The NWSL doesn’t stop despite the involvement of players in international competitions and we have two matches this Friday. Legal Canadian and US sportsbooks are in on the action as well, with both BetRivers and SugarHouse offering markets on the contests.
There are no overwhelming favorites on Friday at sportsbooks despite some of these clubs coming in either on a roll or struggling. The paired-down rosters and unusual lineups are a big reason why the markets are so even.
How to watch, schedule, and the lines for Friday
All times below are Eastern Daylight Savings and the lines are valid as of 1 p.m. EDT on Friday.
- Houston Dash (+125) at Orlando Pride (+200), 7 p.m., Twitch (Draw +240)
- NJ/NY Gotham FC (+170) at Racing Louisville FC (+135), 8 p.m., Paramount+ (Draw +220)
All four clubs in action Friday are missing players who are competing for their respective national teams currently. That makes for interesting betting when recent form becomes a little less weighty. However, trends are still worth looking at.
Strong recent form of Houston against Orlando
The visitor in this match has dominated its recent meetings with Orlando, having won eight of the last 10 meetings in the fixture. The Dash have scored at least once in all 10 of those matches and are outscoring the Pride 22-8 in the span.
Orlando overcame a two-goal deficit to end a three-match losing streak with a Sunday draw with Racing Louisville at the Daytona International Speedway. It is the second time since May 28 that the Pride have earned a point after trailing by two goals in a match.
The Dash lost 2-1 to the Current in their last match, forcing an own goal in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time to prevent a shutout. The consolation tally was the latest goal ever scored in an NWSL regular-season match.
Ebony Salmon made her Dash debut against Kansas City in the team’s last match and had two shots on target. Salmon had one total shot on target in her five games this season with Racing Louisville.
Can Gotham finally beat Louisville Friday?
Racing is unbeaten in five matches against Gotham FC, with the win coming in the last match between the teams in May. The only other team Racing Louisville has never lost to in all competitions is San Diego Wave FC, a team Racing has only played once.
Despite scoring six total goals in its last three matches, Louisville has collected just two points. It is the most goals Louisville has scored in a three-match span in its NWSL regular-season history and the first time since Sky Blue in 2017 that an NWSL team scored six or more goals in a three-match span without winning at least one match.
Gotham has suffered a shutout loss in each of its last three matches, allowing seven goals in that span. The only other time Gotham FC has been shut out and lost three straight regular-season matches was in July of 2019.
A good measure for this contest will be who scores first: Gotham never lost when doing so, without conceding, but when the rivals open the scoreline, Gotham lost, without finding the back of the net. As live betting goes, this is the perfect one.
