Weekend Tips: MLS action fills up the time

The European football season may be over, but over in North America, the MLS is in full swing. For this weekend's tips, we have three games on offer for you.

Banker

If you are missing having a bet on the football after the UEFA Nations League wound down last week then fear not, there is still action from the MLS, Scandinavia and Australia to get stuck into.

Over in the USA, Real Salt Lake are unbeaten in seven home MLS games this season – winning six of those matches – and so look good things to beat Columbus Crew this weekend. Salt Lake are up to second in the Western Conference and their home form has been a key feature in their rise up the table.

Real have taken 19 points from a possible 21 at Rio Tinto Stadium, and those are the sort of returns namesakes Real Madrid would be proud of in La Liga! They were comfy 2-0 winners against San Jose Earthquakes last time out Pablo Mastroeni’s men are in really good form.

Jefferson Savarino scored against San Jose, and the Venezuelan youngster is very quick and direct. At the back veteran Uruguayan Marcelo Silva is a colossal presence and rarely puts a foot wrong. 

They’ve won four home games off the belt and kept clean sheets in three of them, with Silva starring at the back. Those stats are bad news if you are a fan of Columbus Crew, who have failed to score in six of their last 10 MLS fixtures.

The Crew’s top scorer is Lucas Zelarayan, but he has only managed four goals this season. Indeed, Hernandez has just left Watford to sign for Columbus Crew for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old forward was on the books at Vicarage Road for five years, but spent four of them on loan in Spain and could not oust the likes of Ismailia Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis from the Hornets’ starting XI.

Hernandez may take several weeks to reach the required fitness level to really showcase his skills in the MLS, and so if Salt Lake can keep the Armenian international Zelarayan quiet, they should bag three points here without needing to find top gear.

Banker: Real Salt Lake to beat Columbus Crew at 19/20 (Hills)

 

Value Bet

On Saturday in the MLS as FC Cincinnati play Orlando City, and Orlando look a bit over priced for their trip to Ohio.

This Eastern Conference clash will take place at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, where the hosts’ form has been a bit iffy this season. They’ve lost four of their six matches at home, having conceded and scored 11 goals during that run. To be fair they are playing far better than they were in 2021, and have already matched their paltry 20-point haul from last season.

However, they have only taken one point from a possible nine and Pat Noonan’s side look vulnerable here. 

Orlando City for their part have only lost once on their travels this season, claiming three wins and four draws from eight matches away from the Exploria Stadium. Despite this solid away record the bookies make them a top price 11/5 to see off Cincinnati.

Austrian striker Ercan Kara scored twice last weekend as they edged out Houston Dynamo, and their side also contains former AC Milan star Alexandre Pato and useful Portuguese defender Joao Moutinho, who heads the stat list for ‘Tackles Won’ in the entire MLS this season.

These are two evenly matched sides on paper, so 11/5 about the away win looks too good to pass up.

Value Bet: Orlando City to beat FC Cincinnati at 11/5 (bet365)

 

First Goal Flutter

French livewire Jeremy Ebobisse looks a value pick at 5/1 to score first when San Jose face LA Galaxy in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Interestingly former Manchester United star Chicharito is the betting favourite to score first, and it should be an interesting to see who comes out on top when these quality strikers go head-to-head.

Chicharito has six goals for LA Galaxy, but Ebobisse is in rare form and looks a big price to get San Jose on the board first.

Impressively all of Ebobisse's goals have come since the start of April, making him the league's most in-form striker, even though he is currently tied at the top of the goalscorer charts with FC Dallas striker Jesus Ferreira.

For many former Red Devil Chicharito is not just the face of the Los Angeles Galaxy, but also the MLS, a league desperately seeking more relevance both domestically and abroad. However, don’t be surprised if Ebobisse upstages him this weekend. Nine goals in 16 appearances is some going, and he can take himself into double figures by notching first at PayPal Park.

Value: Ebobisse to score first at 5/1 (Paddy Power)