Major League Soccer Best Bets: August 20, 2023
Welcome back to another edition of i80 Sports Toll booth- the best place on the web for Major League Soccer Sportsbook Picks!
Major League Soccer is back after a mid-summer pause for Leagues Cup. This week, we have 5 bets across 3 matches. Let's get into the picks!
Match- New York Red Bulls host DC United
Pick- Red Bulls -122 and Over 2.5 Goals -105
On the season restart, I am looking at a few teams who I expect to fall back to old habits. The New York Red Bulls were uncharacteristically bad earlier this season, and could not score under former head coach Gerhard Struber. Under new coach Troy Lesesne, however, this is a new team. After starting out with 9 goals in their first 10 home matches, RBNY has now scored 10 in their last 4.
DC United is a team which I am expecting to collapse after the trade of Taxiarchis Fountas. This team needs help in the attack, and adding to this bad news Mateusz Klich will be missing the match with a suspension.
That all being said, I expect the rested and ready RBNY team to put up some points; their matches have hit 7 straight “over” bets. Let’s also not forget DC United can still put one in- they still have Christian Benteke, Pedro Santos, and Cristian Dajome. I also expect this game to hit the 2.5 goal over at -105.
Match- New York City FC hosts Minnesota United
Pick- Minnesota United +0.5 -125
Minnesota is a team I am high on, as I expect the loons to SOAR in the second half of the season. They were very good in Leagues Cup, beating Puebla, Columbus, and Toluca before being knocked out by Nashville in the Quarter-final.
Minnesota added Teemu Pukki and reintegrated Emmanuel Reynoso into their mix. This timing has been perfect, as it coincides with Hlongwane getting, and staying, hot.
Just about the only thing going for NYCFC here is that they are home, which historically has been a huge advantage. This season, however, they have only 1.6 points per game at home, and are winless in their last 5 matches.
While I may not advise it, per se, in a sportsbook article, I also love Minnesota to win outright at +270. You can sprinkle that in for some upside this week.
Match- St. Louis City hosts Austin FC
Pick- St. Louis City -113 and Over 2.5 Goals
This match comes simply down to the better team playing at home. I said earlier how impressed I was with the St. Louis atmosphere, especially the one rain delay game where it looked at capacity HOURS later. That kind of support makes St. Louis a viable contender in each home match- and they prove me correct with 2.08 points per game at home.
While St. Louis may STILL be without Joao Klauss with injury setbacks, they may have Nokkvi Thorisson available to make his debut. The Icelandic forward with 7 goals this season in the Belgium B League may have some big shoes to fill.
Switching over to Austin FC, this team seems to have turned a corner on their early season struggles, but that is slightly skewed by them having a decent home run earlier this summer. Their away record, however, still sits at a meager 1 point per game.
One thing's for sure- both these teams remembered how to score. This should help push this match over 2.5 goals.
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.
Although we try and give accurate predictions and up-to-date information as we know it, i80 Sports cannot be held responsible for inaccurate information posted on our website. Contact us at i80sportsmedia@gmail.com if you find information you believe to be incorrect or misleading.
These picks are made in conjunction with information provided and are not influenced by anyone outside the i80 Sports team. While we hope they are correct (and we help YOU have success), i80 Sports, its writers, or contributors cannot be held liable for any gambling losses.
