The NWSL Challenge Cup quarterfinals are upon us. For four clubs, these might very well be the last matches they play for months, and with their current roster compositions. As depressing as that sounds for fans of the league, the goal is to enjoy these matches to the greatest extent possible while they’re happening.
The top half of the bracket is in action Friday, June 17, starting at 12:30 p.m. EST with the No. 1-seeded North Carolina Courage taking on the eighth-seeded Portland Thorns. The nightcap pits the Houston Dash (fourth seed) against Utah Royals FC (fifth seed) at 10 p.m. EST. Both matches will be played at Zion Banks Stadium in Herriman, Utah, and US viewers can watch them on CBS All-Access.
Several legal online sportsbooks in multiple states offer action on Friday’s matches. Clever bettors will learn from the four matches each club played in the seeding round. But take those lessons with a grain of salt. The unique circumstances of the situation prompted some unique strategies.
How to bet on Friday’s NWSL matches
If you’re near one of 10 states, you can legally wager on NWSL Challenge Cup matches online; as long as you are of legal age (at least 21 in most states), physically located within the state’s borders (you do not have to be a legal resident of these states, merely in them when you place your bet), and are placing your wager(s) with an operator licensed by that state. Here are the states:
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Nevada
- New Hampshire (minimum age is only 18)
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
Retail sportsbooks in other states, like North Carolina, may offer lines on Friday’s matches as well. The online sports betting brands that are offering lines on these matches in these states include:
- BetMGM
- BetRivers (Sugarhouse in New Jersey)
- DraftKings
- Oregon Lottery Scoreboard
- PointsBet
- William Hill
If you’re new to these sportsbooks; you can register for a new account online in just a few minutes and with a few pieces of information, except for in Iowa. Iowa requires bettors to visit a retail sportsbook associated with the sportsbook app of their choice to complete your registration.
Once you’re registered, signed in, and have made a deposit, you are ready to place a wager or two. That’s when doing your homework on the four clubs in action on Friday is crucial.
Can Portland gather its courage and defy the odds?
At all of the aforementioned sportsbooks, North Carolina is a heavy favorite to win its match against Portland on Friday. BetRivers and DraftKings, who get their odds set by the same service, both have the Courage a -455 favorite as of 8 a.m. ET on Friday. The most forgiving line on North Carolina is at BetMGM, where they sit -334.
William Hill has the longest odds for those wanting to take a flyer on the Thorns getting into the Courage’s side at +1100. While those are tempting odds, the smart money avoids the 3-way moneyline in this match altogether.
North Carolina not only scored the most goals in the seeding round but averaged 11 shots per match in that round. The Washington Spirit was the only other team to amass 20 or more shots on goal. Perhaps most importantly, Portland enters this match with key players like Bella Bixby and Lindsey Horan on the injury report.
There’s no reason to punt this match altogether, however. There are a lot of other bet types, like Correct Score, total goals, and prop wagers.
The Thorns’ attack has been anything but overpowering so far, so it’s easy to be inclined to lean toward the conservative side of the goal total markets. Most of the aforementioned books have positive odds on Under 2.5 goals for the match; with the most attractive line sitting at +142 on PointsBet.
Among other props to like for this match is a +260 line on the Courage going over 0.5 goals in the first half at DraftKings. It might hurt for those wagering on the Oregon Lottery Scoreboard from Portland’s home turf, but that book has attractive odds of +530 on the Courage winning the match 2-0.
High-scoring rematch or another Dash dud?
The late match on Friday is a rematch of arguably the most exciting pairing of the seeding round, which ended in a 3-3 draw between Houston and Utah. There’s reason to believe that won’t happen again.
However, Houston’s league-leading five goals all came in its first two matches, with the Dash struggling to even mount chances its last two times out. Don’t expect Utah to run away with this one, however, as Royals FC has also been shutout in its last two matches.
So who finally finds some offense here? That might depend on how effective Utah is in continuing to play forward, as that was a recipe for success earlier in the tournament. Defender Rachel Daly has been Royals FC’s best weapon to date although forward Shea Groom served up one of the most impressive goals of the tourney so far.
Because of the offensive struggles of both clubs coming into this one, the two clubs don’t have much separation in 3-way moneyline markets. Houston is a slight underdog at most books, with the longest odds of +165 sitting at PointsBet.
While that might suggest you could bet either side and come out ahead; what sticks out the most in this match are markets based on the production from each club. For example, DraftKings has odds of +140 on both sides not scoring in this match and a tempting line of +500 on the match being tied at the half then Utah ultimately winning.
These matches should be exciting but having some skin in the game always enhances that experience. Even if the club you support doesn’t move onto the semifinals, collecting some winnings can soften that blow.
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