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USL Championships Final Odds | When the 2024 USL Championship season was just a month or two old, you would have made a lot of money if you had done some sports betting that had either the Colorado Springs Switchbacks or Rhode Island FC in the playoff finals.
The Switchbacks had just promoted new head coach James Chambers, and his early days were not promising, as the team scored just one goal in its first five games – all losses. They did not win a match at home until May.
Rhode Island was making its debut in the USL Championship and only won one game in its first 14 fixtures. Both of them were sent home from the U.S. Open Cup by teams in lower divisions.
However, since May, Colorado Springs figured things out and has gone 13-2-2 at home, permitting only 12 goals and posting eight clean sheets.
They have a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s final, and they have other winning streaks of four and five games in the regular season.
In their last 480 minutes of play, they have permitted exactly one goal. Rhode Island’s hot streak started on June 22; since then, they lead the USL Championship in goals scored through the regular season and playoffs, and no other team has lost fewer games.
They ride a four-game winning streak into the final. Read on to get our prediction for Saturday’s title game.
USL Championships Final Odds & Preview: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs Rhode Island FC
USL Odds: Colorado Springs +150 / Rhode Island +150 / O/U 2.5
When: Saturday, November 23, 2024, 12:00 pm ET
Where: Weidner Field, Colorado Springs, CO
TV: CBS Sports
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: TUDN
Why should you bet on Rhode Island FC?
Rhode Island FC uses a 5-3-2 formation that has a dominant middle and a frustrating defensive line. Their ability to change the tempo gets the offensive moving forward in a hurry. They might have the USL Championship’s best goalie in Koke Vegas, and he is willing to take risks. This allows the team to build from the back and then work quickly up the field. Their average pass this season moved the ball 7.4 yards; in the playoffs, that number has jumped to 10.0.
Zach Herivaux likes to drift wide in the midfield, and Noah Fuson, the Golden Playmaker of the USL this season, likes to drop low up front. They like to keep their right wing back deeper, allowing the left wing back to take on more of an offensive role. That imbalance helps the team stay in structure. Once they have a late lead, they often drop into a 5-4-1 that is hard to break through. They have permitted just seven goals in their last nine matches, but their shell isn’t passive. Their center backs still close hard and tackle, even near the line of their 18-yard box.
Why should you put your money on the Switchbacks?
Colorado Springs is excellent when it comes to controlling space, rotating and keeping their structure. They roll in a 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing an aggressive approach from the defense and an ability to get the ball going toward the opponents’ goal. Only 16 of the team’s 47 goals in the regular season came from forwards; the majority of their scoring came from their midfielders. Zach Zandi, a defensive midfielder when the team doesn’t have the ball, is allowed to make late runs through the middle to boost the attack, turning the formation into a 4-1-4-1. He has 60% of his team’s playoff goals.
His partner in the midfield pivot, Jamaican international Speedy Williams, usually sits a bit deeper to get passes from the defense and then move the ball quickly to an open teammate. He had almost 67 touches per match this year, and when he moves the ball quickly, the offense is dangerous. The back line sits high and drew 81 offside calls, the most in the USL Championship. They frequently man-mark along the back, using that to generate turnovers and breaks the other way. Even when they have a lead, instead of retreating into a defensive shell, they keep that high back line, keeping opponents from mounting more successful attacks.
USL Championships Final Odds, Score and Prediction for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs Rhode Island FC
These two teams met in May, and Colorado Springs won, 3-1. At the time, Rhode Island’s defense lacked organization, not to be unexpected in an expansion team. They have figured things out and will look much crisper this time around. Can the visitors get touches between the lines and then push through that high Colorado Springs defensive back four?
If so, then Rhode Island has plenty of chances. Striker JJ Williams has eight goals over the last four matches, and he can make runs or take more of a physical approach thanks to his 6’4” height. Both teams come in hot, but I like Colorado Springs to frustrate the Rhode Island attack with that high line.
I predict a final score of Colorado Springs 2, Rhode Island 1.
And now we’re down to #USLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/qCJc2fdjbL
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) November 17, 2024
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