Before players head into the international break for qualifying tournaments in America and the EUROS, three NWSL matches fill the soccer betting action on Sunday.
The fathers of these players might only be able to wager on two of Sunday’s matches, however. Clever bets could make for nice Father’s Day payouts.
How to watch, the lines, and schedule for Sunday
All times below are Eastern Daylight Savings and bettors can watch all three matches on Paramount+. The lines are from BetMGM and valid as of 10 a.m. EDT on Sunday.
- Orlando Pride (+450) at Portland Thorns FC (-200), 3 p.m. (Draw +290)
- San Diego Wave FC at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 4 p.m.
- Houston Dash (+260) at North Carolina Courage (-105), 5 p.m. (Draw +210)
As of right now, markets are unavailable for the Gotham-Wave match. In the other two matches, the huge gaps in the markets come from the recent form in the series.
Portland looks to continue success against Orlando
Portland has won nine times and lost only twice against Orlando in 13 regular-season matches. Since Orlando joined the league in 2016, Portland has won more games against only one other club in regular-season play.
The Thorns have scored multiple goals in four straight appearances as well. If they score multiple times against the Pride, it will be the first time Portland has scored multiple goals in five straight in a single NWSL regular season.
To make matters worse for Pride supporters, Orlando has gone scoreless in its last two matches. The club has only been shut out in three consecutive tests once in its history, though.
Sophia Smith has put 16 shots on target this season, second only to Mallory Pugh’s 17 shots on target. At the same time, Pride keeper Erin McLeod has seen the most shots on target from outside the box (14) and has allowed the most goals from outside of the box (four) among NWSL keepers this season.
Kurtz and the Courage try to reverse recent fortunes against Dash
Houston is unbeaten in its last four matches against North Carolina, including a 1-1 draw on May 29. North Carolina won eight of the first nine meetings of these clubs, though, including the first five at home.
The Courage have won consecutive matches after opening the regular season with one point from its first four appearances, scoring three times in both wins. North Carolina had scored three or more goals just twice in their last 25 regular season matches before doing so in two straight.
The Courage’s Kaleigh Kurtz has scored in consecutive games after not scoring in any of her first 40 NWSL regular season appearances. Kurtz had not even recorded a shot on target in any of her first 40 league matches.
Both of Houston’s regular-season losses in 2022 have come at home as the Dash are unbeaten in four away matches. This equals the longest road unbeaten streak in the Dash’s NWSL history.
