2023 MLS Week 9 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!
Last week was a tough one for MLS Sportsbook results, with home teams having a terrible record, some amazing upsets, and general unpredictability with so many draws. Here is a look at last week's results.
Make sure to check back each week, including our Saturday morning twitter predictions at @i80_Sports. Have a great week, and good luck!
Match- Orlando City hosts DC United
Pick- Orlando City -108
This week has a few tough matches- with many highly favored home teams sporting tough-to-stomach odds. Here we have a -108 line on Orlando City, and while they are 1-1-2 at home this season, we can expect them to right the ship.
Orlando City is 3-2-2 overall this season, currently in the top half of the Eastern Conference, and scored and conceded 7 times each. They have been mediocre, but I do expect them to improve as their young squad of contributors settles into the season. In fact, Orlando is so young, none of the 5 scorers for Orlando this season are over the age of 25 (McGuire- 22, Angulo- 24, Ojeda- 24, Torres- 23). They need time to grow and develop and have a great opportunity during this two game homestand against DC United and LA Galaxy to do just that.
Key to the Match-
DC United, according to MLSSoccer.com, has not won two consecutive matches since the beginning of the 2022 season. They had a lay-up against Montreal last week, and have a tough away match this week. While DC United is not the MLS whipping-boy of years past, but in Orlando I think they will have more than they can handle.
Orlando should get out to an early lead and hold on tight. This DC United team can score with Benteke and Fountas, but otherwise have a mediocre roster top to bottom. Orlando needs to bring the energy and scratch out a win this weekend.
Match- New York City FC host FC Dallas
Pick- NYCFC -102
NYCFC returns to Citi Field this week to host FC Dallas. While both teams are off to a nice start, with NYCFC going 3-3-2 and Dallas starting a strong 4-2-2, but New York has the clear home advantage.
This season, NYCFC has 2.5 points per game at home and only .5 on the road. Their 3-1-0 undefeated home record saw them beating Nashville last week by scoring two early goals, something Nashville hadn’t allowed yet in 2023. In fact, Nashville has allowed just 4 total goals this season, and NYCFC’s offense, which is possibly heating up, scored two of them in the first 25 minutes of last match.
While NYCFC have a solid home advantage, Dallas have had issues on the road. They have only 1.33 points per game away from home, and have 3 goals and 3 conceded with their 1-1-1 road record. Both teams are solid on paper, and both have had strong starts to 2023. All signs here lead to a close matchup, but with NYCFC home the odds a -102 are very nice.
Key to the Match-
NYCFC is going to be looking to move up the table, and they need their young stars to step up. Gabriel Pereira (21), Talles Magno (20) and Santi Rodriguez (23) have combined for 8 goals or assists in the young season, but all three could produce more consistent success.
Match- Houston Dynamo host Inter Miami
Pick- Houston -103
This is another instance of taking Texan teams at home while fading them on the road. This time, the Dynamo have amassed a perfect 3-0 home start to begin the 2023 season. They are facing Inter Miami, who has yet to accumulate a single road point.
Not only is Dynamo a force at home this far, they have scored 6 goals and conceded zero. They are, literally, perfect. This all matches up against an Inter Miami team on a 5 game losing streak.
Key to the Match-
Houston Dynamo will also be glad to be at home, after a 1-1 draw with RBNY, and adding Hector Herrera back to their lineup. The midfield is where Dynamo should dominate here; Hector alongside Artur is going to be a force. Meanwhile, Inter Miami’s midfield will continue to struggle without Gregore, and with whatever painting of Stefanelli, Duke, and Taylor they trot onto the pitch.
Match- Colorado Rapids host St. Louis City
Pick- St. Louis +250
The Colorado Rapids are a bad team. They got worse this season with injuries (especially to Jack Price) and have barely shown signs of life this season. Their high point has been their recent 4 game unbeaten streak, drawing LAFC but having gotten results from no other solid teams.
On the other hand, St. Louis has impressed. Every time I start to doubt the legitimacy of St. Louis by betting against them, they prove me wrong. While I have remained adamant that they are a solid playoff team, and continue to hold the belief that they will cool down, they showed they have what it takes to be taken seriously in each and every matchup.
Last week I was particularly surprised by the hours-long rain delay that saw almost none of the fans leave the stadium. Once play resumes, they handed it to Cincy 5-1, and now have the league highest goal differential, at +11.
Key to the Match-
St. Louis City is a new team playing at altitude, which is tough to do.
This is, quite literally, the only advantage Colorado has going for them.
While we don’t have a lot to work from, we do have one match that St. Louis has played against a similar geographical situation. Their 4-0 beatdown at Real Salt Lake is all I need to see to believe St. Louis will be fine, and this +250 line is horribly off.
As always, i80 Sports suggests you check local laws before placing any sports wager. The odds you see here are from legal sports betting outlets in the state of NJ. It is your responsibility to know and to follow the law.