While last weekend was a light schedule, there were still some exciting matches and intriguing results. As predicted, Salt Lake won on the road in DC, and the heavyweight bout between Nashville and St Louis delivered more goals than expected, with Hany Muktar bagging a hat-trick and sole possession of the lead in the golden boot race.
LAFC also found a 2-1 result versus Kansas City to snap their two-game losing streak (both to Houston). Matchday 20 promises more excitement, more heavyweight battles, and a couple of road win opportunities.
Neil FitzGerald here from The Game Day to look at the upcoming matches for Matchday 20 in Major League Soccer.
The MLS odds I use for my betting picks are current as of 2 pm ET on June 19th at the indicated sportsbook.
Atlanta vs New York City FC Preview
Atlanta is unbeaten in six league games, and they’ve only lost once at home all year. They are second in the league in goals scoring with 35 but also match that ranking in goals conceded (29). Look for an entertaining match with Atlanta’s refreshed legs leading to some offensive fireworks.
NYCFC’s struggles continued with a third successive draw in their last game versus Columbus (following two scoreless draws against Salt Lake and New England). With New York being winless in nine now, including five losses, it would be a hopeful wager to imagine them getting a result, and they are winless on the road.
Cincinnati vs Toronto Preview
Cincinnati will look to stay perfect at home vs Toronto this weekend and continue their unbeaten streak of nine. They are pulling away in the Supporter’s Shield race with only one loss after 17 games. Toronto has been showing signs of life recently but has yet to perform consistently well on the road.
Don’t look now, but injury-riddled Toronto is unbeaten in four and have only lost once in their last six. On the negative side, the Red’s offense is struggling and have only found the scoresheet in three of their previous eight games. Look for Bob Bradley to keep searching for the magic formula to generate road momentum and surprise top-of-the-table Cincinnati.
Montreal vs Nashville Preview
Fortunately for Montréal, they are playing at home this week, where they have a 6-1 record and a five-game unbeaten streak. With the team’s consistent struggles to score and a tight Nashville defense, it’s best to observe this game from the betting sidelines this week.
Nashville’s defense leads MLS, having conceded only 13 goals all season, and will look to this strength on the road versus a periodically explosive Montreal offense. This squad has not lost a league game in their last ten, so it should be a tough battle against a Montreal squad that usually performs well in front of their fans.
New York vs Charlotte Preview
The Red Bulls have had a recent run of solid play losing only two in their last six matches. New York has played well on the back end and is tied for second-best in the league on goals allowed (16). If they can find a way to score one versus Charlotte this week, look for them to come away with a potential result.
Charlotte will try to get back on track after only winning once in their last five and conceding seven goals in their previous two games. Taking on a stingy and well-rested Red Bulls team that doesn’t give up many goals will provide a stiff challenge this week, and best to avoid betting on a road result.
Orlando vs Philadelphia Preview
Orlando has only lost twice in their last nine league games but are coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss in New England. They did manage 16 shots toward the net against the Revolution, so look for the team to play with momentum as they keep pushing their way up the playoff standings.
The Union were the hottest team in MLS before a disappointing 2-1 loss to San Jose in their last game. Before that, they were unbeaten in their previous nine league games, with seven wins and two draws. Look for the Union to struggle to take control of this match versus a tough Orlando team but pull through in the end.
● ORLANDO vs PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia TO WIN (+180) FanDuel Sportsbook. With Orlando’s middling home record (3-3-3) and Philadelphia looking to bounce back, this is an interesting wager at the posted odds.
Austin vs Dallas Preview
Austin is coming off a 4-1 letdown versus Sporting KC in their last match and have only won once in their previous four. Look for Austin to build some positives in this state rivalry match and try to avenge their 1-0 defeat to Dallas last month.
The Dallas defense continues to be stingy, conceding only 19 goals to date. However, they are coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss to Portland, where they were outshot 14-5. Look for FC Dallas to make it difficult for Austin yet struggle to get the single goal they will need that will lead to points.
Houston vs San Jose Preview
Coming off back-to-back victories against top-tier LAFC, Houston should be riding a wave of momentum coming in this match. Before those games, they had lost two league games in a row and conceded nine goals. It remains to be seen whether Houston has turned the corner, but playing at home should help versus a tough San Jose team.
Before tying Portland 0-0 last weekend, the Earthquakes held on for a massive 2-1 victory against the streaking Union from Philadelphia the previous week. San Jose is unbeaten in five games but does struggle mightily on the road, with only one road win all season.
● HOUSTON vs SAN JOSE: Houston TO WIN (-110) FanDuel Sportsbook. This is a strong bet with Houston’s strong home record and San Jose’s road struggles.
St Louis vs Salt Lake Preview
Despite being winless in three, St Louis remains atop the Western Conference. They are the most successful offense in the West to date (34 goals) with the largest goal differential in the conference [+14], but they will have a difficult time versus a building Salt Lake squad.
Salt Lake has lost only twice in their previous eleven league matches, and they are coming off an impressive 2-1 road victory versus DC United. This team has been trending in the right direction recently, and with a solid road record (4-3-2), they could make this match exciting and the underdog odds worth tracking.
Colorado vs Vancouver Preview
With a 2-0 loss versus Orlando, Colorado remains winless in their last seven matches and is having difficulty finding the scoresheet, with only 14 goals scored to date. The Rapids are winless at home so far this season, so it’s not a good idea to speculate on a change of performance just yet.
The Whitecaps generated another strong result with a 1-1 tie versus MLS top dog Cincinnati in their last game. This followed a massive 6-2 result hosting usually stingy Houston and a solid 1-1 draw versus Kansas City. As this team grows together, they can be dangerous for opponents and exciting to watch for fans. Look for a motivated Vancouver to keep their strong play going versus Colorado and look for their first road win.
● COLORADO vs VANCOUVER: Vancouver TO WIN (+180) FanDuel Sportsbook. These are two teams moving in opposite directions. Colorado’s woeful home record makes the away odds more attractive
Los Angeles Galaxy vs Kansas City Preview
While the Galaxy are still buried in the Western Conference basement, Greg Vanney’s squad did triumph 3-2 over Salt Lake and tied top team St Louis 1-1 in their recent matches. Los Angeles has only won twice at home this year, though, and their offense has not been able to generate much yet, so betting for a result here would be a longshot.
Despite holding 63% possession and outshooting Los Angeles FC 16-6 in their last game, Sporting KC lost 2-1. However, they have only lost twice in their previous nine league matches, and this is a team moving in the right direction. As both teams concede regularly, look for an exciting match and lots of action around the nets.
Los Angeles FC vs Seattle Preview
Coming off back-to-back league losses to Houston (4-0 and 1-0), LAFC bounced back on the weekend with a 2-1 victory over a strong Kansas City team. They were outshot significantly in the game (16-6), so they appear to continue to suffer from tired legs from all their recent matches. This may be a good game to bet against LAFC while they’re down, but it’s a big hill to climb for Seattle.
The Sounders have won only three times in their last eleven league games and are falling down the Western standings. Seattle did battle to a 3-3 tie on the road in Charlotte most recently, but they will need to find top form against the talent of Los Angeles. This match is difficult to call, so better to lay off here.
Portland vs Chicago Preview
With Portland having won only twice in their eight previous games, their three-game unbeaten streak is a welcome sign. The Timbers are holding onto the last playoff spot now and will look to build some momentum at home versus a struggling Chicago side that has only won once on the road.
Chicago has lost two in a row and has only won once in their last eleven league games. They struggle on the road and are playing a Timbers team with a good track record at home (4-2-2). Betting on Chicago now is pure speculation, so best to wait and watch for a change of form.
● PORTLAND vs CHICAGO: Portland TO WIN (-115) FanDuel Sportsbook. This is a safe bet with Portland’s strong home record and Chicago’s struggles.
