Denver Summit FC continue their push toward an NWSL playoff spot when they host Bay FC tonight at Centennial Stadium at 9:30 PM ET.
The expansion club enters at 8-8-7 with 31 points, sitting 10th and just two points behind ninth-placed Angel City. Denver played Angel City to a wild 3-3 draw Friday after surrendering a two-goal second-half lead.
Yuzuki Yamamoto and Lindsey Heaps scored only 59 seconds apart immediately after halftime before Janine Sonis made it 3-1 in the 61st minute. The two rapid-fire goals were the fastest by one team in the same half in NWSL history.
Denver had previously crushed Chicago 6-1 and stunned Gotham FC 3-0, giving the Summit 12 goals during a three-match unbeaten streak.
Bay FC enters at 6-13-4 with 22 points and sits 15th. The club has dropped three straight, including Saturday's 2-0 loss at Seattle. Sofia Huerta broke a scoreless tie with a penalty before Brittany Ratcliffe added a stoppage-time goal.
The team does have one important advantage in the matchup's brief history.
They beat Denver 2-1 in the season opener on March 14. Alex Pfeiffer scored and assisted Joelle Anderson's winner after Melissa Kossler scored the first goal in Summit history. Denver played most of the match with 10 players after Sonis was sent off in the 27th minute.
Can Denver avenge that defeat and move closer to the playoff line?
Read below to find out our experts' picks and predictions.
Denver Summit FC vs. Bay FC betting picks and predictions
Denver Summit to win (-182)
Recent form makes Denver the more attractive side.
The Summit have scored six, three and three goals over their last three matches. Yamamoto has scored in all three, including Denver's first goal against Angel City. She also assisted during the 6-1 rout of Chicago after joining Denver from Tokyo Verdy Beleza in July.
Sonis has been Denver's most productive scorer overall. The veteran Canadian has 10 goals and four assists in 22 appearances, including Friday's goal against Angel City.Heaps provides another threat. The Colorado native scored her first Summit goal against Angel City after previously contributing two match-winning assists since joining the club this summer.
Bay City’s problem is finding the net consistently.
The club has scored just once during its three-game losing streak, with Karlie Lema providing the lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Kansas City on Sept. 4. Bay was then shut out by Seattle.
Cristiana Girelli remains one of the players Denver must account for. The Italian has led the team in total shots since its Aug. 23 victory over Houston, when she scored her first NWSL goal. Racheal Kundananji also returned to the starting lineup Saturday and remains a threat in transition.
The team is also in a demanding portion of its schedule. Tonight is its second of three matches in nine days, with Racing Louisville coming to San Jose Sunday.
Denver should have enough attacking options to take advantage. Take the Summit to win.
Total Over 2.5 goals (-200)
Denver's recent offensive explosion makes the Over appealing even at cramped odds.
The Summit's last three games have produced seven, three and six total goals, and Denver has accounted for 12 of the 16.
It has hardly been one player carrying the load. Kossler scored twice against Chicago, Yamamoto has scored in three straight, Olivia Thomas scored against both Chicago and Gotham, Ryan found the net against Gotham, and Sonis and Heaps scored Friday.
Denver has also demonstrated that it can be vulnerable despite its attacking form.
The Summit allowed Angel City to erase a 3-1 deficit Friday, conceding in the 63rd minute and again from the penalty spot in the 74th. Denver has allowed 30 goals in 23 league matches this season.
Bay hasn't been producing much offense recently, but it has already scored twice against Denver this season. That March meeting is difficult to use as a direct comparison because Denver played more than an hour with 10 players, but Bay demonstrated it can create opportunities against this opponent.
With Denver in its best scoring form of the season, three goals are well within reach even if Bay contributes only one.
Look for Denver to win, 3-1. Take the Over
Read more betting picks and predictions for soccer on site.
Denver Summit FC vs. Bay FC odds
Denver Summit FC | -182 |
Tie | +300 |
Bay FC | +333 |
Read the latest soccer news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
