MLS Week 31 Picks and Leagues Cup Predictions

The playoff picture sees San Diego being the first to clinch, with others like Philly, Cincy and Minnesota being in line to do so this weekend. Meanwhile, teams like Toronto, Montreal and Atlanta can all be eliminated this weekend.

MLS Picks and Parlays #1 

NYCFC vs DC Prediction

It was 0-0 in DC in May, and no road team have won in the last 5 meetings. Bad news for a DC team who is 2-39 on the road and outscored 30-12. 

NYC are one of the hottest teams in MLS right now. They’re undefeated in 5, have won 3 straight and have only 3 losses in 14 league games. They’ve been scoring for fun lately and last week they showed up defensively as well, shutting out Cincy. But before that, they had allowed a goal in 7 straight.

• MLS Picks Today: NYC win NYC to win

Austin vs San Jose Prediction

Their one meeting this season came in the USOC, a 2-2 draw where Austin won in PKs. In past seasons, scores have been 1-1, 4-3, 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 2-2, 4-0, 4-3 and 0-0 in the first-ever meeting. So, basically goal-fests. 

Austin don’t win much, only 2 wins in 8 and none in 3. But they don’t lose much with just 1 loss in 7, but it came last week, losing 3-2 to Montreal. While the season-long stats sqew under and low-scoring for Austin, lately they’ve played in 3-2, 1-1, 2-2, 4-2 and 2-1 games. 

Quakes ‘games are always high-scoring. They won 2-1 last week, have won 2/3 but only 2/10, and the BTTS is 13-0. BTTS & Over 2.5 is 10-3 in that time. 

• MLS Picks Today: Both to Score Both Teams to Score

Toronto vs Montreal Prediction

There’s only a combined 10 wins between these teams (5 each) and only two teams (DC and Austin) have scored fewer than the 28 (MTL) and 27 (TOR) goals they’ve each scored.

At 2.3 GPG for Toronto, only Austin’s games have averaged fewer. Montreal’s average 2.8. 

Toronto is the only team in the East with more Under 2.5s than Overs at 9-18, and 1 of just 5 in all of MLS. Montreal is 14-14. Up that to Under 3.5 and TFC is 23-4 to the Under and Montreal 19-9.

TFC rarely win, but they always put up a fight. They’ve drawn 3 straight games 1-1, 1-1 and 0-0. Only once in 7 games have they given up multiple goals. But then only 1 time in 13 have they scored multiple themselves. 

Montreal didn’t win any Leagues Cup games, but since, they drew 1-1 and 1-1 and then beat Austin 3-2 last week. They’re undefeated in 4 MLS games now, meanwhile in all comps the BTTS is 7-0 and 11-1. 

The games between them have been high scoring this year with TFC winning 6-1 in MLS and they drew 2-2 in the Canadian Championship with Montreal winning in PKs. 

• MLS Picks Today: Under 3.5
• Parlay Picks: NYC win / AUS vs SJ btts / TOR vs MTL under 3.5 (+233) OR go even safer with TOR/MTL for under 4.5 (+168). Just the other two games is +130 which is also good. 

MLS Picks and Parlays #2

Nashville vs Atlanta Prediction

Nashville are just 2 points back of 2nd place Cincy and 4 back of 1st Philly in the East.

When they played in May it was 1-1. 

The Yotes have been strong all season but had lost 3 straight. But last week they were back to winning ways routing a rotated Orlando team 5-1. Surridge and Mukhtar scored twice each and Palacios added a 5th. All 3 of those losses were on the road, but at home, Nashville is 10-3-1 and have outscored opponents 31-10.

Atlanta are the opposite on the road. They’re still winless at 0-5-8 and outscored 27-8. 

In their laat 14 overall matches Atlanta have just 1 win and it came in a meaningless Leagues Cup game. They drew TFC 0-0 last week but the BTTS had been 9-0 prior to that. 

• MLS Picks Today: Nashville over 1.5 

St. Louis vs Houston Prediction

It was only 1-0 Houston back in June, and that oddly, has been the last time they kept a clean sheet in 7 MLS games and 10 overall games when you count LC. 

Houston lost 2-1 to SJ last week and haven’t won any of their past 9 games. The BTTS bet is hot though, being 4-0 and 6-1. 

St. Louis lost last week as well, 3-2 to Vancouver. it was their 2nd -straight 3-2 loss, their 4th loss in 5 games and the 4th time in 5 games they’ve allowed multiple goals. 

St. Louis games have seen a ton of goals with scores of: 3-2, 3-2, 2-1, 2-1, 3-0, 2-1, 3-2, 1-0, 4-2, 3-3, 2-1 and 2-1 going back over several weeks. 

• MLS Picks Today: Both to Score
• Parlay Picks: NAS over 1.5 / STL vs HOU btts (+133)

MLS Picks and Parlays #3

Leagues Cup 3rd Place Game and Final on Sunday.

LA Galaxy vs Orlando City Prediction

5pm EST

LA’s LC games: 3rd in Group A, 2-1-0

• 5-2 win over Tijuana
• 1-1 draw with Cruz Azul and PK loss
• 4-0 win over Santos Laguna
• In the QFs won 2-1 over Pachuca
• In the SFs lost 2-0 to Seattle

Versus the Sounders with a chance to save their season and reach a final, Seattle scored early 7 minutes in and held that lead the rest of way winning 2-0. Once up, Seattle basically stacked the box and watched LA hopelessly pass it around and lop endless crosses into the box that went nowhere. LA only managed 4 shots on target. 

Against Pachuca, LA won but also had only 2 shots on target and were outshot 18-5 and 5-2. 

LA are 7-3-6 in their last 16 and in all comps they’ve scored in 16/20 and scored multiple goals in 7/12. But defensively they’ve conceded in 28/32 games this season.

Pec had a streak of 14 straight games with a shot on target end though vs Pachuca. But he’s back to having 1 in each of the last 2 games. Painstil’s streak of 9 games with a shot on target also ended vs Pachuca. He’s had just 1 since.

Orlando’s LC games: 4th in Group A

• 1-1 draw with Pumas and PK loss
• 3-1 win over Atlas
• 5-1 win over Necaxa
• In the QFs a 0-0 draw and PK win over Toluca
• In the SFs lost 3-1 to Miami

The nil-nil with Toluca was a very rare low-scoring game for both teams. In fact, both only put 1 shot on target. 

Against Miami, Orlando scored just before half-time through Pasalic and held the lead until the the final 13 minutes. Then the Messi show took over with him scoring I noted 77 and 88’, both from PKs and both after Brekalo saw red for Orlando. Segovia added a 3rd in the 91’ and Miami moved on with the 3-1 win. 

Last weekend, Orlando rotated with that game in mind, and suffered their first loss in any match after 8 games undefeated. It was a heavy defeat too, away in Nashville, losing 5-1. 

Orlando, usually plays in high-scoring games. BTTS bets are now 14-1 and 16-2. The BTTS & Over is 12-3. Prior to the Toluca game, they had 4 wins of 2-1, 3-1, 4-1 and 3-1. 

DP, Ojeda’s streak of 15 games with a goal or assist came to an end vs Toluca.

Picks:

LA blew their chance at a trophy this season after a horrendous regular season but a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup is still on the line for 3rd place, giving them still something to cling to this season. 

Or course, Orlando will love to claim a ticket to the tournament as well. They’re the much better side, but the game is in LA and Orlando’s defense hasn’t been great. 

• MLS Picks Today: BTTS & Over 2.5 (-150)

Seattle vs Inter Miami Prediction

8pm EST

Seattle’s LC games: 1st in Group A, and the only 3-0-0 team

• 7-0 win over Cruz Azul
• 2-1 wn over Santos Laguna
• 2-1 win over Club Tijuana
• In the QFs a 0-0 draw and PK win over Puebla.
• In the SFs beat LA 2-0

Versus LA, Seattle went on the road, scored in the 7’ and 57’ from de la Vega and De Rosario and won 2-0. They did so without Musovski, Rusnak and Morris. But, Nouhou saw red late so will miss out. 

Versus Peubla, they had 80% possession and led in shots 11-5. They held Puebla to only 2 shots on target. But … they only put 1 shot on target themselves all game. Musovski also took a silly red so will miss the semis. 

Seattle’s offense was firing on all cylinders last weekend though, as they dropped 5 on SKC and won 5-2. Musovski had a hat-trick, so obviously his offense will be missed this game as the team’s top scorer. They’re also likely still out second-leading scorer Albert Rusnak.

Since going out of the CWC vs PSG, the Sounders have been near perfect at 9-4-1. In 10 of those 14, they’ve scored mutltiple goals 11 times, but they have only 5 clean sheets in that time. 

Miami’s LC games: 2nd in Group A, 2-1-0

• 2-1 win over Atlas
• 2-2 draw with Necaxa, then PK win
• 3-1 win over Pumas
• In the QFs a 2-1 win over Tigres
• In the SFs a 3-1 win over Orlando

Against Orlando, they went down at half, and left it late with 2 Messi PKs and a Segovia goal in stoppage time for the 3-1 win. 

The BTTS bet is now recently 21-5 across their past 26 overall matches. The BTTS & Over 2.5 is 11-3. Miami has just 2 clean sheets in their past 26 overall matches as well. 

Suarez is 3rd in LC shots with 8 shots on target, plus 3G/3A.

Miami leaves it late, but have just 1 loss in 10, August 10 away to Orlando recently.

Picks

• To lift trophy: 
• SEA: -143
• MIA: +105

The game is in Seattle and the Sounders are as hot as anyone. They controlled LA’s stars but Miami and Messi are a different beast. Still, Miami is ‘just’ getting by teams. But their games are always interesting. 

If we go back a month, they drew Cincy, just beat Atlas with a late goal, drew Necaxa, lost to Orlando needed PKs and a late goal to beat Tigres, drew DC, needed late goals and PKs vs Orlando, you get the point. Some betting options include:

• Draw is +240
• BTTS and Over 2.5 is -125. Add Messi SOT +105. Suarez SOT is +125. 
• BTTS alone plus Messi SOT -143, or Suarez SOT -110

• MLS Picks Today: Both teams to score + Suarez shot on target (-110)
• Parlay Picks: LA vs ORL btts / SEA vs MIA btts (+116) bet365

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