
Christian Ramirez has been a good foil for Austin's attack, netting two of their five goals in their last five matches, but Myrto Uzuni is their main threat. The Albanian striker has five goals in 13 MLS appearances and could be the difference if Austin's final third is flat on Thursday.
A goalfest is expected in this clash, with Both Teams To Score at 29/50 and Over 2.5 Goals at 19/25. But Seattle have scored just two goals in their last four away across all competitions, while Austin have scored six in their last four at home, so a tight game with a couple of goals seems plausible and Seattle look the best bet to avoid the upset.
