The 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup is resuming after an international break and on Thursday, April 14, 2022, that means opportunities to consider OL Reign betting odds. OL Reign is a heavy favorite at Lumen Field late Thursday against San Diego Wave FC.
Several Canadian and US legal sportsbooks have OL Reign with negative odds on their 3-way moneylines for the match that begins at 10 p.m. EDT on Paramount+. A look at OL Reign’s performance in this tournament so far reveals why that’s the case.
A look at the OL Reign odds for Thursday night
BetMGM, BetRivers, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PlaySugarHouse are among the legal North American sports betting apps offering action on this match. The odds on an OL Reign win at full time are nearly identical between those books.
FanDuel has OL Reign -145 in that market, slightly better than the other books’ -155. FanDuel also has the best action as of Thursday morning for bettors looking to wager on a draw here at +280.
The same goes for anyone wanting to stake a wager on San Diego leaving town with all three points. FanDuel’s line there is +390. Several of these books offer more options for ways to bet the matches than simply the 3-way moneyline.
For example, BetMGM has a total goals market, with +225 odds on Under 1.5 and +230 on Over 3.5 goals in the match. BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse have dozens of options such as a Correct Score market.
At DraftKings, you can bet on props like which club will score first and last. San Diego carries the better odds in both of those markets. The question for bettors, as always, is whether any of those bets are worth part of your bankroll.
That depends on how you think both clubs will come off the break.
Breaking down Thursday’s matchup in Seattle
OL Reign has yet to fail to snag a point in three 2022 Challenge Cup matches with two wins and a draw. This is OL Reign’s first time facing expansion side San Diego. It’s also just OL Reign’s second home match of the tournament.
Meanwhile, San Diego has secured a point in two of its three matches, with a draw and a win. It’s their second away match ever. In both San Diego’s first road match and OL Reign’s first home match of this tournament, the matches ended in 1-1 draws.
For both clubs, those matches were their Challenge Cup openers as well. Since then, San Diego has a goal differential of +3 while OL Reign’s goal differential over its past two matches is +1.
In terms of total xG for the tournament so far, OL Reign is bringing up the rear of the league at 0.1. Their xGA nearly matches that at 0.13, though. For San Diego, the story is altogether different.
San Diego’s 0.97 xG is near the top of the league but their xGA sits at 0.31. Thus, the challenge for both clubs is clear. Containing Alex Morgan and the San Diego attack is a priority for OL Reign on its home pitch.
Morgan is among the offensive league leaders so far, scoring twice on eight shots. As a club, San Diego is fifth in shots and second in terms of shots on goal. Thus, betting this match comes down to whether bettors think OL Reign’s backline can hold them off the board long enough to push across a goal of their own.
