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The Vancouver Whitecaps (0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses) welcome Charlotte FC (1-0-0) to BC Place Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (Apple TV). Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Charlotte FC odds, and make our best expert MLS picks and predictions.
Vancouver is the only team in the MLS that has yet to play a game this season. The Whitecaps had a strong 2023 season, finishing 6th in the Western Conference with a 12-12-10 record. They ended with a +7-goal differential. Vancouver was 8-6-3 at home and will be led by its leading scorer, from a year ago in F Brian White, who had 15 goals last season.
Charlotte FC won its season opener 1-0 at home vs. NYCFC 1-0. It was a strong effort from Charlotte, ending the game with 4 times as many expected goals. D Adilson Malanda scored the lone goal in the win. Charlotte finished 9th last season in the Eastern Conference, being eliminated in the Wild Card round by the New York Red Bulls.
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Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Charlotte FC odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 4:53 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Vancouver Whitecaps -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Charlotte FC +290 (bet $100 to win $290) | Draw +270
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -136 | U: +112)
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Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Charlotte FC picks and predictions
Prediction
Vancouver Whitecaps 2, Charlotte FC 1
Moneyline (ML)
LEAN VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (-120).
Going on the road is never easy and being about 3,000 miles away from home makes things even tougher. Charlotte hasn’t been in the league for a long time and struggled last season on the road, posting just a 4-5-8 road record. It won against NYCFC last week but had just 38% possession.
Vancouver is returning White and has yet to play this season, so it should be rested and well-supported by its home crowd. The Whitecaps won 12 games at home last season while Charlotte struggled on the road.
For this value, BACK VANCOUVER (-120).
Over/Under (O/U)
BET OVER 2.5 (-136).
Charlotte’s defense didn’t get much better than it was a season ago when it allowed 1.53 goals per game, while the Whitecaps attack netted 1.62 goals per game. The reason Vancouver could score that frequently but not be a top-5 team was its defense, one which yielded 1.41 goals per game.
Neither team defended well last season, and although Charlotte held NYCFC scoreless in this season’s opener, Vancouver should capitalize on those opportunities like it did a season ago. Expect a high-scoring game in Canada Saturday.
TAKE OVER 2.5 (-136).
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