While soccer fans are loving all of the Champions League and Europa League action right now, don’t forget that the Major League Soccer season is right around the corner. It should be another jam-packed campaign. In this piece, we have our MLS futures picks for the 2021 season. Who will lift up the cup?
LAFC enters 2021 as the favorites to win the title
Because of their loaded lineup, LAFC enters 2021 as the favorites to win the title this season. With the campaign all set to being on April 17, look for LAFC to make plenty of noise from start to finish. That’s going to be the case when you have a player like Carlos Vela taking the pitch for you each night.
The 32-year-old Mexican forward is the kind of player who can put the ball in the back of the at any any moment. That’s why LAFC fans are so excited for the season to start, as Vela, the team’s captain, has some incredibly high expectations on himself for the year.
With the campaign right around the corner, LAFC has the No. 1 MLS odds, as they’ve been listed at +375. The Seattle Sounders, who lost in the championship game last season, hold +450 Las Vegas sportsbooks odds, while Toronto FC are also at +450. Those three figure to battle it out.
With all of that said, will Toronto end up winning it all, or will LAFC live up to the hype and bring home the MLS Cup for all of their fans come later this year? What about the Seattle Sounders? Well, while LAFC is the favorite, they’re not going to be our pick here folks.
The Seattle Sounders are our pick to win the 2021 MLS Cup
Last season, the campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion for the team from Washington state, losing the title game to the Columbus Crew. However, with them motivated beyond belief, the Seattle Sounders are our pick to win the 2021 MLS Cup.
The team welcomes back a loaded roster, while fans are also fired up for Seattle to welcome back former club favorite Freddy Montero to help with the offensive attack. Montero last suited up for the Sounders back in 2012, but massive news arrived as the team brought him back this offseason.
Meanwhile defensively, the man between the posts will once again be superstar goalie Stefan Frei. Frei is beloved in Seattle and he’s no question one of the best keepers in Major League Soccer. Folks in Seattle will never forget his amazing save against Toronto in the MLS Cup, helping the Sounders win it all.
With the regular season right around the corner here, fans are also excited to pack Lumen Field at a limited capacity. With Seattle supporters ready to pack the stands, the team is ready to give them a ton to cheer for. Will that include another MLS title win? We think so, as they’re our pick.
Look for the Columbus Crew to win the Eastern Conference
Despite the Seattle Sounders being our pick to win the MLS Cup, which of course would mean they’d win the Western Conference, that doesn’t mean we’re going to forget about the conference title game on the other side. With that said, look for the Columbus Crew to win the Eastern Conference yet again this season.
After winning the MLS Cup last year, the Crew are the favorites to win the East and playing in the championship this year too, as they hold +225 odds to win the conference in 2021. Columbus will have some fierce competition, as Toronto, New York and Philly will all be hungry to try and take them down.
For the Crew, like the other teams we’ve mentioned above, they welcome back plenty of firepower for this upcoming campaign. There’s a reason they’re the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Both offensively and defensively, they have some incredible threats. Because of this, we think they’ll win the East.
With their +225 odds as well, this just goes to show you that the belief is they’ll be able to make that goal a reality. Toronto is of course going to be their main competition, as the Canadian club knows how to score plenty of goals and with ease. However, they won’t be enough to unseat Columbus.
See below the top sportsbooks, like MyBookie, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
With a background as a writer, Rodrigo has managed to bring together his hobbies and education writing sports content for various top-tier sites around the world.