We are officially entering the busy part of the season where there will be multiple weeks with more than one game per week. As such, MLS Matchday 13 will prove to be a true test of each team’s fitness and depth.
Atlanta vs Colorado Preview
Coming off three losses in a row, including a tough 3-1 loss to Charlotte, Atlanta will attempt to bounce back against a Colorado side that has been playing competitively on the road.
While Atlanta still sits fourth in the conference, they’ve only won once in their last six games. Colorado, on the other hand, sits just outside the playoff picture in the West and has only lost once in their last eight league games.
Based on recent form, take the road win or a tie for Colorado and enjoy the Rapids’ offense coming alive versus one of the league’s worst defenses.
Atlanta vs Colorado Pick: Colorado Win or Tie • PointsBet (+120)
Charlotte vs Chicago Preview
Charlotte is coming off a three-goal performance and 3-1 victory over Atlanta and has won three times in their last four league matches. They have a chance to move into a playoff spot if they can keep this momentum.
Chicago is also just on the outside of the playoff race and looking to build on their two wins against St. Louis last week (1-0 in league play and 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup). They were surely motivated playing under a new coach last week.
Looking at Charlotte’s recent goal-scoring momentum along with their porous defense, take the total goals Over 2.5 line.
Charlotte vs Chicago Pick: Over 2.5 Total Goals • PointsBet (-125)
Cincinnati vs Montréal Preview
Coming off a 1-0 win over NYCFC in the US Open Cup, Cincinnati continues to be one of the strongest teams in the league. They’ve only lost once all season, and they have the most points per game in the MLS.
Montréal’s 2-0 win over Toronto extends their league winning streak to four and, more impressively, continues their streak of four clean sheets (all 2-0 scores). It should be noted, however, that all four victories came against teams out of the playoff picture.
Cincinnati is undefeated at home, they are potentially the top team in the league, and Montréal’s win streak should generate an improved return here. Take Cincinnati for the win.
Cincinnati vs Montréal Pick: Cincinnati to Win • PointsBet (-150)
Columbus vs LA Galaxy Preview
Coming off a strong 2-2 game versus Orlando that ended with a tough injury-time goal against, Columbus looks to register a win for the first time in five weeks against the basement-dwelling LA Galaxy. Playing at home should give them the required edge.
Greg Vanney’s Galaxy are coming off their best week of the season with a 2-1 upset win in the Cali Classico over San Jose and a 3-1 upset win over Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup. If you’re looking for longer odds, it might be time to try and catch lightning in a bottle. But they are longer odds for a reason.
Orlando vs New York City Preview
Orlando’s Duncan McGuire came off the bench last week and scored an injury-time equalizer to earn Orlando a road tie (2-2) versus Columbus. The result was positive, but the game stats suggest they may have been fortunate to earn that result.
NYCFC dropped just out of the playoff picture thanks to three successive losses to lower-ranked teams (Charlotte, Toronto FC and the Red Bulls).
They’ll be looking to bounce back this week versus a conference rival, but they are winless on the road. All these mixed signals suggest it would be best to avoid rolling the dice on this match up.
Philadelphia vs D.C. United Preview
The Union have only lost once in their last six league games, although they only played one team (Cincinnati) not buried in the table in those five games…and that was the game they lost. They did win 2-1 over Colorado over the weekend, but they only had two shots on target. These mixed signals lead me to pause before investing.
After a tough mid-week loss to the Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup, D.C. United rebounded this weekend to tie (1-1) a tough Nashville side and even scored a goal against their top defense. Watch this time to see how their identity evolves, but avoid the betting lines on this tough-to-call game.
Toronto vs New York Red Bulls Preview
After two rivalry losses to CF Montréal last week, Bob Bradley’s Reds find themselves at the bottom of the table. While they continue to suffer an unprecedented string of injuries across their defense and midfield, it’s difficult to see a turning point in the near future.
Last week, the Red Bulls won both their rivalry league game vs NYCFC and their U.S. Open Cup match against D.C. United. Look for them to keep the momentum going on the road in Toronto, but based on their anemic offense to date, avoid chasing this short streak.
Dallas vs Vancouver Preview
FC Dallas has only lost once in the last six weeks during MLS play. Their home record includes only a single Week 1 loss, and they have played tight all season having only conceded 11 goals while scoring just 13.
Vancouver is coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss to Portland after having been unbeaten in the previous eight league games. They will look to rebound this week against a team just above them in the Western Conference playoff picture.
With both teams fairly solid on the back end and both offenses being close to league average, this game presents an interesting opportunity to bet on the tie.
Dallas vs Vancouver Pick: Tie • FanDuel (+250)
Minnesota vs Houston Preview
Minnesota is coming off a tough 3-0 loss in Kansas City and is in the midst of a difficult run with only one tie in their last six league games. They’ve also been kept off the scoresheet in three of those six contests.
Houston will be looking to make up the points they lost to the Western Conference-leading Sounders at home in last week’s 1-0 loss. They play very tight, having only conceded nine goals all season while scoring 10.
Look for this game to be played very tightly with little to show on the scoreboard.
Minnesota vs Houston Pick: Under 2.5 Total Goals • PointsBet (+105)
Nashville vs Miami Preview
With Nashville SC having only lost one match in their last seven league games, they are looking to continue their strong run at home against Miami this week. Look for them to continue their league-leading defensive play while working for the goal or two to secure the win.
Josef MartÃnez scored again in last week’s 2-1 win over conference-leading New England, giving Miami a three-week winning streak. This will be a tough defense to break down on the road, and with Miami only winning once away from home, it’s a difficult game to back Miami on.
Salt Lake vs Portland Preview
Salt Lake’s recent 3-1 loss to LAFC likely looks worse than the game would have suggested, with the team sharing possession evenly and generating 20 shot attempts. This week, the team will look to continue their strong play against Portland, one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
The Timbers shirked aside their injury concerns last week and looked solid in a 3-1 win versus Vancouver. They have only lost once in the last five league games (to a strong Cincinnati team), so this game is shaping up to be a battle that may be too tight to call a winner on.
LAFC vs Kansas City Preview
To many people’s surprise, Sporting KC is on a two-game winning streak, coming off league victories against Minnesota and Seattle. Continuing this momentum on the road versus a very strong Los Angeles team is however a big ask.
Denis Bouanga found the net again in LAFC’s recent 3-0 win over Real Salt Lake and leads the league with nine goals. Look for him around the net again this week as Los Angeles looks to grab three points in their pursuit of conference-leading Seattle.
LAFC vs Kansas City Pick: LAFC to Win • PointsBet (-190)
Seattle vs Austin Preview
While still sitting on top, the Sounders have won only twice in their last five games. Although last week’s 1-0 win in Texas over a stingy Houston team does bode well for a turn in momentum.
Austin has not won since Week 3 of the season, and they are coming off a tough 1-0 loss to state rival Dallas FC. Going on the road into Seattle against a Sounders squad conceding an average of just two goals per game is going to be a tall hill to climb.
Seattle vs Austin Pick: Seattle to Win • PointsBet (-160)
