WILL Dyer (@W2Dyer) returns with a bumper guide to the best bets across Major League Soccer this weekend.
Toronto FC v Philadelphia Union | Saturday 21.00
I don’t really know why Toronto are available at odds-against to win this tie. Yes, they are without midfield maestro Michael Bradley and their target man Jozy Altidore but they scored four goals away from home last weekend without those two – that’s more than they’ve scored in any other game all season.
The Reds took part in a topsy-turvy 4-4 draw with NYCFC at Yankee Stadium and whilst their defence looked suspect, it was a match against the form side in MLS and I don’t expect them to be anywhere near as leaky back at BMO Field. They also conceded four in LA two weeks ago but everyone has been losing heavily at the StubHub so that doesn’t concern me too much.
Philly have lost six of their last eight away MLS matches. They are scoring in most of these games but their approach just leaves them too susceptible at the back; hence they’ve conceded three or more in five of their nine away games this term.
I think it’s a bit of an overreaction from the bookies here to TFC’s last two away games and the loss of Altidore and Bradley. For me, they are still a fair better side than The U without those two players. Sebastian Giovinco scored a hat-trick in the space of nine minutes last weekend to turn the game on it’s head and I’m sure he’ll find plenty of joy against the second worst defence in the division.
The more adventurous of you might like to consider a wager on Skybet’s 7/2 on Toronto to score three or more goals but I’ll play it safe with the Toronto win at 21/20 with SkyBet.
Sporting Kansas City v Montreal Impact | Sunday 01.30
Kansas City have won five in a row at home and I’m sure their staunch supporters in ‘The Blue Hell’ will have them at full tilt against Impact who are conceding two goals a game away from home, on average.
I haven’t had much luck tipping goalscorers on here but I’ll persevere because this game looks laid out for Dom Dwyer. The English striker was the second top scorer in MLS last season with 22 goals and returned to form in the US Open Cup scoring four in a 6-2 rout over FC Dallas in SKC’s last home fixture.
These two teams met three times last season with Sporting winning all three and scoring nine goals in the process. Incredibly, Dom Dwyer bagged six of those with a brace in each fixture. He’ll have that in his sights again this weekend and at 13/2 (SkyBet) I think another brace is worth a go.
Seattle Sounders v Colorado Rapids | Sunday 03.00
Sounders are severely weakened without Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey but, and it’s a big but, watching them last weekend they showed me plenty of spirit and they could quite easily have left Chicago with all three points. They will get Marco Pappa back for this match whose time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup is spent after Guatemala toiled and failed to make it past the Group Stage.
At first sight, Sounders form is terrible but they have had to cover a lot of mileage to two Eastern Conference sides in their last three away games as well as a visit to a rampant Portland Timbers side.
Their home form is much more pleasing to the eye. Six wins in their last eight league games at CenturyLink Field and that includes six clean sheets in that period. Sounders last victims were the Eastern Conference’s runaway leaders DC United; dispatched 1-0 with a line-up possibly weaker than the one we will see this weekend.
Seattle hold good recent records against many sides at Colorado Rapids are no different. Sounders have won all of their last six meetings both home and away. The Rapids have recorded back-to-back wins but, as I’ve often emphasised on here, they really struggle without their altitude advantage. Their historic record in Washington State reads W0-D1-L10. Seattle odds-against? Yoink. They’re 21/20 with SkyBet.
Portland Timbers v Vancouver Whitecaps | Sunday 03.30
Vancouver have been my favourite side to oppose this season, mostly because they seem to be under-priced in every fixture. Timbers have won five on the bounce at home and kept a clean sheet in five of their last six games in Oregon.
At home they tend to dominate possession and really limit their visitors to just a handful of chances. Their backline has been the key to success this season, which was somewhat unexpected.
Vancouver suffered a drab home loss to Sporting KC last weekend, failing to score in a 1-0 defeat. They have already failed to score in Portland once this season when the sides met back in May and stuttered to a 0-0 draw. Timbers missed a penalty in that game and had the lion’s share of possession; now that they have the habit of winning I think they’ll grasp this second chance.
Portland at 11/10 with SkyBet here.
Columbus Crew v Chicago Fire | Sunday 22.00 | Sky Sports 3
Woops. I’m tipping five games for the first time this weekend but I think it’s totally warranted with the form that these home sides boast. Columbus and Chicago meet for the second time in just four days but this one’s at MAPFRE and after recording their first away win of the season in Chicago in mid-week, I think Crew are a standout price at 19/20 (SkyBet).
Crew sit second in the home table with six wins from 10 outings in Ohio and with Chicago boasting the worst away record in MLS, a whopping 16 road games without a win, I think Crew are highly likely to run out winners again on Sunday night live on Sky Sports.
Kei Kamara was on the scoresheet again at Toyota Stadium and he looks a great price at 11/8 (SkyBet) to score again in this one. The Sierra Leonean striker has 13 goals in just 20 appearances this season. This is second v bottom and frankly I’m quite surprised that Crew aren’t an 8/13 shot.
Best Bets
Toronto FC v Philadelphia Union – Toronto FC to win (21/20 SkyBet)
Sporting Kansas City v Montreal Impact – Dominic Dwyer to score 2 or more goals (13/2 SkyBet)
Seattle Sounders v Colorado Rapids – Seattle Sounders to win (21/20 SkyBet)
Portland Timbers v Vancouver Whitecaps – Portland Timbers to win (11/10 SkyBet)
Columbus Crew v Chicago Fire – Columbus Crew to win (19/20 SkyBet)
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