The weekend’s MLS schedule is jampacked with stellar matchups that offer plenty of angles to bet on across some of the best online sportsbooks. We preview a few choice matchups in this column, complete with predictions and soccer free picks.
Saturday, July 31, 2021 – 08:00 PM EDT at DRV PNK Stadium
Inter Miami plays host to Club de Foot Montreal at the DRV PNK Stadium this weekend, a game that both sides will be under pressure to win. Bookmakers across multiple sports betting platforms are tipping the balance in favor of the hosts, though form would suggest otherwise. So, it’s a surprising market, to say the least. And one wonders whether the bookies have it right or whether the soccer odds are merely a reflection of/reaction to Miami’s fledgling popularity. From co-owner David Beckham to the MLS and Miami fans, everyone wants the expansion team to live up to expectations and do well in the league.
Montreal Impact are sat pretty in seventh place in the standings with a 6-4-5 mark and 22 points. The Impact have lost two games in a row, including a 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution at the weekend. However, prior to that, they’d been on a six-game unbeaten streak, a run of form that includes a 4-2-0 mark with victories gained at the expense of Chicago Fire, Inter Miami, New York City and Cincinnati.
Inter Miami are sat pretty in 12th place, propping up the Eastern Conference table with a 2-3-8 mark and 9 points. Through 13 fixtures on the season, Miami have merely two wins to show for their efforts – none of which importantly came at home. It’s fair to say, the side is struggling to find its feet under manager Phil Neville, which doesn’t bode well for the former England star’s coaching future this side of the Atlantic pond.
Beckham made an appearance at the DRV PNK Stadium for the first time since May, sporting a stylish outfit and a platinum Barnet. His visit was treated to a draw that ended Miami’s six-game skid, though to say Beckham was thrilled with the performance by his precious pricey soccer baubles as they clawed their way to a 1-1 draw against Philadelphia Union last weekend would be an exaggeration.
Why the most expensive roster in the MLS is currently underperforming and underachieving is the million-dollar question that faces Beckham right now. Injuries and international duty have played a role in recent weeks, but those don’t explain away a season that started flat and that’s in danger of being a complete flop if things don’t change quickly.
When Beckham dreamed of owning an MLS club, being the proud owner of the league’s delinquent side probably didn’t factor in his imaginings. Something’s gotta give this weekend when Montreal and Miami collide. Inter Miami may well turn things around at the expense of Montreal and clinch their first win at the DRV PNK Stadium, but then again, the Canadiens are in better form overall. And that has to count for something. Put it another way, when top-rated sportsbooks are serving up odds that offer double the investment (1-to-2) on the Canadiens winning outright, it’s a bet that deserves careful thought.
Soccer Pick: Montreal +246 at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Saturday, July 31, 2021 - 09:00 PM EDT at Q2 Stadium
The Colorado Rapid are in fourth place in the Western Conference table and closing the gap on the LA Galaxy. By the stats, the Rapid are 7-3-4 with 24 points, merely a point adrift of the Galaxy in the table. A win this weekend coupled with a setback (draw or loss) for the Galaxy could see the Rapid climb up the table into the number three spot. And so far as the Rapid delivering, things are looking positively promising with a relatively straightforward game against Austin looming on the cards this weekend.
Indeed, this is a game for the Rapid to win or lose, even though they’re on the road. Granted the Rapid did drop the ball during their last lap in MLS action, so there are form concerns. That they lost badly too doesn’t help in the optics either – the Rapid lost 3-0 to Real Salt Lake, a lopsided setback that snapped a four-game unbeaten streak that includes two wins and two draws.
But the Rapid will be keen to bounce back at the expense of Austin on Saturday. Never mind advancing in the MLS table is an incentive that Robin Fraser’s side could capitalize on for this match. As well, Rapid’s 3-1 loss to Austin earlier this season may well prove additional motivation for revenge.
Austin currently props up the table with a subpar 3-4-7 mark and 13 points and they come into this fixture riding a two-game losing streak. Home advantage bears consideration for this game, but will it be enough to hang one’s hat on in soccer betting markets. There’s also the possibility of a draw, which would suit Austin nicely given the way things have been going for them in the league.
Tale told, there’s some angles for profit to be had with this matchup, which comes during a period of the season that has seen some topsy-turvy results on account of a number of absences around the league due to calls for international duty. Anything can happen, therefore, including the home win. However, considering Colorado’s odds are set to just above +200 with multiple betting sites, the temptation of a return of two-to-one on investment is simply hard to ignore.
Soccer Pick: Colorado Rapids+240 with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.