2023 MLS Week 8 Best Bets + Sportsbook Picks
Welcome back to another edition of i80 Sports Toll booth- the best place on the web for Major League Soccer Sportsbook Picks!
We are fresh off of one of the best weeks at i80 Sports for MLS picks. I absolutely killed it- going 4/5 on game picks and 2/2 on prop bets. REMEMBER- due to this article releasing before sportsbook props open up, you will need to follow me @i80_Sports on twitter to get my Saturday morning props.
For accountability, let's check where we are before moving on to MLS week 8.
Match- New York City FC host Nashville SC
Pick- Under 2.5 Goals -130
Yankee Stadium is a notoriously bad place to play, and that plays to our advantage this week as NYCFC face off against Nashville SC. Both teams combine this season for 13 goals scored and 10 goals conceded, which puts them at 1.64 total goals per game. Lock it.
Key to the Match-
I am doing my best to fight my natural inclination to write a long game breakdown here.
Nashville is the best defense in the league. NYCFC has kept every game this season, with the exception of their 3-2 shootout vs DC United, to two goals and under.
Let’s not overthink this one. Under 2.5 goals at -130 is sound for our first week 8 bet.
St. Louis FC host FC Cincinnati
Pick- Cincinnati +185
At 5-2-0 FC Cincinnati is undefeated and sits, along with the Seattle Sounders, atop my own personal power rankings (no, I don't post power rankings- they are only in my head).
St. Louis City has surprised a lot of people starting the season 5-0, however, they have lost two straight. First, they lost at home 1-0 to Minnesota United, then they actually faced a top team in Seattle and lost 3-0. I think this game will look more like the latter.
St. Louis will make the playoffs, but I don’t see enough burst against the top teams. Cincy has conceded only 4 times this season, and I don’t see St. Louis getting those early-season gifts from the likes of Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund, and Roman Celentano.
Key to the Match-
Cincinnati will have to rely on Brandon Vazquez to come up with some magic in this one.
Luciano Acosta will miss the game with a shoulder knock, and Brenner is out finalizing a deal to move to Udinese this summer. That leaves a lot on last year's 19 goal 8 assist man.
Does this make me want to shy away? Quite the opposite. I am keeping an eye on how the line moves once lineups are announced, and jumping in again.
Match- Portland Timbers host Seattle Sounders
Pick- Seattle Sounders +130
One of my surprises from last week was when coach Schmetzer DIDN’T start Ruidiaz, instead opting to start the red hot Jordan Morris centrally and subbing in Ruidiaz late. How did Ruidiaz reply? With a goal, of course.
That just shows how advanced the Sounders are this season. Playing a rivalry game here, Timbers have a little more juice than usual. However, again I will stick with brevity. Seattle is the cream of the crop.
Key to the Match-
Seattle will dominate this game through and through, however, I want to see them score first and get off on the right foot. This season goals have come in droves for the Sounders, and I want to see them pile on a quadruple whopper in this one.
Match- San Jose Quakes host Sporting KC
Pick- San Jose Quakes +115
This week I am picking hard on bad teams. After all, I am nothing if not consistent.
San Jose has been a breath of fresh air this season. Their 3-2-2 record is respectable for a Western Conference team, and they have a mixed bag of experience (Cristian Espinoza, Jeremy Ebobisse) and youth (Benjamin Kikanovic, Jackson Yueill). This is not the side that Matias Almeyda left last season.
Adding to their solid team play, they had an emotional week last week, drawing RBNY in a 1-1 match that saw Dante Vanzeir accused (and suspended) for making racist comments. Quakes should be raring to go this week.
Lucky for Quakes, they have a punching bag in front of them AND we have a plus odds! This should be a solid match for Quakes, and a 4-2-2 record should have them in a playoff spot.
Key to the Match-