Charlotte FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps Prediction and Betting Odds | MLS May 22

Charlotte FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps Betting Preview

WagerTalk soccer handicapper Nick Borrman offers his Charlotte FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps betting preview for Sunday, May 22. Vancouver is still searching for its first points on the road after losing their first five away from home this season.

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Sunday, May 22	MLS Betting Notes
Charlotte FC:	-150
Vancouver Whitecaps:	+450
Draw:	+295
Total:	2.5 Goals (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings)
Game Time:	5:00pm ET / 2:00pm PT

Charlotte FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps Analysis

Charlotte is hosting their third straight match, beating Miami 1-0 before losing to Montreal 2-0 last weekend. They sit in ninth place in the East with a 4-1-7 record and 10:15 goal differential.

Vancouver is at the bottom of the table in the West, sitting in 14th place with a 3-2-6 record and 12:21 goal differential. However, they are on a current three game unbeaten run, although all three games were at home.

Welcome to the Big Show

The newest expansion side, Charlotte FC, has begun the season in a very respectable way and currently sit just two points back of a playoff spot. They have four wins already which is very impressive for a new team, especially considering last year’s expansion team Cincinnati had just four wins on the entire season!

However, taking a closer look at those wins reveals that perhaps things aren’t as rosy as they seem. Two of their wins came against lowly Cincinnati and Miami, both among the worst teams in the league. They do have two solid wins though against Atlanta and New England, but considering they allowed a combined 1.0 xGA more than they generated in those two games, Charlotte was probably lucky to walk away with six points from those matches.

Speaking of xG (expected goals), Charlotte has been outperformed in xG numbers in nine of their 11 matches this season. They are generating the third-fewest xG per game with an average of just 1.03 as they have scored a league-low ten goals.

Vancouver Not as Bad as They Appear

A quick look at the table appears grim for Vancouver as they sit rock-bottom in the West, however, they may not be as bad as their record indicates. I won’t go as far as saying they are a good team, but they are at least as good as Charlotte, and likely better.

xG shows an identical -0.47 differential per game as Charlotte, but they have been much more tested in terms of schedule this season having already played New York City FC and Los Angeles FC, the best two teams in the league according to xG. They have also played Columbus, Montreal, Dallas and Austin making it more than half (six of 11) of their games facing teams with positive xG numbers.

Vancouver’s away record is alarming to say the least as they have lost all five games on the road this season, however, Charlotte will be the first team they have faced on the road with a negative goal differential.

Charlotte FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps Prediction

At the end of the day, these teams are not much different in terms of talent and by the time we get to the end of the season, it will likely be Vancouver who ends up with more points. The Whitecaps have been tested more already this season and should view this as a very good chance to get their first road win, or at least their first road points of the season, which will cash this ticket of Vancouver +0.5 (+105).

Soccer Betting 101

New to betting on soccer? Not familiar with all the wagering options, such as three-way betting and the Asian handicap? What stats should a novice soccer bettor focus on? What are some basic tips and strategies? Carmine Bianco and Nick Borrman joined Kelly Stewart to share some tips to novice soccer bettors.

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Meet the Author

Nick Borrman fell in love with professional ‘football’ (as anyone outside of the United States would refer to it) the first time he attended an MLS match. Now, he uses statistical analysis as well as current trends to successfully find value on soccer matches across the globe. Borrman focuses much of his attention on the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A, as well as the most prestigious tournament of them all, the Champions League. Borrman derives many of his plays from his model forecasts and releases plays several days ahead of time to consistently beat line moves.

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