On Matchday 30, we will see Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF visit a refreshed Los Angeles FC that have not played since last weekend. We are also going to be treated to a battle between teams with positive recent results as LA Galaxy host Houston who haven’t conceded in three games since the Leagues Cup.
In Dallas, expect a battle of styles as Atlanta pushes the play for goals while Dallas plays tight and attempts to snipe opportunistically. And look out for all the matches with direct playoff spot implications such as DC United and Chicago, or San Jose and Minnesota.
The playoffs are around the corner, and the battles for spots and home-field advantage are heating up.
Neil FitzGerald here from The Game Day to look at the upcoming MLS matches for Matchday 30 taking place on Saturday, September 2nd and Sunday, September 3rd.
The MLS odds I used for my betting picks are current as of 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 31, at the indicated sportsbook for the wager.
New York City Football Club vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC Preview
With NYCFC’s 2-0 win over Montreal midweek, they have now won twice in their previous 18 league games. This, in combination with Vancouver’s recent positive results suggest this is not a good week to back NYCFC for an outright win.
Vancouver has won four of their last five league matches and have started their seven-game road trip with two impressive victories in Portland and Chicago. While their overall road record is unimpressive at 3-5-3, The Whitecaps' recent form suggests this will be an exciting battle and worth considering support if the odds are attractive.
- NEW YORK CITY FC vs VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC PICK: Vancouver to Win (+250) • FanDuel Sportsbook. The WhiteCaps have figured out their road curse and are playing strong football.
FC Cincinnati vs Orlando City Preview
Cincinnati became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with their impressive come-from-behind 2-1 win away to Atlanta on Wednesday. They continue to be the favorite to win the Supporter’s Shield but will have their work cut out for them versus a strong Orlando squad.
After a strong come-from-behind draw on the road to Charlotte FC midweek, Orlando has only lost twice in their previous 16 league games. The Floridians have only lost once in their last seven, and were it not for Inter Miami grabbing the headlines, they would be competing in the conversation for Florida’s hottest MLS team.
D.C. United vs Chicago Fire FC Preview
D.C. United lost their third match in a row last weekend (3-1 to Philadelphia) and now sit directly outside the playoff picture looking up at this week’s opponent. The team’s xGD (Expected Goal Differential) is better than their actual results on the season so there is some reason for hope.
Until D.C.’s offense starts finding the back of the nest, it’s best to avoid wagering here.
Chicago has now dropped three matches since the break, including a 1-0 shutout loss to Vancouver earlier this week where they only managed three shots on target in front of their home fans. The Fire have not been very strong on the road with only three wins (3-7-2), but a win this weekend would provide some distance between them and their competition DC United so they will not be lacking in motivation.
CF Montréal vs Columbus Crew Preview
CF Montréal lost 2-0 midweek in New York and missed out on much-needed points in the playoff race versus an opponent they needed to handle. The team’s xGD (-6.2) is one of the worst in the Eastern Conference, and while their home record (9-3-0) is impressive, this week’s opponent is too strong to recommend betting on a result here.
Despite losing to a surging Dynamo team 2-0 in Houston midweek, Columbus has only lost twice in their last 12 league matches, and they continue to rack up goals leading the East with 50. The Crew is in a battle for playoff home-field advantage in the East, so expect a battle on the road this week in Quebec.
New England Revolution vs Austin FC Preview
New England bounced back from a lackluster weekend loss 1-0 to Montreal with a solid 1-0 victory over the surging Red Bulls from New York on Wednesday night. While the win was impressive, the large gap between actual (+14) and expected (+1.4) goal differential is a lingering concern. The Revolution should have what it takes to win this week but don’t expect too many goal celebrations in the process.
Austin has lost three matches in a row and are now on the outside of the playoff picture looking up at cross-state rival Dallas above them. They will attempt to get back on track versus the Revolution but their road results (3-8-2) indicate this will be a steep hill to climb.
FC Dallas vs Atlanta United Preview
Before their midweek 2-1 loss in St Louis, Dallas had come out of the break with a road draw and a solid 1-0 home win over Austin. They picked up an early red card in their St. Louis match and were unable to fully contain their opponents after that. Combining their strong defense (28 goals allowed) with their strong play at home (7-3-2) suggests this game will be competitive and FC Dallas should not be counted out.
Atlanta followed up their last two shutout victories [a 4-0 home win versus Nashville and a 2-0 road win in Seattle] with a competitive 2-1 loss to league leading Cincinnati. Atlanta actually held the lead until the 75th minute when Golden Boot contender Luciano Acosta scored his 13th of the year for FC Cincinnati.
This game will be a contest of different styles, and the victor will likely be the team who can play on their own terms.
Sporting Kansas City vs St Louis CITY SC Preview
Kansas City blasted San Jose with 15 shots and 3 goals in a midweek 3-0 victory. This was however only their second win in their last eight league matches. Kansas City is 6-5-2 at home so they will reliably put up a good fight in front of their fans but it’s a tough horse to back over St. Louis this week.
St. Louis City SC remains comfortably atop the Western Conference with a seven point cushion over second place Los Angeles FC. St. Louis have won six of eight league matches and after losing a competitive match to a rising Orlando squad 2-1 on the weekend, they bounced back with a solid 2-1 victory over a Dallas squad that does not concede many goals.
St. Louis has been the most prolific offense in MLS (52 goals) to date, but their expected goals (xG) is only 34.7, suggesting they have benefitted from some good fortune that may eventually disappear.
Nashville SC vs Charlotte FC Preview
After last weekend’s disappointing and shocking 4-0 loss to Atlanta, Nashville SC, and specifically, their defense managed to get back on track midweek when they held Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to a scoreless draw in Miami. Nashville is a strong team building up experience playing in big games, so look for them to take care of business this week at home.
While the optimist would note that Charlotte has only lost once in their last eight league matches and managed four wins in the Leagues Cup, the pessimist could counter that they have only actually won once in their last 10 league games. Despite the mixed signals here, Charlotte is only two points out of a playoff spot and they played well in a 1-1 draw midweek with rising Orlando so expect a competitive match.
Real Salt Lake vs Colorado Rapids Preview
Despite outshooting Portland 14-7 in their midweek match, Salt Lake lost a second consecutive match 2-1 to the Timbers. Before the back-to-back losses, this team had lost only twice in their previous 17 league matches, and were unbeaten in nine. They are one of the league's strongest squads and this match provides a golden opportunity to turn this mini losing streak around.
The Rapids suffered another difficult road loss midweek with a 3-0 defeat to Minnesota. They are now scoreless in their last four league matches. On the positive side, they had only lost one of their last four league games before the break, with two scoreless draws in that stretch. Expect Colorado to play tight and try to find a surprise goal, but this is not wagering territory.
LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo FC Preview
Los Angeles has only lost once in 10 league games, and they came out of the Leagues Cup break with back-to-back impressive wins over Chicago (3-0) and San Jose (3-2), where they are owning the majority of possession and scoring at an impressive rate.
The Galaxy are quietly building momentum toward a playoff spot, and this should be a great battle between two teams with solid recent results.
The Dynamo have come out of the Leagues Cup break inspired and have outscored their two opponents 10-0 over their first three games, including this week’s 3-0 and 2-0 wins against Salt Lake and Columbus, respectively. Houston is 2-8-3 on the road so this match may be tougher than usual, and their opponent is also riding a recent high, making this a tricky one to call a winner.
San Jose Earthquakes vs Minnesota United Preview
Before back-to-back losses this week (3-0 to Kansas City and 3-2 to LA Galaxy), San Jose was unbeaten in four league matches. The Earthquakes have a strong 7-2-4 record at home, so they should make this match a challenge for the visiting United, but their negative (-5.8) xGD (expected goal differential) on the season makes this a risky bet.
After Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Seattle, Minnesota lit up Colorado 3-0 midweek and have now only lost three games in their previous 14. Minnesota is quietly sneaking up on the league, and their expected Goal Differential (+7.8) over the season suggests this team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot and potentially a home playoff game.
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs MINNESOTA UNITED PICK: Minnesota to win (+240) • PointsBet Sportsbook. Minnesota is moving up, and their road record (6-6-1) suggests they can take down San Jose.
Seattle Sounders FC vs Portland Timbers Preview
With this week’s results on the road (1-1 in Minnesota and 2-1 win in Austin), the Sounders have begun to move on from their Leagues Cup challenges and establish themselves as a contender once again. The Sounders xG of almost 40 significantly exceeds their actual results (32) so the goals should be coming and hosting this Cascadia rivalry may be the starting point.
Before Wednesday’s surprising 2-1 win over a surging Salt Lake squad, the Timbers had only won twice in their last 12 games. They did outshoot Vancouver 17-9 on the weekend while controlling 64% of the ball, so there may be hope under the new manager Ned Grabavoy.
Philadelphia Union vs New York Red Bulls Preview
The Union had only lost three times in their last 17 league matches before a disappointing 3-1 loss to Eastern basement dwellers Toronto FC on Wednesday. Philadelphia should be happy to be back at home and ready for a tough and tight defensive match versus the Red Bulls.
Despite competitive play, the Red Bulls lost twice this week (2-0 to Inter Miami and 1-0 to New England). The squad has difficulty finding the net, with only 23 goals scored across 26 league games, but their expected Goal Differential (xGD) of +8.3 is still second in the Eastern Conference.
While the Union are tough at home this year, the Red Bulls have tied seven times on the road this season so expect a tight match with every ball contested aggressively.
- PHILADELPHIA UNION vs NEW YORK RED BULLS PICK: Total Goals Under 2.5 (-115) • PointsBet Sportsbook. Both squads play tight and will keep the goal scoring down.
Los Angeles Football Club vs Inter Miami CF Preview
With the midweek game off, LAFC will have relatively fresh legs as they host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Their strong home record (8-2-3) holds them in good stead as they attempt to make up the seven points between them and conference-leading St. Louis.
Keep an eye on the Miami roster for potential betting advantage as Miami may need to rest some players based on their recent onslaught of matches.
After winning their first league game in 11 attempts last week, Inter Miami came away with a scoreless draw versus Nashville on Wednesday night. This Leagues Cup final represented the first time Miami has been kept off the scoresheet since the roster overhaul.
Inter Miami will have to pass five teams and make up a 10-point deficit in their final league games. While it’s not a likely scenario, it must be entertained based on their undefeated record since the recent roster changes.
