Charlotte Independence come into this cup tie with two straight wins, both at home and both comfortable, after beating Spokane Velocity FC 4-0 and Ristozi FC 4-1. They have also been involved in plenty of open games across their recent run, with five of their last seven competitive matches producing more than 2.5 goals and five of those seven also seeing both teams score.
Charleston Battery’s recent away form also points toward goals at both ends rather than a shutout. Their 1-0 defeat at Detroit City FC ended a three-match winning streak, and they have now gone six games without a clean sheet. Even so, they have still found the net regularly, scoring in four of their last five matches and going over 2.5 goals in four of their last five.
The head-to-head record is mixed, but it does not argue strongly against goals from both sides. Charleston Battery won the most recent cup meeting 1-0 in April 2023, yet the teams have also produced a 1-1 draw and several higher-scoring games over the years, including Charlotte’s 5-1 win in 2021. That leaves some tension with a BTTS pick, but not enough to dismiss it given both sides’ recent scoring trends.
Charlotte’s home numbers are useful here too, with the side averaging more than 1.8 expected goals in home league games, while Charleston’s away benchmark is lower but still respectable at 1.3 xG per match. A projected 1-1 scoreline fits that balance, especially with Charlotte scoring freely at home and Charleston showing enough attacking output even when results have gone against them.
My prediction is Both Teams To Score at 73/100. Charlotte have scored in each of their last two matches, Charleston have failed to keep a clean sheet in six straight games, and both sides have been involved in frequent BTTS games recently. The 1-1 projection also leaves room for each team to land a goal without forcing either side to dominate.
