2024 MLS Cup Playoff Round: Wild Card Round Schedule, Predictions and Odds | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The last two places in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs will be determined by Wednesday evening.

The Wild Card round begins Tuesday when No. 8 CF Montreal takes on No. 9 Atlanta United in a winner-take-all match with a ticket to the first round of the Eastern Conference on the line.

The following evening, the No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the No. 9 Portland Timbers battle it out in Oregon for the final playoff spot in the West.

Here’s everything you need to know before these Wild Card matches begin.

Schedule for the 2024 MLB Cup Wild Card Round

Atlanta United at CF Montreal

Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET.

Transmitted: Apple TV (free)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Portland Timbers

Start time: 10:30 p.m. ET.

Transmitted: Apple TV (MLS Season Pass)

Montreal will enter this game as the favorite, in part due to the winning streak it enters the matchup on, having gone 5-1-1 with three shutouts in its last seven games.

Atlanta, on the other hand, made it into the Wild Card round thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over Orlando and secured the last place in the East with Charlotte FC’s win over DC United and FC Cincinnati’s win over Philadelphia Union.

Montreal has two wins against Atlanta this season, following a 1-0 home win in July and a 2-1 away win in their push for the playoffs in October.

The hosts’ chances of extending that record to 3-0 may depend on goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois and the Montreal defense, which combined to keep the visitors clean for 325 minutes at the Stade Saputo.

Josef Martínez is also a player to keep an eye on before the duel. He has scored six goals in five games, including a game-winning goal in a 2-0 Decision Day loss to New York City.

Montreal may have gotten the better of Atlanta so far this season, but the visitors will be hoping to upset their hosts with the offense of players like Saba Lobjanidze and the better goaltending of Brad Guzan.

The 40-year-old goaltender, who has consistently been his team’s best player this season, tied his own franchise record with nine saves against Orlando, helping Atlanta earn a shot at the Wild Card Round.

Vancouver enters the Wild Card matchup with the higher seed, but will have to travel to Portland for its biggest game of the season due to a scheduling conflict with the 2024 Supercross World Championships.

The good news for Vancouver is that the team actually performed better away from home (7-6-4) during the MLS regular season than at home (6-7-4).

However, both teams had problems in the final stages of the season. Vancouver went winless in seven straight games and suffered four straight defeats, most recently a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Portland has been winless five times in a row, most recently against the Seattle Sounders with a draw on Saturday.

Despite the recent slump, the Timbers finished the regular season as one of the highest-scoring clubs in MLS, with Felipe Mora, Evander and Jonathan Rodriguez each scoring at least 14 goals.

Vancouver’s chances of advancement could depend entirely on the Whitecaps’ defense. But after Vancouver’s midfielders struggled to limit Salt Lake City’s chances of avoiding the Wild Card round last weekend, the Timbers could have a chance to pull off an upset and earn a ticket to the first round to secure.

Montreal and Atlanta will compete for the chance to face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF starting October 25th, while Vancouver or Portland will face Denis Bouanga and LAFC in a series starting October 27th.