It’s MLS Week 8 and we have 12 games on Saturday and two more on Sunday and before we get into this week’s best MLS predictions, let’s tough on a few storylines heading into the weekend.
Last week we saw 45 goals, good for 3.2 GPG. The Philadelphia Union are the last undefeated team, Orlando City is coming off a bye, while Nashville is the team in on bye this week.
Each of Columbus, New England and Miami played in CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC) this week and only the Crew won and advanced. The Crew’s Cucho Hernandez came back from a team ban of 2 games last week, only to take a red card and will miss out again this week.
St. Louis leads the league in draws (5 in 7 games) and Montreal is finally playing their first home game of the season.
Now let’s jump into this weekend three parlays for our MLS predictions.
Portland Timbers vs LAFC Prediction
It was a big El Trafico win for LAFC last week, 2-1, and they’re now 5th in the West, at 3-1-3.
The jury is still out on this version of LAFC with that record. All 3 wins have come at home and all 3 losses on the road — 3-2, 2-0 and 3-0. They do lead the league in xG and shots on target though.
Portland were nearly run off the pitch in Kansas City, falling behind 3-0 and almost 4-0 if not for a missed PK, but stormed back with goals in the 64′, 66′, 81′ minutes to draw SKC 3-3.
They’re now 2-2-3, with 8 points, in 10th. Things could start getting ugly for Portland soon if they don’t turn things around as they’ve now drawn 3-3, and lost 3-2, 3-1 and 1-0 in their last 4.
They have at least scored in 6/7, with multiple goals in 5/7 and 8 different players have scored for the Timbers with Antony and Evander leading with 3 each.
But the 14 goals against is tied with Chicago for the 2nd worst defensive mark in the league. Only Austin and Nashville own worse xGAs as well.
Both teams won at home last year when they met, LA 3-2 and Portland 2-0. There have been 12 straight matchups between them that have seen at least 2 goals and BTTS is 10-2, so goals are usually in the card when making MLS predictions for Portland vs LAFC.
Portland has scored in 14 straight home game in all competitions and I’m trusting them to get 1 here, plus LAFC give up the 5th most attacking 3rd touches. But not trusting Portland to keep a clean sheet, having given up 3 goals in 3 straight games.
- MLS Picks: Both Teams to Score
New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire Prediction
The Red Bulls are top of the pile at 4-2-1, 14 points, with the most points in MLS. They had a 2-1 road win over Supporters Shield holders Cincinnati last week.
It’s 14 points for New York, and 14 goals allowed for the Chicago Fire, that’s the most in the East and only better than San Jose’s 17 overall. This, despite their rather mediocre showing so far at 2-2-3, 10th in the East with 8 points. Chicago did win 2-1 at home to Houston last week.
It was low-scoring last year between them, 1-1 in Chicago and 1-0 Chicago in New York. They played in the pre-season this year, whatever that is worth, and it was 2-2.
New York is in great form, Lewis Morgan is tied for the Golden Boot lead, while Dante Vanzeir leads the league in assists.
New York has scored in all games outside of a road 3-0 loss in Columbus. Meanwhile, Chicago has allowed a goal in al 7 games, but has scored in 6/7, with BTTS being 6-1.
I’d have to look to the Red Bulls winning here, maybe BTTS, or simply New York to get a goal as part of this parlay for these MLS predictions.
- MLS Picks: New York to Score
- MLS Parlay Picks: POR vs LAFC btts / NYRB to score (-117)
Sporting Kansas City vs Inter Miami CF Prediction
SKC are 7th in the West at 2-4-1 and hosting Miami, 3rd in the East at 3-3-2. This game goes down at Arrowhead Stadium instead of Children’s Mercy to welcome a huge crowd of potentially 72,000 for Messi and friends.
SKC started slow with 3 straight draws, but still have just 1 loss after blowing a 2-goal lead with the Galaxy and losing 3-2. They blew a 3-goal lead over Portland last week too and drew 3-3.
But they have scored in 6/7 and multiple goals in 4 straight. But, they’ve allowed goals in 6/7 too, making BTTS 6-1.
Miami was away to Monterrey in the CCC on Thursday and lost 3-1.
Any Miami game is usually good for goals. They had 2 clean sheets at home in their first 3 games this season, but since have allowed a goal in 9 straight games.
In the only meeting between these teams last year Miami won 3-2 at home last September.
SKC games average 3.1 GPM while Miami’s average 3.5 and I see both scoring to kick off these parlay picks.
- MLS Picks: Both Teams to Score
Vancouver Whitecaps vs LA Galaxy Prediction
It’s 1st Vancouver, hosting 2nd LA in the West here. The 14 goals for that each team have scored are only behind Miami’s 16.
Now Vancouver has over-performed an xG of just 8.4, but LA’s 12.9 is only behind LAFC, DC and Miami. Vancouver only has 24 shots on target, 5th from the bottom, but LA’s 42 are 3rd from the top.
Until something changes, it will be the same story with LA each week. They’re always capable of scoring but also just as likely to concede. Both happened last week in a 2-1 El Trafico loss.
That makes BTTS 15-1 in their past 16 MLS games, with only a water-logged pitch (1-0 win over Seattle) breaking up that streak. The BTTS & Over 2.5 is also 14-2 in that time.
But the Caps too, are filling the net, winners of 4/5, scoring in all 6 MLS games, scoring multiple goals in 4 of the past 5 and scoring in 22 of their psst 25 home MLS games. It’s not just Brian White and Ryan Gauld either, Fafa Picault has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 games.
Last year there were 3 meetings and the scores were 1-1, 4-2 Whitecaps and 2-1 Whitecaps.
- MLS Picks: Both Teams to Score
- MLS Parlay Picks: SKC vs MIA btts / VAN vs LA btts (+144)
Atlanta United vs Philadelphia Union Prediction
It’s 6th Atlanta hosting 2nd Philly in this Eastern Conference showdown.
Philly looks to have shaken off an early exit from the CCC and have now won 3 straight MLS games 3-1, 2-0 and 2-1 last week in Nashville. Outside of one 6-0 road loss to Pachuca in the CCC, they’ve not lost any of their other 9 games, while scoring in every game except the 2 Pachuca games. But take out the Pachuca games and they have only 1 clean sheet, and B TTS is 7-1 in those other 8 games.
Atlanta also got a result away from home last week in a 1-1 draw with NYCFC. They were shut out in Week 1 to Columbus 1-0 and 2-0 to Toronto when missing players (both on the road), but otherwise have scored in 4/6 games.
And when playing at home in MLS, Atlanta has now won 4 straight, are undefeated in 7, have only 3 losses in 21 and have scored in each of those 21 games.
Last year Atlanta won 2-0 at home and it was 3-2 Philly at Subaru Park.
Giorgos Giakoumakis and Xande Silva are questionable were missing last week, so Saba Lobjanidze may start up top. Thiago Almada is still there and Atlanta should still have enough to get 1 goal, but both Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza are on fire with 4 goals each for Philly and should help the Union get on the board too, making both teams scoring our top MLS predictions here.
- MLS Picks: Both Teams to Score
St Louis SC vs Austin FC Prediction
Hands up if you thought that after 7 rounds there would be a combined 3 wins between these teams, and that the team with 2 wins would be Austin?
Both are struggling. Austin finally got some Ws but at home and versus two equally poor teams in Dallas (2-1) and San Jose (4-3) last week.
But it is just 2 losses in 7 for Austin who are 2-3-2.
St Louis knows all about draws, they have 5 of them at 1-5-1. Last week they had a surprising 0-0 draw at home to Dallas.
Surprising because St. Louis scores had been in reverse order: 3-1, 2-2, 3-3, 2-2, 2-0 and 1-1. And Dallas had been 5-0 to BTTS.
Goals rained down between these two last season with scores of 3-2 St Louis, 6-3 St. Louis and 2-2.
That could happen again. It’s hard not to back a goal from St Louis who have scored in 18/22 all-time home MLS games.
In Austin’s last 24 road MLS games, they have 3 wins and have been shut out in 3 of the last 4.
As a single bet, I’d lean towards St. Louis winning or maybe BTTS. But I’m just including a St. Louis goal to bump up the odds a bit with the other pick in this parlay.
- MLS Picks: St. Louis to score
- MLS Parlay Picks: ATL vs PHI btts / STL score (-129)
Ryan Métivier is a seasoned editor, writer and communications professional with years of experience in all fields. When it comes to covering sports, he’s written for numerous outlets and organizations including the OHL, CHL, SportsXpress, Sports Betting Dime, Cleveland.com, MassLive, FanSided and others.
While he’ll always cheer for his hometown Toronto teams, when it comes to betting, his only allegiance is his bankroll. Ryan specializes in global soccer, the NFL and the NHL, but if there is a bet to be made, he’ll make it. As the founder of Shred The Spread, Ryan focuses on combining storylines, trends, analytics and good bankroll management to creating simple bets that make sense.
When not making a case for why both teams will score in an MLS soccer match, he can be found focusing his efforts on fitness, attempting to learn Spanish, cooking or planning his travel adventure.
