MLS Matchday 24, sees a full weekend slate of 15 games with the bulk on Saturday, as only NYC vs Nashville takes place on Friday night. It’s an exciting game as Nashville is on a record-setting pace with more points (52) than any team has ever had after 22 games after winning 4–0 last week. Both Mukhtar and Surridge scored last week and Espinoza added to his league-leading assist mark with 11. While it won’t make this weekend’s top MLS predictions, here are seven games that will.
MLS Picks and Parlays #1
Toronto FC vs Chicago Fire Prediction
I generally know my team. I was at the TFC game last week and my friend asked what I liked. And my response was, I don’t like to bet on draws, but if you want an answer, I’d say draw, and probably 1-1.So bet the draw or the BTTS. And that’s exactly how it ended vs NYCFC.
It’s just who TFC are. Just good enough to score. Rarely good enough to keep a clean sheet. Just talented enough to hang around games and not bad enough to get blown out. It’s led to the most draws in the league, (10), tied alongside DC. No one else in the league even has 9.
It’s not been a good season for TFC, but they are now undefeated in 5, with just 1 loss in 8. But only 2 wins across all comps in 16. The BTTS has hit in 6 straight and in 17/19. On transfer deadline day they traded for Lewis Morgan from San Diego, but he only has 3 assists this year.
Chicago’s winning run of 6 straight wins is now over after a 1-1 draw, 2-1 loss and 2-2 draw last week against a struggling Sounders team rejuvenated with the addition of Javelin. BTTS is 7-0 and 11-1, while BTTS & Over 2.5 is 10-2 in recent Fire games.
This matchup has a long history of goals in it. Chicago won 2-1 back in May. Last year it was 2-1 Chicago and 2-2. Before that 1-1 and 4-1 Chicago. Toronto hasn’t won in 8 games. There’s been 3+ goals in 16 of their last 20 meetings.
- MLS Picks: BTTS
FC Cincinnati vs DC United Prediction
DC was without top scorer Baribo last week with a knee injury and … guess what, they too, drew another game, 0-0 with LAFC, tying Toronto with 10 draws this season. Barb was still listed as questionable when I checked the injury reports.
It’s draws in 3/5 and 6/9, just 1 win in 11 and only 2 losses in 9 for DC. Your guess is as good as mine in a DC game, but they often hand around. Although their previous two games were losses of 3-1 and 3-0.
Cincinnati was also held off the scoresheet last week and Evander was shut down which is rare, but Denkey also has no goals in 8 games. Without those guys producing, Cincy fell 4-0 away to Nashville.
The last time Cincy failed to score a goal was way back on March 8. It continued a poor defensive run which has seen them concede in 14/15 and 21/23.
Both teams won on the road last year, 1-0 Cincy and 2-1 DC, and a road team won the game before that, so home field hasn’t meant an automatic win.
But I think it should this time. Cincy is 7-2-2 at home, while DC has won only twice on the road and could be without their top scorer.
- MLS Picks: Cincinnati to win
- Parlay Picks: TOR vs CHI btts / CIN win (+132)
MLS Picks and Parlays #2
Inter Miami vs Atlanta United Prediction
Messi just had 4 goals and 1 assist vs Montreal last week in a 7-1 win to take a clear lead in the Golden Boot race. That ended one of their worst runs of play where they were 0-1-4. But it continued a streak that’s seen them concede in 8 straight, as well as most other game. In those 8 they’ve allowed 18 goals.
It’s the same story with Miami all the time so there’s no need to go too deep into it. Their games are always an adventure and even lower-scoring teams are often good for one. You can always bet Messi but I saw I saw him at -1000 for a goal or assist last week which is crazy and unplayable. You’d have target Suarez, or Segovia or Berterame most likely. Though Bertrame only has 7 shots and 1 on target since coming back from a head injury.
I never bet Atlanta. They’ve been bad all season. But I finally thought maybe they were improving after three 201 wins in a row. I bet the BTTS, they got shut out 2-0 to Charlotte last week. It ended a run of 6 games where they had scored, 4 where they had scored twice and was just the 3rd time in 16 they didn’t get on the scoresheet. It also continued a run of 13 in a row and 19/20 where they’ve conceded.
It’s the first meeting this season with Miami winning 2-1 and 4-0 last year. The 4-0 was at home where they are here but the BTTS & Over 2.5 is 7-1 in the last 8.
And with 2 team with awful defending, let’s go back to the well.
- MLS Picks: BTTS & Over 2.5 + Messi goal (-115)
MLS Picks and Parlays #3
Charlotte FC vs Houston Dynamo Prediction
New signing Saint-Maximum got his first points for Charlotte with 2 assists last week in a 2-0 win over Atlanta. That makes the Crown undefeated in 4 and 5-1-1 in their last 7 overall games. They’ve scored multiple goals in 4 straight and in 6/7, only failing once in the one loss in that time to Pachuca.
Pep Biel leads in goals and has 2G/2A in his last 4 games.
Charlotte is always strong at home where they’re 7-3-2, scoring 26 and allowing just 13. Their home games have actually gone 9-3 to the Over 2.5.
But I feel a lower-scoring match here.
Over the last 15 rounds only Nashville has more points than Houston. And over the last 10, it’s only Nashville and St. Louis. Houston just lost to St. Louis 2-1 a couple games back (now their only loss in regulation in 11) then tied San Jose 0-0. They’ve scored 0, 1, 1, and 1 goals in their last 4, while keeping clean sheets in 6/7.
Guilherme was back from a minor injury but only had 1 shot, 0 on target.
Draw, Under 2.5 or ….
- MLS Picks: Under 3.5
Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal Prediction
This is more a game where there could be at least a couple of goals. Because, there’s been 4, 2, 4, 5, 2, and 4 in recent Philly game. They’re undefeated in 4 and have only 2 losses in 10, and are suddenly in the playoff picture. The goals are flowing, but they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 8 games and have only 1 in 14.
16-year-old Cavan Sullivan is becoming a key part of the team and have goals in back-to-back games, and 3G/3A in his last 5. Illoski scored last game, but hadn’t done so in 5 games prior, but only once in 10 MLS games has he not had a SOT.
Flip over to Montreal, and there’s not much to get excited about outside of Prince Owosu and if you get excited about a 37-year-old Alexis Sanchez playing out his career in MLS. Owosu’s 4-game scoring streak ended last week, but he’s had a SOT in 13/14.
They got smoked 7-1 to Miami last week. They had been 1-3-0 prior. They have only 1 win in 11 and in that time have 6 draws. They’re kind like Toronto and DC, hanging around most games, but rarely good enough to win. Often good enough to cash a BTTS, a bet that’s gone 5-0.
Philly won 2-1 in April and have won each of the last 4 meetings with other scores being 2-1, 2-1, and 2-0. BTTS has hit on 5/6 and 12/14 and there’s been at least 2+ goals in 24 straight going all the way back to 2015. In 18 of those games, there’s been 3+.
- MLS Picks: BTTS
- Parlay Picks: CHA vs HOU under 3.5 / PHI vs MTL btts (+126)
MLS Picks and Parlays #4
FC Dallas vs SKC Prediction
Dallas just went through a gruelling 9-game road trip, and ended up with a huge comeback, down 3-1 vs St. Louis and fighting back to draw 3-3. And even better, none of those goals came from top scorer, Musa. But he has 4 goals in his last 5 games. Now, with 8/12 remaining games being at home, they’ll have a chance to make a strong playoff push. Dallas has only lost 2 of 8 overall games. And since Leagues Cup are 2-1-1 scoring 9 goals. But defensively they’ve allowed 11 goals in 3 games and 15 in 5.
SKC was already struggling badly, on pace for some all-time lows, then they shipped off top scorer Jovelic to Seattle and lost 3-0 at home to Vancouver, and put 0 shots on target. They’re winless in 6 games (0-1-5) and have been outscored 14-2 in that time. Never, in any game, home or away, or in any competition, have they kept the ball out of their net this season.
Dallas has won the last 3 meetings 4-2, 2-1 and 2-1. Incredibly the BTTS & Over 2.5 has gone 11-0 going back to 2021. If not for wondering who will get the goals for SKC with Jovelic gone, that could be a way to bet this. But I’d rather focus on Dallas.
- MLS Picks: Dallas win
Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls Prediction
New York makes the long trip to Seattle here and will hope the road is kinder to them than at home. They’ve played 5/6 recent games at home and have 1 win. It’s no wins in their last 4 after losing 3-1 to Philly last week. In these last 4 games, they’ve scored just 3 goals, while it’s still no clean sheets since the second day of the regular season in April.
Seattle made a splash by spending $6 million to bring in Javelic from SKC and he made an immediate impact scoring the opening goal vs Chicago last week, as well as a second, in what ended in a 2-2 draw. Joveli is -138 to score again in this game. Oddly, he was not listed in the shot props when I looked.
It’s a good point against a top side in MLS and a good start for the new striker but it’s still 0 was in 10 MLS games and only 1 win in 13 overall games, only beating Queretaro in Leagues Cup. And they’ve allowed 2 goals in 4/ games.
Both teams are in pretty gross form and are bad defensively. So BTTS is an option. But then NY isn’t scoring much lately, Seattle are home and have a new top player. Maybe a lean to the Sounders to break their poor streak.
- MLS Picks: Seattle double chance
- Parlay Picks: DAL to win / SEA double chance (-122)
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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.
