Predicting the 2016 Supporters' Shield winner

With two matches to go for all 20 teams in the 2016 MLS regular season, this year's Supporters' Shield race will come down to the wire.

The Colorado Rapids overtook FC Dallas at the top of the cumulative table with a win on Thursday against the San Jose Earthquakes. The win eliminated Toronto FC from Shield contention and with a maximum of six more points on offer, there are only four teams left who could claim the trophy at season's end.

Here's how things stand with two matches left on offer:

These are our predictions for the 2016 Supporters' Shield:

FC Dallas

While FC Dallas remains perhaps the strongest team in theory, the Hoops are hampered with a busy schedule that sees the club take on an in-form Seattle Sounders desperate for a playoff berth on Sunday before rounding off the season against the LA Galaxy.

Meanwhile, wedged right in the middle on Oct. 20, Dallas has a CONCACAF Champions League date with Guatemalan outfit CD Suchitepequez. Dallas may be chasing the treble but it will take a gargantuan effort here if that dream is to be realized.

Prediction:

• Loss vs. Seattle Sounders on Oct. 16
• Draw vs. LA Galaxy on Oct. 23
• Total points: 57 points

New York, New York

The New York Red Bulls and New York City FC both sit atop the Eastern Conference standings at 51 points apiece and, as such, both teams will need to win out, claim superior goal differentials, and hope the Rapids and Dallas lose their next two matches in order to try and claim the Shield.

NYCFC takes on D.C. United on Sunday and finishes its season against the Columbus Crew next week, while the Red Bulls take on the Crew this Sunday before taking an away trip to the Philadelphia Union to wrap up their 2016 season.

On paper, the Crew present little threat, having already been eliminated from playoff contention, but Gregg Berhalter's side remains a nuisance. D.C. and Philadelphia have yet to clinch playoff berths, and while it may be a foregone conclusion, both teams will be motivated to finish with wins, too.

NYCFC prediction:

• Loss vs. D.C. United on Oct. 16
• Win vs. Columbus Crew on Oct. 23
• 2016 Total: 54 points

Red Bulls prediction:

• Win vs. Columbus Crew on Oct. 16
• Draw vs. Philadelphia Union on Oct. 23
• 2016 Total: 55 points

Colorado Rapids

And now we come to the Colorado Rapids, who fell out of the picture for a bit with a series of less-than-stellar results but turned its games-in-hand advantage into a late surge and now sit atop the cumulative standings.

The Rapids have become Major League Soccer's definition of a grinder team, sitting pretty in first having scored 38 goals, tied for second-fewest this season. Pablo Mastroeni's side has also conceded a league low 30 goals against.

Expect close-margin matches from the Rapids, who take on the Portland Timbers once again on Sunday before closing out the season against Western Conference bottom-feeders Houston Dynamo.

Barring any calamity, the Shield is Colorado's for the taking.

Prediction:

• Draw vs. Portland Timbers on Oct. 16
• Win vs. Houston Dynamo on Oct. 23
• 2016 Total: 61 points, Supporters' Shield winner