In the first weekend of action following the international break, Major League Soccer fans watched some truly outstanding matchups. Now, there’s even more exciting contests on the schedule coming up. In this piece, we have MLS picks for big-time games this week. Which teams are favored to grab much-needed three points to help them out in the standings?
In a showdown all set for June 23, the Galaxy will hope to get back on track against Vancouver. Los Angeles had a golden chance to send a statement to the rest of the Western Conference in a weekend battle with the No. 1 Seattle Sounders, but the team blew a 1-0 lead and let the Sounders leave California with a 2-1 victory. It surely was a disappointing result for the home team.
Now, the Galaxy will travel to Vancouver to try and get back in the winning column. Entering this exciting Western Conference tilt, Los Angeles has been given +125 MLS odds, while Vancouver has been placed at +180. The Las Vegas sportsbooks believe that there’s a chance this could end in a tie as well, with the odds for that outcome being recorded set at +250.
| MLS game odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA to win | +125 | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Vancouver to win | +180 | +180 | +180 | +180 |
| Seattle to win | -175 | -175 | -175 | -175 |
| Salt Lake to win | +410 | +410 | +410 | +410 |
In order for Los Angeles to come away with a win in this showdown, they’re going to have to regroup offensively. At the same time, they need to do a better job defensively as well. In the loss against Seattle at home, there were two defensive breakdowns that really opened the door for Seattle to find the back of the net. LA can’t do that again because Vancouver will make them pay for it.
As things stand, LA is in fourth place of the WC table with 15 points, while Vancouver in 12th place with only seven points. Despite the Galaxy being higher up in the table, Vancouver will be ready to try and record an upset. Will they? We don’t think so in this case, which is why we’re going with the Galaxy as our pick to win. Look for Javier Hernandez to get back on the score sheet as well.
The confidence has to be through the roof right now for the Seattle Sounders. Fresh off their victory on the road over the LA Galaxy, the club from the Pacific Northwest holds a stranglehold on first place in the Western Conference with their 21 points. On top of that, Seattle has scored 16 goals this season in nine matches, only giving up four. With that, they have a +12 goal difference. Now, the Sounders should cruise to a big win over Real Salt Lake.
RSL has also been strong this year, as they’re in sixth place with 12 points. At the same time, they just haven’t been able to compete at the level Seattle has. Throughout the year, the Sounders have showcased why they’ve won the MLS Cup multiple times and why they made it all the way to the championship game last season, losing to Columbus 3-0.
However, Seattle has looked like one of the best teams in the league for a while now, which is rough news for Real Salt Lake. Things are only going to get even more complicated for RSL with the game being played at Lumen Field. That’s not an easy environment to play in, as the Seattle fans are one of the most passionate bunch you can find for the MLS.
The Sounders have -175 odds to win this one, while Real Salt Lake is set at +410. If you think a draw will be recorded between the two clubs, you can find odds for that at +290. The two teams will meet on June 23 in a game that should be dominated by the Sounders from start to finish. Because of that, we’re no question going with the Sounders as our pick to win. Do you agree? Take a look at our soccer betting sites to get a wager in.
In one of the more exciting matchups of the week, Orlando City and Inter Miami should be an absolute battle. Both squads feature loads of talent, including Portuguese sensation Luis Nani serving as the captain of Orlando City. Ever since Nani arrived to the MLS, he’s turned heads with his brilliant play that everyone enjoyed for so many years when he was in Europe.
Now, he’ll hope to lead his team to a victory on June 25 going up against their in-state rivals. Miami and Orlando may not be the biggest of rivalries in MLS play, but you better believe that these teams don’t like one another. Orlando is the slightest of favorites with their +150 MLS odds, with Miami being put at +155. Both these squads will have what it takes to record a win.
With that said, we think that things are actually going to be too close to call, as we’re picking this matchup to end in a draw. The odds of that happening are +230, which means you’d get a pretty handsome payout if you decided to place your wager on that outcome. Miami will be the home team for this one, which will give them a small advantage, but we think this game will end either 0-0 or 1-1.
