Two home sides with the better structure meet visitors who struggle to create and to defend on the road.
Charlotte at home score steadily and face a Montreal side that has won only twice away and has conceded the most goals on the road in the East. Montreal's attack has produced little in recent weeks, and its first-choice keeper and two defenders are out. Charlotte's own back line is thin without its centre-backs and will give up shots, but Montreal has rarely turned volume into goals. The forwards Charlotte lacks have been missing for several games, so that is already in its recent scoring. I expect Charlotte to take control with territory and set pieces and win by a goal or two. That's why I'm siding with Charlotte.
Nashville lead the league and concede under a goal a game. Philadelphia take lots of shots but have let in far more goals over the season, and they lose two forwards for this match, the part of their game that creates those shots. Nashville already kept a clean sheet without their missing defender. A 1-1 like the one at San Jose is the way it goes wrong, but the structure favours the home side to win. That's why I'm siding with Nashville.
