MLS Betting Advice: Playoffs Could Become More Clear
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There are just 10 games left in the Major League Soccer regular season before the playoffs take center stage.
This week could be arguably the biggest to date for the fight to get into the top seven, and we’ve put together our MLS betting advice for this weekend’s action.
Game of the Week
Real Salt Lake +300 at Seattle Sounders -125
Real Salt Lake is coming off an alarming 4-1 loss to Los Angeles FC, dropping it to two points from being out of the playoffs. RSL will play against the team just outside the playoff places that is ready to jump into the top seven: Seattle Sounders.
Seattle’s performances over the past two months have been excellent and it has shot it up the Western Conference standings. What’s more, despite losing to Atlanta last time out, it is still in contention to get a playoff spot if it can win here.
What also makes this game so appealing is how close both teams are in the stats and standings. Salt Lake has won only nine matches compared to 10 for Seattle. But the Sounders have 12 losses and Real Salt Lake has eight. Both teams have scored 31 goals each from 24 MLS games.
Simply put, whoever wins this game will be in the playoffs at the end of the week. It makes this an easy choice for the best game of the week to watch.
Salt Lake to beat Seattle 2-1 is +1200 with DraftKings.
Best Bet of the Week
New York City +120 at Inter Miami +190
New York City heads into this game, trailing the Philadelphia Union by three points. This does come because of the game in hand NYCFC has. But after its first defeat in seven games, it has not won a match since actually beating Inter Miami three weeks ago.
New York got all three points against Miami at Yankee Stadium on July 24, but it followed that up with a 0-0 tie with Montreal and a 3-2 loss to Columbus Crew. Miami is the last team New York beat in that 2-0 victory and the Pigeons should be confident in getting the win here.
Miami is desperate for a win right now. It is still outside of the playoff spots, although it is level on points with seventh place and can move into the playoffs with a win here.
It’s one of the biggest games of the season for both teams, and we think New York should get the win, just as it did against Miami only three weeks back. New York is also still 12 points ahead of Phil Neville’s team in the overall standings.
New York to beat Miami 2-0 is +1300 FanDuel.
Team of the Week Last Week
LAFC
Will anything stop Los Angeles this season? There wasn’t much of an answer to that question a month ago, then it added Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini. Now, it looks unbeatable.
Los Angeles won 4-1 at Salt Lake 4-1 in its last game, and it has now put itself ahead of second-place Austin by six points with an extra game to play. What's more, it now leads fifth-place Salt Lake by 17 points.
Bale stole the headlines once again in the win over RSL following his stunning solo goal that makes it two goals in four MLS games for him. Cristian Arango also netted twice, as Kellyn Acosta scored in the first half.
LAFC is an easy choice for the team of the week.
LAFC to beat Charlotte 3-0 this week is +950 with FanDuel.
Player of the Week Last Week
Gyasi Zardes, Colorado Rapids
If you score a hat-trick, you will likely be the player of the week. Gyasi Zardes did precisely that.
The U.S. men’s national team forward has been named MLS Player of the Week for Week 24, and we agree after his three goals in the 4-3 over Minnesota United.
Zardes scored twice inside the first 15 minutes. Then, he scored the winner in the 61st minute and is an easy choice for the player of the week.
Zardes to score first is +410 with FanDuel.
Hardest Game to Call
Atlanta United +220 at Cincinnati +100
Cincinnati and Atlanta United will meet at the TQL Stadium this weekend in what could be the biggest league-altering match of the week. Despite just four points separating the two teams, there is a gap of six places in the Eastern Conference as Cincinnati sits inside the playoffs and Atlanta is two points from the bottom.
However, if Atlanta wins, it could move into the playoffs and only a point behind its opposition here if other results also go its way.
What makes this game even tougher to call is how Cincinnati has recently been involved in very high-scoring games. Two weeks ago, Cincinnati tied 4-4 with Miami, before it beat the Union 3-1. Atlanta defeated Seattle 2-1 in its last game and kept up its trend of over 2.5 goals.
It all adds up to an enticing battle in Ohio this weekend, and although the result is tough to call, goals should fly in.
Both teams to score is -190 with DraftKings and a 2-2 draw is +1200.
Throw Ins
These are some other bets worth a look on this week’s schedule:
- Austin to beat Kansas City 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 is +225 at BetMGM.
- Montreal to win and Houston to score is +375 at PointsBet.
- New England to beat D.C. United 2-0 is +850 at FanDuel.
- Lorenzo Insigne to score first against Portland is +500 at DraftKings.
- Three goals in the game between Orlando and New York Red Bulls is +295 Caesars.
Power Rankings
- LAFC ↔
- Philadelphia Union ↔
- Austin FC ↔
- New York City FC ↑
- Montreal ↑
This Week’s Schedule with Moneylines (All Times Eastern)
Saturday
- Orlando City (+340) at New York Red Bulls (-145), 6 p.m
- Portland Timbers (+260) at Toronto (-120), 7: 30 p.m.
- D.C. United (+390) at New England (-175), 7:30 p.m.
- Chicago Fire (+220) at Philadelphia Union (-140), 7:30 p.m.
- Atlanta United (+220) at Cincinnati (+100), 7:30 p.m.
- New York City (+120) at Inter Miami (+190), 8 p.m.
- Sporting Kansas City (+440) at Austin (-210), 9 p.m.
- Columbus Crew (+240) at Colorado Rapids (-110), 9 p.m.
- San Jose (+340) at Dallas (-150), 9 p.m.
- Montreal (+165) at Houston Dynamo (+140), 9 p.m.
- Vancouver Whitecaps (+420) at LA Galaxy (-185), 10 p.m.
- Charlotte (+600) at Los Angeles FC (-300), 10:30 p.m.
Sunday
- Minnesota United (+280) at Nashville (-115), 9 p.m.
- Real Salt Lake (+300) at Seattle Sounders (-125), 10 p.m.
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