It was an eventful midweek slate of games in Matchday 16, with Cincinnati breaking a modern MLS record with only one loss in their first 15 games and Vancouver scoring a goal within 15 seconds of each half of their game against Houston - one of the best defensive squads in the league to that point.
Matchday 17 promises more excitement with some interesting matches coming up.
Neil FitzGerald here from The Game Day to look at the upcoming matches for Matchday 17 in Major League Soccer.
The MLS odds I use for my betting picks are current as of noon ET on Jun 1st at the indicated sportsbook.
New York FC vs New England Preview
NYCFC lost their second consecutive home game last week against a strong Cincinnati team, and they face another formidable opponent this week in New England. With New York being winless in six now, including five losses, it will be challenging to see them get a result against New England.
Bruce Arena’s Revolution have now not won a league game in their last four after being unbeaten in their previous eight. They needed a brace by Carlos Gil to salvage another tie on the road versus Atlanta in a game where they were outshot 20-5 and only maintained 28% of possession. The Revs have an excellent opportunity to correct course this week versus a reeling New York team, but it is a risky play based on their recent performance.
Seattle vs Portland Preview
The Sounders have won only three times in their last nine league games and only continue to hold the top spot in the West based on extra games played [over St Louis and LAFC]. Seattle suffered a tough 1-0 loss to San Jose on Wednesday despite dominating much of the game. They will look to get the results back on track versus a Portland team that has only won once on the road this season.
Portland has lost two in a row and won only once in their last five league games. The short trip to Seattle, combined with their relatively fresh legs [having not played midweek], will give them a renewed spark. The Timbers are just on the outside of the playoff picture in the West, but it’s too speculative to bet on a turnaround this week.
Cincinnati vs Chicago Preview
Cincinnati is pulling away in the Supporter’s Shield race and has had the best start in recent MLS history, with only one loss after 15 games. They won on the road versus Colorado and New York FC in the last two matches, and they are a perfect 8 and 0 at home, so expect the momentum to keep rolling.
Chicago is coming off a 0-0 tie on the road versus Toronto after two successive 3-3 ties at New England and hosting Atlanta. They were clearly outplayed in Toronto, having been outshot 19-4, and were fortunate to walk away with the point. Don’t expect Cincinnati to miss out on the opportunity for three points here.
CINCINNATI vs CHICAGO: Cincinnati to win (-145) • PointsBet Sportsbook: Cincy’s home record and Chicago’s road record make this an easy choice
Columbus vs Charlotte Preview
Coming off back-to-back losses, Columbus returned home versus the Rapids on Wednesday and came away with a 3-2 victory. Argentinian midfielder Lucas Zelarayan scored again and added two assists as the offense kept firing. Look for continued momentum versus Charlotte in another home game this week.
Charlotte is coming off an unfortunate 1-0 loss to Philadelphia, where the only goal scored was bounced off Charlotte goalie Kristijan Kahlina’s back. Before that game, they had four wins in their last five league matches, so they will want to keep that run of solid play going as they take on a Columbus squad looking to maintain their build some of their momentum.
Miami vs DC Preview
Miami have now followed up their three-game winning streak with a four-game losing streak. Last week, they lost a close 1-0 match at home to the resurgent New York Red Bulls and will now look to change their luck versus a DC United squad that hasn’t won on the road since week 9. So betting on Miami now is too risky a play.
D.C. United has lost two league matches in their last nine games. They’ve won one in their previous six and blew a 2-0 lead at home to Montreal midweek. Look for Rooney’s team to redeem themselves on the weekend versus the last place Miami team.
New York Red Bulls vs Orlando Preview
The Red Bulls kept their recent run of strong play going in Miami and came away with a strongly played 1-0 win on the road, where they outshot Miami 18-6. New York has played tremendously
well on the back end and sits third-best in the league on goals allowed (13). If they can find a way to score one versus Orlando this week, look for them to come away with another result.
Orlando has only lost once in their last six league games and holds an impressive 3-1-2 record on the road this season. The team sits mid-conference just inside the playoff mix, so look for them to play tight and attempt to come away with a road point.
● NEW YORK RED BULLS vs ORLANDO PICK: Total Goals under 1.5 (+230) • FanDuel Sportsbook: With each team’s defensive strength, look for a 1-0 result here.
Philadelphia vs Montreal Preview
The Union have only lost once in their last ten league games but came away with a fortunate 1-0 win versus Charlotte last week based on an opponent's own goal. Look for the Union to take control of this game at home as they reaffirm their strong momentum.
This Montréal squad gave up a two-goal lead to DC United midweek but valiantly fought back to tie the game and come away with a road point. Unfortunately for Montréal, they are playing on the road again this week, where despite this week’s heroics, they have a dismal 1-7-1 record, including six games without scoring a goal.
Austin vs Salt Lake Preview
Austin survived a 22-shot onslaught by Minnesota midweek and came away with a well battled 2-1 win at home. They have now won three of four league games and sit in a playoff position. Look for their home field to motivate Austin once again but be careful about investing too much now.
After an unfortunate 3-2 loss against a resurgent LA Galaxy on Wednesday, where they fired 20 shots toward the net, Salt Lake has lost two league games in their previous eight. However, on the other side of that equation, they’ve only won twice in those same eight league games, so it’s a difficult team to invest in.
Dallas vs Nashville Preview
Dallas has only lost twice in their last eleven league matches and was unbeaten in six before their midweek 2-1 loss at Sporting KC. Their defense continues to be stingy but will be challenged against a strong Nashville team. Look for FC Dallas to make it difficult for Nashville, but getting a result is a tough bet.
Nashville leads MLS, having conceded only 10 goals all season, and they will look to this strength on the road versus a difficult Dallas team. This squad has not lost a league game in their last seven, so it should be an exciting battle to watch, with the safer bets being on a low-scoring affair and a higher odds bet being on a road win or tie.
Minnesota vs Toronto Preview
Minnesota’s three-game unbeaten streak ended in a 2-1 loss at Austin last week, but it was not through a lack of effort as they fired 22 shots toward the net. So look for Minnesota to regain their momentum and start to put up some wins on home soil.
With Federico Bernardeschi back in the lineup, Toronto FC dominated their last match versus Chicago but once again could not find the net [despite 19 shots] in a 0-0 tie. This is the fifth game in their last six that Toronto FC could not find the scoresheet. Look for Toronto to keep pushing but be wary of betting on them just yet.
St Louis vs Houston Preview
St Louis currently sits one point behind conference-leading Seattle with multiple games in hand. This impressive squad is unbeaten in their last three and will look to push visiting Houston around after their disastrous trip to Vancouver midweek, where they conceded six goals.
Before their midweek game in Vancouver, Houston had conceded 12 goals all season. In that one game, they conceded six more, including one goal in the first 15 seconds of each half! This squad remains winless on the road and will have to deal with their shocking defeat quickly if they want to give St Louis a challenge.
ST LOUIS vs HOUSTON: St Louis to win (-120) • PointsBet Sportsbook: Betting on St Louis’s continued momentum and Houston being out of sorts after their 6-2 defeat.
Colorado vs San Jose Preview
Colorado has lost five matches in a row and are having a difficult time finding the scoresheet, with only 14 goals scored to date. Coming home after their latest loss to Columbus (3-2) should help, but this Rapids squad is still looking for their first home win of the campaign.
The Earthquakes won their first road game of the season midweek in a fortunate 1-0 victory in Seattle. They find themselves on the road again this week but should have a slightly easier match against a struggling Colorado group. If the odds are high, they could provide an interesting wager for a road win.
Vancouver vs Kansas City Preview
The Whitecaps followed an unfortunate 3-1 result versus St Louis with a truly impressive six goals against one of the league’s toughest backlines in Houston on Wednesday.
As this team finds consistency, they can be dangerous for opponents and exciting to watch for fans. Look for Vancouver to keep their strong home play going versus a KC team that has only won once on the road.
After a strong 2-1 victory over Dallas midweek, Kansas City has only lost once in their last six league matches. They will look to continue their strong run of play against a surging Vancouver squad.
Look for an exciting match and lots of action around the nets.
VANCOUVER vs KANSAS CITY: Total Goals over 3.5 (+186) • FanDuel Sportsbook: Betting on two surging and exciting teams throwing haymakers at each other for 90 minutes.
