The Leagues Cup kicks off on Friday and you can see picks for those five games here. But let’s get into this weekend’s best bets for Leagues Cup 2024 and make our best Leagues Cup predictions for Saturday and Sunday’s Matchday 1 games here.
Leagues Cup Picks and Parlays #1
Puebla vs Inter Miami Prediction
It’s just 1 win in 4 for Puebla to start the Apertura at 1-1-2.
They started with a win, 1-0 over Santos Laguna but then lost 4-1, drew 2-2 and lost 2-1. The Laguna win is their only win in 16 games and they have just 2 wins in 23 games.
They have a long history of being an “Over” team being 3-1 this season to Over 2.5 totals, 5-1 further back and then 16-4 even further back to the Over.
That should be music to the ears of bettors who have been betting another Over team, Miami, who is 20-5 to Over 2.5 totals themselves, tied for the most with Portland. The 3.8 GPG in their matches is the highest in MLS.
Shield leaders Miami have 2-1 and 3-1 recent wins, just 2 losses in 17, have scored multiple goals in 7/8 and should be a good bet to win or score 2+.
They do concede with BTTS and Over 2.5 being on a 10-0 run.
With Puebla boasting an in-form striker in Lucas Cavallini, ex-Canadian international and Whitecap, who has 4 goals in 4 games and is tied atop the scoring charts in Mexico, that trend could continue.
These teams have never met.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: Miami over 1.5
New York Red Bulls vs Toronto FC Prediction
Both teams are coming off of wins, NY a big 3-1 home win over Shield contenders Cincinnati and Toronto a 1-0 road win away to rivals Montreal.
This matchup has been all New York of late. The Bulls have won the last two meetings 3-0, both in New York, and once this season in June. Further back New York is 7-3-0 in the last 10.
The Red Bulls are also still the only team yet to lose at home this season at 7-5-0, scoring 25 and allowing 10.
After beating Cincinnati 3-1 on the weekend they’re undefeated in 8 with just 2 losses in 14, but have drawn 4 of their past 5 games.
NY has been missing Emil Forsberg but have still found offense scoring in 6/7 and multiple goals in 5/7.
TFC do now have wins in 2/3 and have scored in 6/7 but those are their only 2 wins in 13 and they had conceded in the 10 games prior to the Montreal game, plus multiple goals in 9 of those 10.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: New York to score
- Parlay Picks: MIA over 1.5 / NYRB to score (-133)
Leagues Cup Picks and Parlays #2
Houston Dynamo vs Atlas Prediction
Atlas ended last season 1-1-1 and have started this season 2-2-0 undefeated with 2-2 and 1-1 draws and 1-0 and 2-1 wins.
They’ve now scored in 8/9 going back to last season but have also conceded in 8/9. BTTS is 7-2 in those games and 11-3 in their last 14.
BTTS bets have been on a tear in Houston games as well, a bet that has hit in 10/12 recent Dynamo games. Their last game was a 4-3 win in Vancouver which saw Houston debut new DP forward Ezequiel Ponce.
Houston hasn’t failed to score in any of their last 12 games and has just 2 losses in that time.
These teams have never met.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: Both Teams to Score
Chivas Guadalajara vs San Jose Prediction
Chivas ended last season winless in 3 and started this one winless in 2 (a streak that saw them score only 2 goals in just 1 game in that time) but have now put up back-to-back 2-0 wins over Queretaro and Mazatlan. Not top teams, but then neither is San Jose.
The Quakes are clear Wooden Spoon leaders at 4-2-19. Their 14 points are 9 fewer than the next 2 worse teams.
A 1-0 home win over Chicago 4 games back stands as their only win in any comp in 14 games and that 1 GF is 1 of only 2 GF in 6 games.
If we go back further for Chivas they’re 9-4-2 in all comps. Their games are usually tight. Under 2.5 is 10-1 and there has been a clean sheet for, against or for both teams in 10/11 and 12/14.
These teams have never met.
But there some familiarity with ex-Quakes player Cade Cowell now playing for Chivas. Cowell already has 3G/1A in 4 games this Apertura season.
Chivas also feature another ex-MLSer in Chicharito, though he only has 1A so far this season.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: Chivas to score
- Parlay Picks: HOU vs ATL btts / CHI to score (+104)
Leagues Cup Picks and Parlays #3
On to Sunday’s Leagues Cup matches.
Sporting KC vs Chicago Fire Prediction
It’s 12th in the West hosting 14th in the East here.
SKC drew 1-1 with rivals St. Louis in their last game. So …
SKC have scored in 23/26 and conceded in 24/26. BTTS bets for SKC this season have gone 22-4 in MLS alone.
But also, the BTTS & Over 2.5 has gone 12-3 and 19-4 in recent SKC games. SKC has given up multiple goals in 11/15 and in 15/20 recent MLS games.
The Fire hung around with Miami last weekend losing 2-1 and are a mediocre 4-3-4 in their last 11. Now 2 of those 4 wins came on the road and 1 over Cincy. But they have only 2 road wins all season.
The last time they played was last year in June, won 1-0 by Chicago on the road.
Both teams know they aren’t going anywhere in MLS this year so maybe this tournament and game is a chance for them to come out with a fresh start.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: Both Teams to Score
Club Leon vs Portland Timbers Prediction
Club Leon have just 1 loss in 4 Apertura games, but they have 0 wins, having lost 4-1 and drawn 0-0, 2-2 and 1-1.
Go back to last season and they now have just 1 win in 8.
They have scored in 12/15 but have conceded in 12/14.
Jhonder Cadiz who had a good Copa America with Colombia, is also off to a good start with Leon with 3 goals in 4 games.
Keeping a clean sheet could be tough vs Portland, one of MLS’s highest-scoring teams.
The Timbers lost their last game to another in-form team in the Galaxy, but by a 3-2 scoreline. They have just 2 losses in 11, both by 3-2 scores, having scored multiple goals in 7 straight and also in 10/11.
Between Mora, Evander and Rodriguez Portland has 3 double-digit scorers and at home here were a weak defensive team the Timbers are my pick.
These teams have never met.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: Portland to score
NYCFC vs Queretaro Prediction
Queretaro comes into this tournament in awful form. They’re 0-0-4 to start the Apertura and have been outscored 10-3 with losses of 2-1, 3-1, 2-0 and 2-1. Lots of losses, lots of Overs and lots of BTTSs.
Further back they’re winless in 8 and have conceded a goal in all 8 of those games.
NYCFC are 5th in the East. Away from NY they’re just 3-4-6, but at home they’re 8-1-3.
That mixed form makes for a tough handicap on the Pigeons. At one point they had just 1 loss in 11. But more recently they have just 2 wins in 9. And 0 wins in 4. But they’ve drawn 3 straight.
These teams have never met. Queretaro likely will need to adjust to playing in the odd setup that is Yankee Stadium. Anything looks possible in this NYCFC game. NYCFC to win or simply to score to improve the parlay.
- Leagues Cup Predictions: NYCFC to score
- Parlay Picks: SKC vs CHI btts / POR to score / NYCFC to score (+111)
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.
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