Welcome to Round 18 of Fantasy NWSL! We will preview the Match of the Week selected based on which fixture features the teams with the highest combined fantasy points per game played (FP/GP).
North Carolina Courage vs OL Reign:
With a combined FP/GP of 191.27, the match between the North Carolina Courage and OL Reign is the highest ranked Round 18 fixture when considering teams’ average earning performance. Note that the table below accounts for games played through Round 17.
| Fixture | Combined FP/GP |
| North Carolina Courage vs OL Reign | 191.27 |
| Kansas City Current vs Portland Thorns | 189.11 |
| San Diego Wave FC vs Angel City FC | 177.39 |
| Chicago Red Stars vs Kansas City Current | 176.28 |
| Chicago Red Stars vs Houston Dash | 172.52 |
| Washington Spirit vs NJ/NY Gotham FC | 145.22 |
| Racing Louisville FC vs Orlando Pride | 135.56 |
Statistical Comparison:
| North Carolina Courage | OL Reign | |
| League Standing (Points) | 8th (25) | 6th (28) |
| Regular Season Record (W-L-D) | 7-7-4 | 7-4-7 |
| Record Last Five Games (W-L-D) | 4-1-0 | 2-1-2 |
| GF/GP | 2.17 | 1.33 |
| GA/GP | 1.72 | 1.00 |
| Goal Differential | 8 | 6 |
Prediction:
This will be the second and final meeting between the teams in the 2022 regular season. When these teams last met in July, it was OL Reign who emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. The stakes will be higher in this match as each team will be feeling the pressure to secure a playoff spot. Reign currently holds the last spot while the Courage are just three points below the cutoff line. With just four regular season games left to play, the outcome of this game will go a long way to determining who finds themselves in the playoffs.
Entering this match, the Courage look to be one of the most in-form teams in the league. They’ve won five of their last six games with the only loss coming in a wild 3-2 defeat to the first-place Kansas City Current. The squad’s offense has been the strength throughout this run, demonstrated by the fact that their season average GF/GP is now up to 2.17. That statistic is tied with Portland for best in the league. Check out Nick Manser’s Trending Upward article to read how Kerolin has been a key player in the team’s success.
As for the Reign, they’ve been hovering just above the playoff line for a while now. And while not bad by any means, their recent results have been less stellar than North Carolina’s. The defense in particular appears to be less stringent than it once was. Although the team is still averaging just 1 GA/GP, they have been unable to post a shutout against any team since early July. Luckily for the Reign, USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle have been in great form to boost the offense.
With the offensive talent both teams possess, it’s likely this will be a high-scoring game. The Courage especially seem to have a knack for playing in matches featuring many goals. If this match does in fact involve a high number of goals, that would seem to favor the Courage, as they’ve been better than Reign when it comes to converting on their opportunities. And given their recent form and the fact that they’re playing at home, it’s hard to pick against them. Look for North Carolina to collect three points in a closely contested match.