While as of this writing club teams are on the international break, that doesn’t mean we haven’t enjoyed some incredible showdowns in the MLS thus far this season. With players from all over the world stealing the show, folks are eager for the postseason to arrive. In this article, we have our futures picks for the MLS 2021 season. Will the Seattle Sounders end up winning it all?
Seattle is currently at the top of the Western Conference standings with 18 points. Because of this, and their strong play on the pitch, the Sounders are the slight favorites to win the MLS Cup. Last December, Seattle made it to the MLS Cup Final, but the team had a rough showing. In that game, they suffered a 3-0 loss to Columbus, ending their season not as they planned.
Remember, the Seattle Sounders won it all back in 2019, taking down Toronto 3-1. That’s a moment that Seattle soccer fans will never forget. That was of course the second time the Sounders had won the MLS Cup, as they also won it back in 2016. Ironically enough, the Sounders have beaten Toronto in both of their MLS Cup victories, which adds intrigue to that rivalry.
| MLS Cup odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | +500 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Columbus | +750 | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Orlando City | +750 | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| LAFC | +850 | +850 | +850 | +850 |
For 2021, Seattle isn’t the only team in contention to win the MLS Cup. The Sounders do have the best MLS odds at +500, but other squads are in the mix. That includes Columbus at +750, Orlando City at +750, LAFC at +850, New England at +1600, Philadelphia at +1600, Atlanta at +1800 and others. Clearly, several teams are in the mix to try and take down the Sounders.
So, will another team be able to win it all over Seattle? We don’t think so. Our pick for the 2021 MLS Cup is indeed with the Seattle Sounders. The team has looked sharp this season despite suffering injuries. With Fredy Montero back in action too, it feels like this campaign really could end in epic fashion. Will they win the cup? We think so, as we’re going with Seattle as our champions.
While the Seattle Sounders are the clear favorites to win the Western Conference this season, there are four teams who have emerged as top dogs to win the Eastern Conference in 2021. Yup, New England, Columbus, Philadelphia and New York City FC all hold the top odds to win the Eastern Conference and then go on to play the winner of the West for the championship.
The setup early this season has New England at +350, Columbus at +400, Philadelphia at +400 and New York at +450. It truly feels like a four-team race to see who can win the conference and keep their dreams alive to win the title. On paper, folks might be ready to jump at betting on Columbus, as the Crew of course beat the Sounders last year in the final.
At the international break, New England is at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with its 17 points. Philly is in second with 14 points, while Orlando City is in third, New York is in fourth and Montreal is in fifth. Columbus is in sixth place because of goal difference, but don’t let that instill fear in you if you’re looking to place a wager on them to win the conference.
When it comes to making a pick, it’s tough to go against Columbus just because of how familiar they are with winning games in pressure situations. At the end of the day, though, this really feels like the year that New England wins it. They’ve been hot early on this season and they hold the best Las Vegas odds for a reason. We’re selecting New England to go on to win the East and play in the MLS Cup.
With Seattle playing so well, they’ve been scoring at ease. With that said, Raul Ruidiaz could end up as the top MLS goal scorer this season. Ruidiaz is the Seattle captain and he’s been living up to the hype throughout the year. Behind Ruidiaz’s strong play, not only are the Sounders at the top of the Western Conference standings, but as mentioned above, they also hold the top MLS Cup futures odds.
In eight games in 2021, Ruidiaz has scored six goals for the Sounders. That’s currently second in the MLS, with LA Galaxy star Javier Hernandez recording seven goals in seven games. That’s an impressive number for the man known as ‘El Chicharito.’ Ruidiaz holds the top odds to finish as the No. 1 goal scorer, though, as he’s currently listed with his +450 odds.
While this could end up being a tough race, we think that Ruidiaz will close out the year at the top of the list. He’s already been on fire for the Sounders, a club that figures to go on a deep run this year and score plenty of goals in the process. Because of Seattle’s success, that’s only going to create even more opportunities for Ruidiaz, which is why we’re going with him as our pick.
