Minnesota United FC vs Sporting KC Predictions, MLS Picks, Betting Tips 8/21/2020

by Guy Bruhn - 8/20/2020

Game: Minnesota United FC vs Sporting KC

Date: Friday, August 21, 2020

Location: Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Minnesota (+116) Kansas City (+219)

Allianz Field is the site where Johnny Russell and Sporting KC (4-0-1, 1st in the Western Conference) will take on Minnesota United (3-2-0, 2nd in the Western Conference) on Friday. The goalkeepers protecting the net will be Greg Ranjitsingh for Minnesota United and Tim Melia for Sporting KC. Sporting Kansas City is priced at +219 while the Loons are at +116. The O/U is set at 3.

The Loons have earned 11 goals for the year, which has them 3rd in the league. They have attempted 62 shots at their opponents goal with 27 on target, which is a 43.5% SOT percentage. Minnesota maintains possession for 43.8% of contests while dribbling successfully 51.6% of the time (23rd in Major League Soccer). They have received 1,624 passes from teammates on 1,920 tries for the season, which makes their receiving percentage 84.6%.

Jan Gregus is a player who can be a difference maker for the Loons. He has totaled 24 assists while tallying 36 yellow card warnings in his career. Gregus has been a starter in 169 contests thus far in his career and has 0.09 goals per 90. The midfielder who is from Slovakia has accumulated 16 goals (132nd among active MLS players) in 15,448 mins. Someone else who should impact this match is Luis Amarilla, the forward who hails from Paraguay. Amarilla has been on the pitch for 3,194 minutes during 33 career starts and has been given a total of 11 yellow cards. He has assisted a teammate on a goal 6 times so far in his MLS career and he has scored 20 total goals. He scores 0.56 goals per 90 in his career (11th among active MLS players).

The guy who is expected to defend the goal for Minnesota will be Greg Ranjitsingh. Ranjitsingh (39-24-15 mark during his soccer career) has earned 32 clean sheets, which leaves him with a 40.5% clean sheet percentage. The goalie from Canada has had 247 shots sent his way in 79 career starting assignments. His goals allowed per 90 mins is 1.03 (80 total goals conceded) and he has earned a save percentage of .700. Ranjitsingh has defended the goal for a total of 6,976 mins and is sitting with 173 saves so far in his pro soccer career.

Sporting KC have had success dribbling 62.2% of the time so far this year while totaling 13 goals. They hold a receiving percentage of 89.5% and they control possession of the ball 54.6% of the time. Kansas City has totaled 2,446 pass targets on the year (7th in MLS) and they have 2,189 completed passes. They have connected on 38.2% of their SOT out of 68 shots.

Johnny Russell should provide a spark for Kansas City. He scores 0.31 goals per 90 mins and has started 186 matches during his pro soccer career. The forward who was born in Scotland has 24,911 mins while scoring 85 goals (14th among active MLS players). He has totaled 24 yellow card cautions so far in his pro soccer career and has assisted a teammate on a goal 47 times. You should also watch out for Roger Espinoza, the midfielder from Honduras. He has earned 11 goals during his career while helping on a goal 28 times. Espinoza has been handed 57 yellow card warnings in 21,484 minutes (242 starts). His goals per 90 average in his career is 0.05 (259th among active players).

Tim Melia will be looking after the net for Sporting KC. Melia has racked up 54 shutouts while defending 754 shots against him in 15,623 minutes in his career. He has earned a save % of .721 and his clean sheet rate sits at 31.0%. He has conceded 1.26 goals per 90 mins while holding a mark of 70-45-60. So far in his career, Melia has allowed 219 goals while he has 544 saves in 174 starts.

Who will win tonight's MLS game ATS?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Kansas City (+219)

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Minnesota United FC vs Sporting KC Predictions, MLS Picks, Betting Tips 8/21/2020

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