MLS Predictions > May 28th - 30th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

OK, so due to the European leagues entering their off-season I will be posting previews for the games taking place in the MLS over the next couple of months. If the interest garnered continues then we will make it a permanent thing. If not, then it was a failed experiment! I appreciate MLS isn't everyone's thing but neither were the Belarus or Nicaragua leagues before lockdown forced us to get involved in those leagues and they developed a cult following amongst us! 

Anyway, I'll start getting the previews up for these games in the coming days. My knowledge of the MLS isn't the best but we can learn and make our mistakes together! The more opinions, thoughts, and bets we bring to the table, the better chance we have of getting one over on the bookies for these! So post your tips below! 

[StevieDay1983]

To add a bit of context, here are the latest conference tables for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference! 

[harry_rag]

An update of @jamied02 's ratings would be great at this point. For me, I can look at the player markets in much the same way as I do for any other league, at least for the games that kick off prior to midnight our time.

[StevieDay1983]

Los Angeles FC vs San Jose Earthquakes

OK, so here we go with my first foray into the world of the MLS in quite some time. I'll do my best to write a preview for each of the 12 matches coming up this weekend so we can get a grasp of where each team stands and how they are performing. First up, it's the 11pm BST kick-off on Saturday evening between Los Angeles FC and San Jose Earthquakes from the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles FC are flying right now with the team sitting proudly top of the Western Conference after 13 games played of the regular season. Head coach Steve Cherundolo had started the campaign well but have started to see their results falter as of late with just 1 win from their last 4 games. That said, that single win did come in their last outing that was a 2-0 win away to Columbus Crew. LAFC have a number of potential absentees for this game including Franco Escobar, Ryan Hollingshead, Erik Duenas, Julian Gaines, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, and Eddie Segura but star striker Carlos Vela is expected to be available. The Mexican front man has bagged 6 goals in 5 appearances against this opposition. The team have scored an average of 2 goals per game so that compensates for a leaky defence that has conceded over 1 goal per game despite being top of the conference table.

San Jose Earthquakes find themselves loitering a bit further down the Western Conference in 11th place and just 3 points off the foot of the table. It's not been a brilliant start to the regular season for interim head coach Alex Covelo who has been in charge of the team since the departure of Matias Almeyda. Despite failing to win any of their opening 7 matches, the Goonies have since only lost 1 of their last 6 matches including being unbeaten in their last 3 games where they have picked up 2 wins. Things appear to be on the mend and Covelo deserves a lot of credit for turning things around. It has helped that the team has scored 7 goals in their last 3 games including scoring 3 goals in two games on the bounce. Questions still remain over a back-line that has conceded a league-high 29 goals already but the "we'll score more goals than you" approach adopted by Covelo seems to be paying off right now.

This fixture has a history of goals being scored with the 11 games played between these two teams delivering 45 goals in total. LAFC might have won the first 6 meetings but San Jose then took victory in the following 4 encounters before the Los Angeles franchise won the most recent game. Both teams have scored in 5 of the last 6 matches played between these two so we can expect goals but I think LAFC should have enough to sneak the win.

Los Angeles FC to Win & BTTS @ 2.75 with Bet365

Total Goals Scored Over 3.5 @ 2.38 with BetVictor

[StevieDay1983]

Atlanta United vs Columbus Crew

The MLS action continues into Sunday morning this weekend when Atlanta United host Columbus Crew in a 12am BST kick-off from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both of these teams are loitering with intent just outside the play-off positions in the Eastern Conference. Even at this stage of the regular season the difference between a win and a loss could be the difference between a top 7 finish or not.

Atlanta United might be a relatively new franchise on the MLS block having entered the league only back in 2014 but the team has already left its mark on the league after winning the MLS title in 2018 and being crowned US Open Cup winners in 2019. Head coach Gonzalo Pineda is hoping to bring the glory days back to the state of Georgia but it's not going to be easy. The team are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference and outside the play-offs due to an inferior goal difference compared to Charlotte FC. The Five Stripes have struggled for consistency so far. Just 1 loss from their opening 5 matches was an encouraging start but a dodgy run of results saw their form slip. It's now 3 games unbeaten but two of those matches have ended in draws. The team have remained unbeaten at home so far this season as well so having this venue as a fortress could be key to them making the play-offs this season.

Columbus Crew have had their fair share of joy down the years having won the MLS Cup in 2008 and 2020 as well as finishing as runners up in 2015. Caleb Porter is the head coach charged with attempting to lead them to another major trophy but it's been a slow start so far. The Black and Gold are down in 12th position in the Eastern Conference and just 2 points off the foot of the table. An undefeated run of 4 matches opened their campaign but it's been dour news since with the team earning just 1 win from their last 9 matches including coming into this game on a winless streak of 3 games with back-to-back defeats to New York City FC and Los Angeles FC. The team might be struggling to get a win on the road but Porter has also made them a difficult side to break down on their travels. They have drawn 4 of their 6 away games but have also failed to even score in 50% of their away matches which tells you a lot about where their main problem lies.

These two sides share an equal number of wins from their 12 encounters so far down the years. It's 6 wins a piece and they are yet to play out a draw. The home record of Atlanta United is a major advantage for me here with the team losing just 15 of their 90 games played at this stadium since they moved here back in 2017. Columbus Crew are yet to win on the road and I'm not sure I can see them getting anything here.

Atlanta United to Win @ 1.96 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.93 with BetVictor

[StevieDay1983]

New York Red Bulls vs DC United

Two of the big city teams in the MLS go head-to-head in this 12am BST kick-off on Sunday morning when New York Red Bulls take on DC United at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. The home side are looking to continue their encouraging start to the regular season with a victory over a visiting team that are going through a turbulent period of transition after a change in coaching recently.

New York Red Bulls may have won the US Supporters' Shield on three occasions (2013, 2015, and 2018), have finished runners up in the US Open Cup twice (2003 and 2017), and runners up in the MLS Cup (2008) but they are yet to add an MLS Cup win to their record yet. Head coach Gerhard Struber (remember him Barnsley fans?!) has led the team to 5th position in the Eastern Conference so far and just 4 points off the top spot currently held by Philadelphia Union. It is 4 regular season games without a win for New York Red Bulls now though but three of those games did end in draws. Had those draws been turned into wins then they would be flying high right now. Home form has been fragile this season so far as well with the franchise picking up just 1 win from their 6 home games with 4 of those being drawn. I am interested to see if new arrival from Inter Miami, Lewis Morgan, can continue his early season scoring form.

DC United haven't had the best of starts to their regular season campaign up until now. Interim head coach Chad Ashton is in temporary charge after Hernan Losada left the club at the end of April following 4 consecutive regular season defeats. Ashton has picked up the team's form slightly with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats from his 6 games in charge not including cup games. The Black and Red are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and only 3 points off the foot of the table. It's been no win in their last 3 away games played. Just 2 wins in their last 10 matches shows that the team are struggling and you look around the performances of their players and it's hard to see who is going to grab this team by the scruff of the neck and pull them through. At the very least, they need the likes of Taxiarchis Fountas and Ola Kamara to be getting the goals.

These two franchises clashed in the US Open Cup a couple of weeks ago at the Audi Field in Washington DC where New York Red Bulls came out as 3-0 winners over DC United. The assumption then would be that New York Red Bulls should be heavy favourites for this home game. Football doesn't quite work as easily as that. These two rivals who compete every year to win the Atlantic Cup will understand bragging rights are also up for grabs. I do feel New York Red Bulls should get the win but it might be a tougher game than their last encounter.

New York Red Bulls to Win @ 1.65 with Bet365

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.87 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Toronto FC vs Chicago Fire

The final MLS game I am previewing from the 12am BST kick-offs on Sunday morning is the Eastern Conference clash between Toronto FC and Chicago Fire at the BMO Field in Toronto. These two franchises currently occupy the bottom two spots in this conference so a defeat here would not only leave the losing team bottom at the foot of the table but also taking a huge morale hit where as a victory could breed self confidence as they move a number of places up the table.

Toronto FC are going through one hell of a poor run of results at the moment. Head coach Bob Bradley doesn't have the best of reputations from his time managing in the Premier League and it looks like that reputation is now beginning to suffer stateside with the Reds down in 13th place and 1 point off the bottom of the table after a winless run of 6 regular season games. It hasn't helped the fact that they haven't even managed to score in 3 of their last 4 league games. Not only are they struggling to score but the team also have the worst defensive record in the Eastern Conference with 25 goals conceded in their 13 matches played. In fact, only San Jose Earthquakes have conceded more goals in the entire MLS. Those heady days at the end of March and start of April where they went unbeaten for 4 games including winning 3 seem so long ago now. Did the comeback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 away against DC United in their last game suggest they might be starting to turn a corner?

Chicago Fire got the MLS talking with their signing of former Liverpool and Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri but it hasn't had the desired impact on the team's form that head coach Ezra Hendrickson would have liked. The Fire are currently propping up the Eastern Conference with just 11 points including just 2 wins from their 13 games played in the regular season. It had been such a positive start to their season as well with the team going unbeaten in their first 5 league games including keeping clean sheets in their first 3 matches. However, that form has quickly turned into 9 regular season games without a win. The team even suffered a humiliating loss on penalties to US League One side Union Omaha after a 2-2 draw couldn't separate the teams. The team have experienced their fair share of success down the years including winning the US Open Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006) but success of any kind seems a long way from becoming a reality this season unless form turns around immediately.

Well, Toronto FC can come into this game full of confidence knowing they are unbeaten against Chicago Fire in the last 13 meetings including winning 10 of those games. It is a club record equalling 21 MLS games in a row without a clean sheet for the home team so is this Chicago Fire's chance to turn things around both in regards to their season and the head-to-head record? 4 defeats and 1 draw from their last 5 away games suggest maybe not. I think this is Toronto FC's game to win.

Toronto Draw No Bet @ 2.12 with Unibet

BTTS @ 1.66 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

CF Montreal vs FC Cincinnati

Two of the early pace-makers in the race for the Eastern Conference Play-Offs will go head-to-head in my first preview of the 12:30am BST kick-offs on Sunday morning when CF Montreal take on FC Cincinnati at the Saputo Stadium in Montreal. Both franchises will be satisfied with their starts to the campaign with the home team continuing life after their 2021 re-brand from Montreal Impact and the away team looking to put last year's disastrous season behind them.

CF Montreal have long been a team that have had moderate success in the Canadian Championship but that has never really transferred to the MLS. The team has had some awesome players down the years including the likes of Didier Drogba, Marco Di Vaio, and Ignacio Piatti. Nowadays, central midfielder Victor Wanyama is their lynchpin as a designated player but he's far from his peak. Still, the team has picked up 20 points from their 13 league games so far and sit in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. The Impact has gone on an 8-game unbeaten including winning 6 of those matches before losing back-to-back matches. Manager Wilfried Nancy will be keen to see his team get back to winning ways but he'll also have one eye on their epic Canadian Championship Semi-Final game with Toronto FC scheduled for 21st June. Sunusi Ibrahim might not have scored in the MLS yet this season but the hot prospect teenager bagged a hat-trick in just 62 minutes played in the 3-0 win over Forge FC in the Canadian Championship Quarter-Final so he clearly knows where the goal is. Could only be a matter of time before he starts scoring in the MLS.

FC Cincinnati are now in their 4th MLS season and after finishing with the worst record in the MLS in 2021 with just 4 wins from their 34 regular season matches they'll be delighted with this start to the 2022 campaign. Head coach Pat Noonan's men are in 6th position and only 5 points off the top of the table. The Orange and Blue won 4 games on the bounce before a disappointing 3-2 loss at home to New England Revolution in their most recent regular season outing. Captain Luciano Acosta is leading by example in the middle of the park and the goals from Brandon Vazquez are a help but the team is still conceding an average of 1.62 goals per game. In 5 of their 6 defeats they have conceded 2 goals or more so it's clear to see where their main weakness is right now and what needs to be done to take an encouraging start to the season and making it even better.

You have to say that despite both franchises coming into this game in a positive position they will both want a win to get back to winning habits after their last game defeats. CF Montreal may have lost two in a row but they still could argue they were unfortunate to lose both games. FC Cincinnati still have this defensive issue that could slowly chip away at them over the season unless it's addressed. On that basis, I'm backing a CF Montreal win.

CF Montreal to Win & BTTS @ 3.10 with Bet365

Anytime Scorer: Sunusi Ibrahim @ 3.60 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

New England Revolution vs Philadelphia Union

The next MLS preview I'm writing covers the 12:30am BST kick-off on Sunday morning between Eastern Conference franchises New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Both of these teams will have come into this season with high expectations. The home team could move into the play-off positions with a win but they'll need to take down a visiting franchise that are currently sitting proudly on top of the conference.

New England Revolution are one of the founding fathers of the MLS but probably haven't have been as successful as they would have liked during that 27 year existence. US soccer legend Bruce Arena is the current head coach and he's led the team to 9th in the Eastern Conference with the team just 1 point outside the play-offs with a game in hand on the majority of teams above them. The Revs have been runners up five times in the MLS Cup (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2014) but they did win the US Supporters' Shield in 2021 so progress is clearly being made under Arena. It's just 1 loss from the last 6 regular season matches including being unbeaten in their most recent 4 games. All of their focus will be on the MLS now premature exits in the MLS Cup to New York City and the CONCACAF Champions League to UNAM Pumas. Striker Adam Buksa has scored in 6 MLS games in a row and his continued scoring form could be key for the Revs here.

Philadelphia Union will be loving life right now as they sit in 1st place in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Jim Curtin is doing a cracking job of proving that keeping faith with a manager over time can pay dividends with the gaffer now in his 9th season with the Union. Consistency has been the key for the team this season with very few arrivals coming into the franchise. Danish striker Mikael Uhre joining as a designated player from Brondby for $2.8 million and forward Julian Carranza arriving on loan from Inter Miami is the extent of their transfer signing business this off-season. Results have stuttered recently though. The team started the season with an unbeaten run of 6 regular season games which included winning 5 of those. However, since then it has been just 1 loss and 3 draws. If that's their rough patch then they've done well to limit the number of losses. If that run doesn't end soon then they could start tumbling down the table.

Heading into this game, New England Revolution are undefeated in their last four meetings with Philadelphia Union. Not the best news for the away team who are struggling to find a win despite topping the conference table at the minute. Union have only managed 6 wins in their 15 visits to Revolution and given their drop in form recently with Revolution starting to pick up results again you'd have to fancy a home win. I am wary that Revs might be tired after their midweek US Open Cup loss but hopefully home advantage will nullify that.

New England Revolution to Win @ 2.15 with VBet

Anytime Scorer: Adam Buksa @ 2.80 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

Orlando City SC vs FC Dallas

The last of the 12:30pm BST kick-offs I'm looking at in the MLS on Sunday morning is the cross-conference game between Orlando City SC and FC Dallas at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando. The home team from the Eastern Conference will be looking to build on their positive start to the season with a win against a visiting Western Conference side in the form of FC Dallas who have also enjoyed a fantastic beginning to their campaign.

Orlando City SC sit in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference having played 13 regular season and find themselves just 3 points off the top of the conference table. Manager Oscar Pareja is looking to steer the Lions to their first trophy success since they were drafted into the MLS back in 2015. The team have reached the play-offs for the past two seasons and a third consecutive appearance in the knockouts is looking positive so far. The franchise spent big on bringing in Facundo Torres for $9 million during the off-season and the former Penarol man is already proving his worth. Losing striker Daryl Dike to West Brom for $9 million could have pushed the team backwards but it seems Pareja's side are adapting. Just 2 losses in their last 10 domestic games have seen the team build confidence.

FC Dallas come into this game in 3rd position in the Western Conference with 13 regular season games played and they are 4 points off the pace of conference leaders Los Angeles FC. Head coach Nico Estevez will have been pleased with his team's form before a double blow of back-to-back defeats to Vancouver Whitecaps and Minnesota United FC. It's just 1 win in 6 away from home games for the Burn so far which isn't overly great. Paul Arriola could be a decent shout for anytime scorer here. The US winger has scored in 4 consecutive games for the team. It'll be interesting to see how the team reacts to not only losing their unbeaten home record in the league but if they can get back to winning ways after two regular season defeats in a row.

It's intriguing to read that the away team has failed to win any of the last five meetings between these two teams. The fact that FC Dallas have such a poor away record this season as well suggests this could only be going one way. Orlando City SC are moving in the right direction under Pareja and I can certainly see them inflicting more misery on the FC Dallas fans with a victory in this one.

Orlando City SC to Win @ 2.10 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.76 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Inter Miami CF vs Portland Timbers

The MLS games continue to come at us on Sunday morning with this 1am BST kick-off between Inter Miami CF and Portland Timbers at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale the next in line for our preview treatment. It's been a low key start to the regular season for both of these teams but a win would propel the victorious team back into play-off contention where as a defeat could see them slip further down their respective conference tables.

Inter Miami CF are the franchise owned by former LA Galaxy and Manchester United legend David Beckham and this is their third full season in the MLS. The Herons are in 10th in the Eastern Conference and just 1 point outside the play-offs. Head coach Phil Neville has brought in a number of new faces this season including Emerson Rodriguez, Leonardo Campana, and DeAndre Yedlin but it looks like it's taking some time for the players to gel. The team failed to win any of their first 5 regular season matches but have now lost just 3 of their previous 11 games in all competitions. Inter Miami CF are unbeaten in their last 5 home matches across all competitions and haven't lost in their last 3 regular season games coming into this encounter. Campana could be a pick for anytime scorer having scored 7 goals for the team already with 5 of those coming on home turf.

Portland Timbers have had a regular season plagued by inconsistency so far. Head coach Giovanni Savarese has led his team to 10th in the Western Conference and just 3 points outside the play-off spots. It's been 3 wins, 6 draws, and 5 losses for the Timbers so far. Just 1 win from their 7 regular season matches on the road shows that they get the jitters on their travels. Defensive frailties have started to set in for the team over recent games with the franchise conceding 12 goals in their last 3 regular season games. It is just 1 win from their last 7 regular season matches as well. Morale will not have been improved much by the fact the team exited the US Open Cup in the last 32 with a 2-0 loss away to Los Angeles FC as well. You get the feeling that another loss here that could see the team drop to 13th in the table if results go against them could pile the pressure on Savarese's position.

This is only the second time that these two teams have met with Inter Miami CF only entering the MLS a few seasons back and both teams competing in different conferences. It was Portland Timbers who won that last meeting by a 1-0 score. I'm not sure I can see that happening here. Inter Miami CF need to avoid defeat to match their club record unbeaten run. I think they'll do just that.

Draw @ 3.55 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.75 with VBet

[StevieDay1983]

Minnesota United vs New York City FC

It's another 1am BST kick-off for us in the MLS as Minnesota United are scheduled to play New York City FC at the Allianz Field in Minnesota. The home team are looking to pick up a victory that would push them into the Western Conference play-off positions but they face an in-form visiting team that have started very well in the Eastern Conference and will be hoping to potentially move to the top of the table.

Minnesota United have entered their sixth season in the MLS with the aim of keeping things settled with very few major arrivals or departures. Head coach Adrian Heath will once again lead the St Paul-based team into this campaign with the team hoping to go one better than their 2020 run to the MLS Cup play-off semi-finals. A strong start has tailed off slightly with the club winning just 1 of their last 5 regular season matches leaving them in 9th place. The Loons did pick up that single victory in their most recent Western Conference outing though which was a 2-1 win away to FC Dallas. Minnesota United are another team that have had their US Open Cup progress prematurely halted by underdog USL League One team Union Omaha so all their focus is now on the regular season.

New York City FC are enjoying good times right now. The Pigeons are 2nd in the Eastern Conference and have now gone 7 regular season matches without a loss. Head coach Ronny Deila has seen his team's defensive record really tighten up with 6 clean sheets kept during that run. It's been the perfect response for a team that had only won 1 of their first 5 league matches of the season. Owners The City Football Group will be keen to see New York City FC add another trophy after Manchester City secured the Premier League title earlier this month. I will be honest, I had expected more arrivals to boost their roster but what they have so far seems to be doing the business with the solidity of the defence combining with the creativity in midfield and scoring prowess of Valentin Castellanos who has now bagged 11 goals this season.

The head-to-head record is finely balanced in this fixture with both teams enjoying one win each and contesting a draw. New York City FC are yet to taste victory at this stadium but I feel it could be on for happening here. Minnesota United aren't quite at their best at the moment and even though they picked up that key away win last time out I feel New York City FC are a far more efficient unit with a foundation of a resilient back-line. It'll be tough but I want to back the away side here.

New York City FC to Win @ 2.04 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.71 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Colorado Rapids vs Nashville SC

It's an all-Western Conference affair at 2pm BST on Sunday morning in the MLS when Colorado Rapids host Nashville SC at the Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado. Both of these two teams are in and around the lower end of the play-off positions. Can the home win pick up a win to leapfrog the visitors or will the visiting side give themselves some breathing space inside the top 7 with a victory?

Colorado Rapids have had a satisfactory start to their regular season so far with the team sitting in 8th position and only outside the play-offs on goal difference after 5 wins, 3 draws, and 5 defeats. Head coach Robin Fraser won the Western Conference last season and ended up coming 2nd in the US Supporters' Shield table but their wait for a first MLS Cup trophy win since 2010 goes on. Home form has been a key factor for the Rapids so far with the team boasting the best home record in the Western Conference remaining undefeated in regular season home games up until now. An even more impressive statistic is that the team haven't conceded a goal at home in over 405 minutes of play at home.

Nashville SC find themselves in a slightly better position than their opponents for this game. This is the franchise's third season in the MLS and after playing 13 regular season games they are sat in 6th place in the Western Conference table. It's just 1 loss from their last 5 regular season games with the team looking to make up ground of league leaders Los Angeles FC. Away form has been a concern for Nashville SC who have not only failed to win any of their last 3 away regular season matches but they haven't even registered a goal scored in the last two away trips. The fact that the team have only scored 15 goals in their 13 regular season games shows that the front line really should be doing more.

This was expected to be a big season for the Stan Kroenke-owned Colorado Rapids and it's been a solid start but they'll want to start putting those wins together and adding more consistency to their results. Nashville SC are being let down by their away form so if they can buck that trend and get a win here it could be a foundation for improved form on the road. I'm not sure they have enough to get a positive result here though.

Colorado Rapids to Win @ 2.05 with QuinnBet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.73 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

Sporting Kansas City vs Vancouver Whitecaps

It's another 2am BST kick-off on Sunday morning in the MLS when Sporting Kansas City play Vancouver Whitecaps at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City. This is a battle between the two teams taking up the two bottom spots in the Western Conference. A defeat here could really demoralise the losing team so is this simply a case of this being a "must not lose" game rather than a "must win"?

Sporting Kansas City are currently going through a rough patch with the team in 13th position in the Western Conference but only 2 points above their opponents for today, who are rock bottom, and having played two games more. Head coach Peter Vermes saw his team end their winless run of 7 regular season games come to an end with the 2-1 win at home against Colorado Rapids but it's now just 1 win from their last 9 regular season matches after that win was followed by a 1-1 draw away to San Jose Earthquakes. However, you could also look at the recent form table and say that it is now just 1 loss from their last 6 matches but the fact 4 of those have ended in a draw shows that the team are making themselves tough to beat but still struggling to pick up those wins. Just 13 goals scored in their 14 regular season games so far is proof that scoring goals is a problem.

Vancouver Whitecaps head into this game as the only team below Sporting Kansas City in the Western Conference. Manager Vanni Sartini has been handed the task of trying to deliver the Whitecaps' first US-based trophy win since their 1979 victory in the North American Soccer League. The team reached the play-offs last season so their progress so far will have been a disappointment to their fans. The good news is that it's still early days and the team are only 7 points adrift of the play-offs with games in hand on the teams above them. Winning just 3 of their 13 regular season matches so far with just 14 goals scored and 25 goals conceded shows that issues lie at both ends of the pitch. A victory here would be nice but they simply don't want to lose more ground on the teams above them so getting the point secured is undoubtedly the priority as the away team.

Each of the past five encounters between these two teams have seen the home team prevail victorious. Sporting Kansas City have also notched up 7 wins in their last 10 matches played against Vancouver Whitecaps. Throw in those statistics along with the current form books then it's tough to back anything other than a home win again here. This could fast be turning into a nightmare season for the Whitecaps if that is the case.

Sporting Kansas City to Win @ 1.76 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.93 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Real Salt Lake vs Houston Dynamo

The final preview covering the games being played in the batch of Sunday morning kick-offs is the 2:30am BST clash between Western Conference rivals Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. Both franchises are currently hovering around the play-off zone with ambitions of nothing less than going all the way and winning the MLS Cup.

Real Salt Lake appear to be getting their season back on track after their encouraging start of 3 wins and a draw hit a dodgy patch of a winless run of 5 matches. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni has got the team back into the winning habit with the Claret and Cobalt winning 3 of their last 4 regular season matches to move up to 4th in the table and just 4 points off the pace of conference pace-setters Los Angeles FC. The team could probably do with scoring more goals having only bagged 14 goals in their 13 regular season matches so far. Good job the defence has done their business by keeping 4 clean sheets this season and conceding 1 goal or fewer in 9 of their regular season games so far. In fact, it's only the 6-0 loss away to New York City FC that has really hit the goals conceded column hard. The raw attributes are there for the team to try and win their first MLS Cup since 2009.

Houston Dynamo come into this game as the underdogs in 7th position in the Western Conference but only just inside the play-offs due to a superior goal difference. Head coach Paulo Nagamura saw his team start the season very well with just 1 loss from their opening 7 regular season games but things have become a little bit inconsistent since then. The Orange Crush have lost 4 of their 6 regular season games since that unbeaten start came to an end. However, their most recent outing in the MLS saw the team secure a convincing 3-0 win away against LA Galaxy which made it 3 wins from their last 4 games in all competitions and also ended their barren MLS away run. Only FC Dallas possess a better defensive record in the Western Conference so if Nagamura can get the front men firing then there's no reason Dynamo can't start flying up the table.

This is going to be a tough game for both of these teams with the incentive of moving on deeper into the play-off positions. Inconsistency has crept into the results and performances of both franchises already this season but they are showing signs of steadying their respective ships once again. I think a lack of potency in the final third could see Houston Dynamo come undone in a game like this which is there for the taking if Real Salt Lake are brave enough and don't play too conservatively.

Real Salt Lake to Win @ 1.99 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.84 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

LA Galaxy vs Austin FC

The MLS action continues into Sunday evening this weekend with LA Galaxy hosting Austin FC in an 11pm BST kick-off from the Dignity Heath Sports Park in Carson. Both teams have enjoyed a positive start to their campaign with both teams sitting inside the play-offs positions with this game to play. Can they be separated on the day or will they cancel each other out?

LA Galaxy have a long history of signing big name players with the likes of David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Steve Gerrard all having donned the kit down recent years. Now, head coach Greg Vanney is managed a team that has less of a focus on "Galacticos" type stars and more of an emphasis on a team unit. It's allowed the team to be more fully rounded and has seen them compete to sit in 6th place in the Western Conference. The team still boasts its fair share of talented world stars with Douglas Costa and Javier Hernandez listed as their designated players this season. It's a bit of a bumpy spell for the franchise right now though with just 1 win from their last 5 regular season games including being winless from their previous 3 matches. Goals haven't been in short supply in LA Galaxy's recent games mind with over 2.5 goals being scored in 4 of their last 5 games.

Austin FC enter just their second regular season in the MLS and it's been a fantastic start. The franchise were 2nd place in the Western Conference heading into this round of games but results this weekend have seen the team drop to 4th position. Head coach Josh Wolff has moulded a team that has shot up from the lower reaches of the conference last season to now competing for the US Supporters' Shield. It's early days but it's very encouraging. The Texan franchise have only won 1 of their last 4 regular season games though and they'll be keen to avoid a continued drop in results. Total goals scored over 2.5 has occurred in 5 of the last 6 Austin FC matches so we can hope for goals in this one. 

Both of these clubs will be satisfied with their respective campaigns so far but the difference between a win and a loss here could be the difference between pushing deeper into the play-offs whilst looking up and dropping off the pace whilst looking down. Neither team has kept a clean sheet in each of their last 5 matches so this could be a game that delivers goals. I do feel LA Galaxy are here for the taking and Austin FC did come away from their away game against Los Angeles FC with a 2-1 win a couple of weeks ago. Can they do it again here? I'm going to be more cautious and back the double chance for Austin FC.

Austin FC Double Chance @ 2.00 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.63 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Seattle Sounders FC vs Charlotte FC

The final game I'm previewing in the MLS from this round of matches is the 2:30am kick-off on Monday morning between Seattle Sounders FC and Charlotte FC from the Lumen Field in Seattle. The home team are looking to turn around their awful start to the regular season in the Western Conference with a win over a visiting team who will be hoping to move into the Eastern Conference play-off positions with a positive result here.

Seattle Sounders are undoubtedly considered as one of the greatest teams in recent MLS history having played in the MLS Cup Final in 4 of the last 6 seasons and winning the big trophy twice. Head coach Brian Schmetzer has had a key role in that success but his team haven't had the best of starts this time around with the franchise sitting in 13th in the Western Conference and on the same points as bottom-placed Sporting Kansas City. Granted, the team has several games in hand due to their run to lifting the CONCACAF Champions League trophy but they are far from points in the bag. It's 4 defeats from the last 6 regular season games so clearly domestic league form has taken a hit in an effort to prioritise the continental success. The Sounders will be hoping that now that historic achievement of being the first MLS team to lift the CONCACAF Champions League trophy in 22 years has been sealed they can get back to winning ways in the regular season competition.

Charlotte FC find themselves playing in their maiden MLS regular season and it's been an optimistic start for the North Carolina-based franchise. Head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez has led his team to 8th place in the Eastern Conference but a win here would move them into the play-off positions. Inconsistency has blighted the team's progress so far with 4 of the 6 games where they have picked up points being swiftly followed by a defeat in the game straight after. The team have managed back-to-back victories in the league just once this season so far. The team are also suffering from a major case of travel sickness. It's 5 wins from their last 6 home games but they are yet to taste a victory in 6 attempts on the road in the league this season. This is a team that has the potential to cause problems for teams this season with the likes of Kamil Jozwiak, Christian Fuchs, and Andre Shinyashiki on their roster.

It's intriguing to read that Seattle Sounders FC have only lost 7 of their last 50 competitive games played at this stadium and when you combine that with Charlotte FC's woeful away form it seems almost obvious to back the home win. I'm expecting the Sounders to start picking up some form in the league now their continental commitments have drawn to a close. It'll be interesting to see if Charlotte FC improve as their players gel more as the season progresses or not. I'm backing a home win here though.

Seattle Sounders FC HT/FT @ 2.50 with Coral

Seattle Sounders FC -1 @ 2.60 with Coral