WILL Dyer (@W2Dyer) returns with more of the best bets from the Stateside action in the MLS this weekend.
Montreal Impact v Chicago Fire | Sunday 01.00
Slim pickings in America this weekend, game-wise. Hope this doesn’t comes across as an ego boost but I think I’m in good form with profit in six of the last seven weeks, so I’ve still picked out the usual four bets.
Last week’s big winners New England are a very short price to beat Orlando. Saturday night’s live Sky Sports game has had all the value sapped out of the goals markets too; unsurprisingly as Orlando City have conceded three or more in their last five road games. So it’s straight into Montreal v Chicago.
Regular readers will know I’m keen on Impact. International call-ups have limited many teams this weekend with plenty having their games called off. New interim coach Mauro Biello has confirmed that Didier Drogba and Ignacio Piatti should return from injury and that spells trouble for Chicago. Piatti hasn’t played for a month and it’s no coincidence that Montreal haven’t won a game in that spell, he will be a big bonus.
Chicago are missing big players; David Accam, Joevin Jones and Matt Polster – six in total. Montreal are also missing six players but I think home advantage will pay off here. Fire STILL haven’t won an away game this century (it seems that long ago). In all seriousness it’s over a year now since they won on the road; 20 MLS games, (W0-D7-L13).
Impact have a +7 home goal difference and a respectable W6-D2-L4 record at the Stade Saputo this season. They’ve also won two of their last three home games against the Illinois side, both ‘to nil’. I'll have Montreal at evens with Skybet.
Seattle Sounders v Toronto FC | Sunday 03.00
I’ve been trawling the internet and either Toronto are oblivious to Clint Dempsey’s injury or they’ve heard that he will start because they’ve mentioned him in their ‘projected XI’ article for Saturday night’s game.
The Sounders clean sheet bet didn’t land last weekend and in all honesty Portland deserved at least a point. Obafemi Martins remains incredibly clinical, with a shots to goals percentage of 34.5%, and if Dempsey is back to link up with him I think Seattle win this with ease. Even if ‘Deuce’ isn’t back, Seattle look to have the bit between their teeth now, as predicted, and should keep the winning streak going.
The main tipping point for me here is that Toronto will be without star man Sebastian Giovinco through injury, possibly for some time. The Italian recently claimed back-to-back MLS Player of the Month awards and has an unprecedented influence on their team; 17 goals and 10 assists in 25 games for The Reds this season.
Seattle played in front of a whopping 64,000 at CenturyLink Field last weekend against fierce rivals Portland Timbers and after winning that I think Sigi Schmid has them well focussed right now. They’re 19/20 with Coral.
San Jose Earthquakes v Philadelphia Union | Sunday 03.30
A long old haul across the country for the Eastern Conference’s bottom dwellers Philadelphia Union this weekend. The goals have dried up for The U lately; they’ve only scored more than one goal in one of their last five MLS fixtures and that away win in Montreal was very fortunate to say the least.
Eight defeats in 13 away games doesn’t make great reading either and a worse defensive record than any Western Conference side. Not a great time to be playing San Jose then who’ve won four on the bounce and all without conceding a goal.
It’s gone under the radar a bit that the Earthquakes have the fourth best defensive record this season. These two sides rarely play but interestingly Philly have never scored in their three visits to North California. I think the Earthquakes are generously priced in the Match Odds market but I’m going to be adventurous and tip them to win ‘to nil’ here at 11/5 with BetVictor.
Columbus Crew v FC Dallas | Monday 00.00 | Sky Sports 2
Be quick because I’m sure this price won’t last long. Both Teams To Score at MAPFRE at midnight on Sunday night is 8/13 with a few bookies and that looks a nice price considering that all of Crew’s last 11 home MLS games have seen both sides score. Even better is Over 2.5 Goals at 8/11, which has landed in 10 of those 11 but better still is Over 2.5 and BTTS, which has also landed in 10 of 11.
This Crew team just doesn’t like boring matches. They somehow allow away teams into the game but still get results. Just two defeats in 14 at home has put Columbus at the right end of the Conference. The East has a clear division now with eight points separating fifth from sixth and Columbus are chasing a top-two spot to bypass the earlier play-off rounds.
Both Dallas and Columbus have play-off aspirations. Dallas have only two clean sheets in their last 12 away games and as I’ve mentioned before it’s yonks since Crew failed to score at home. Some decent and reliable strikers will be on show and this could quite easily land after half an hour.
Best Bets
Montreal Impact v Chicago Fire – Montreal Impact to win (1/1 Skybet)
Seattle Sounders v Toronto FC – Seattle Sounders to win (19/20 Coral)
San Jose Earthquakes v Philadelphia Union – San Jose Earthquakes to win ‘to nil’ (11/5 BetVictor)
Columbus Crew v FC Dallas – Over 2.5 and Both Teams To Score (1/1 Bet365)
