It was an eventful week of games last week, with many of the top teams struggling. Philadelphia lost their best-in-MLS nine-game unbeaten streak to San Jose, and Nashville was gifted a 1-1 tie in Toronto on a rare Sean Johnson misplay. Cincinnati, St Louis, and Seattle gave up late goals to lose the wins. Dallas lost, and LAFC was thumped 4-0 by Houston.
Matchday 19 is a smaller schedule but promises excitement and even has a battle of heavyweights in the Nashville-St Louis match.
Neil FitzGerald here from The Game Day to look at the upcoming matches for Matchday 19 in Major League Soccer.
The MLS odds I use for my betting picks are current as of 10 am ET on June 15th at the indicated sportsbook.
New York City FC vs Columbus Preview
NYCFC’s struggles continue as they had their second successive scoreless draw last weekend [versus Salt Lake following a 0-0 result versus New England]. With New York being winless in eight now, including five losses, it would be a hopeful wager to imagine them getting a result, but they are sporting a 4-2-2 home record. Hence, this is a somewhat intriguing narrative.
Coming off three wins in a row, Columbus has some momentum and leads MLS in goals scored (35) as they head to New York. Argentinian midfielder Lucas Zelarayan provided a highlight reel goal from his own half in injury time to give Columbus their latest 2-1 victory in Chicago. Look for The Crew to build continued momentum versus New York on the road this week.
DC vs Salt Lake Preview
Coming off a 3-1 loss in Atlanta, D.C. United has now only lost three league matches in their last eleven games. However, they have only won two in their previous eight. Look for Wayne Rooney’s team to establish some forward momentum back at home this week versus a Salt Lake that is building momentum.
After an unfortunate 0-0 road draw against NYCFC, where they fired 20 shots, Salt Lake has lost only twice in their previous ten league matches. They’ve only won three times in those same games, so it’s a difficult team to invest in, but they are worth watching. Their road record is decent (3-3-2), so they could make this match interesting.
● DC vs SALT LAKE: Real Salt Lake TO WIN OR DRAW (+115) • PointsBet Sportsbook: With Salt Lake’s road record and DC United’s inconsistency, taking the draw or road win is an interesting bet. You could also take Salt Lake to win outright or win, with the tie being no bet for a more significant potential payback.
New England vs Orlando Preview
Bruce Arena’s Revolution are now unbeaten in four games but have only won once in their last six. They did manage to beat bottom-of-the-table Miami 3-1 last weekend, with Spanish midfielder Carles Gil leading the way with one goal and two assists. The Revs have an excellent opportunity to continue their momentum this week at home, where they remain unbeaten.
Orlando has only lost once in their last eight league games and are coming off a decisive 2-0 victory at home versus the Rapids. Uruguayan midfielder Facundo Torres scored again and assisted another to lead the team over Colorado as they are unbeaten in six. Look for the team to play with momentum as they keep pushing their way up the playoff standings.
Kansas City vs LAFC Preview
Despite only 36% possession, Sporting KC beat Austin 4-1 and have now only lost once in their last eight league matches. They will look to continue their strong run of play at home versus an elite but tired Los Angeles squad. Look for an exciting match and lots of action around the nets.
Coming off an unfortunate 4-0 loss to Houston on the weekend, LAFC will look to restart their super strong run of performance in the league on the road in Kansas City. With tired legs from the team’s non-league matches, this may be a good game to bet against LAFC while they’re down, but it’s a big hill to climb for Kansas City.
Nashville vs St. Louis Preview
Nashville’s defense leads MLS, having conceded only 12 goals all season, and will look to this strength at home versus a prolific St Louis offense. This squad has not lost a league game in their last nine, so it should be a grinding battle, with the safer bets being on a low-scoring affair. This battle of heavyweights may be the match of the week to watch.
St Louis remains atop the Western Conference despite a disappointing 1-1 draw versus the LA Galaxy on Sunday. They are the most successful offense in the West to date [with 33 goals] with the largest goal differential in the league [+16], but they will have a difficult time on the road versus the best defense in MLS.
● NASHVILLE vs ST LOUIS: TOTAL GOALS UNDER 2.5 (+112) • FanDuel Sportsbook: With two strong defenses at work here, this looks like a low-scoring affair.
San Jose vs Portland Preview
Despite being outshot 19-10 and 7-2 with shots on target, the Earthquakes held on for a massive 2-1 victory against the streaking Union from Philadelphia on Saturday. They find themselves at home again this week and should have a slightly easier match against an inconsistent Portland squad.
With Portland having won only once in their six previous games, their 1-0 win against a strong Dallas team on Sunday was a welcome sight for Timber fans. The Timbers moved themselves into the playoff picture with the win and will look to build some momentum on the road in San Jose this week.
● SAN JOSE vs PORTLAND: San Jose TO WIN (+110) • PointsBet Sportsbook: With San Jose’s unbeaten run at home and Portland’s struggles on the road, this wager is solid.
