• MLS Week 18 gets rolling with 14 games starting with six games at 7:30 pm EST on Saturday, June 10, 2023
• The biggest news of the week comes out of Miami with Lionel Messi announcing that he will be joining the Herons
• See all of the MLS odds plus our top MLS predictions for Week 18 here

Major League Soccer bettors will have plenty to choose from this weekend in the MLS odds with a huge 14-game card spread out over Saturday and Sunday for MLS Week 18. Saturday features 12 games, while Sunday sees St. Louis City hosting the LA Galaxy at 1pm EST and Portland hosting Dallas at 10:00 pm EST. Read on for our top MLS picks this weekend here.

There was plenty of midweek action across multiple competitions to touch on. Each of Cincinnati, Chicago, Houston, Inter Miami, RSL and the LA Galaxy played in the US Open Cup Quarterfinals on Tuesday/Wednesday. The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated CF Montreal in the Canadian Championship on Wednesday as well 2-1.

There was one lone MLS match on Wednesday too, that saw LAFC and Atlanta draw 0-0.

And going back little further, LAFC also lost last Sunday 1-0 to Leon (3-1 on aggregate in the CCL Final. But all of that gets overlooked by the news that World Cup winner Lionel Messi will be joining Miami as his next destination. We’ll have plenty of time to break down Messi’s impact to Miami later this season, but for now let’s get back to our MLS picks for Week 18.

MLS Odds Week 18

Oddsmakers at DraftKings are expecting Atlanta and New England to be taking three points this weekend in the MLS odds as heavy -135 and -195 favorites respectively. One of the games of the matchday looks to be the late game on Saturday between the Vancouver Whitecaps who are -110 favorites at home to Supporters’ Shield leading FC Cincinnati (+250) at 10:30 pm EST.

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It was a good Week 17 as we went 3-1 in our MLS picks. Let’s hope for another strong week for our soccer picks today here.

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Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew Prediction

Chicago has been shut out in back-to-back games, 1-0 (CIN) and 0-0 (TOR). They’re 14th in the East with just 17 points.

But those results came on the road. At home Chicago is still undefeated at 2-6-0. That may be a lot of draws, but they were actually undefeated in their past 11 home games across all competitions dating back to last season at 5-6-0. That was prior to Tuesday when they  played home to Houston in the US Open Cup and lost 4-1.

Sticking to this season, in MLS play and the US Open Cup, the Fire have scored in 10/11 at Solider Field. while also conceding in eight of those 11 games as well.

After last week’s 4-2 home win over Charlotte, Columbus have won two in a row and are fifth in the conference. They’d already been eliminated from the USOC so will be the fresher team with no midweek game.

Columbus ranks right behind Atlanta for goals per match at 3.6 this season. The Crew won 4-2 at home to Charlotte last weekend, their fourth straight game that has seen goals from

MLS Goals Per Match

Total goals per match between team and opponent

Crew games average the second-highest goals per game at 3.6 (behind Atlanta’s 3.8). They’re recent scorelines, 4-2 (W), 3-2 (W) and 3-1 (L) have helped to elevate that figure.

Including the USOC the Crew have lost each of their past three on the road, being outscored 7-3. They’ve also only won three of their past 16 on the road, conceding a goal or more in 15 of those 16 and in 17/18 of their past road games. A bet on both teams scoring would be 15-3 in those games and a bet on both teams scoring and at least three or more goals has also happened in six of the past seven for Columbus and that how I’ll be here in my MLS picks.

• MLS Picks: Both teams to score & over 2.5 (-110), risk 1 unit at DraftKings

New England Revolution vs Inter Miami Prediction

Neither of these teams have had much success of late. New England have drawn three straight games and are winless in six across all competitions.

But it’s the Revs up in fourth place with 27 points and the Herons in at the bottom of the East table with just 15. While New England only has two more wins (7 vs 5) than Miami, it’s Miami inability to draw any games that is hurting. They’ve drawn zero times, the only team to do so, and have the most losses (11), while being the only team with double digit losses in the league.

They did win 1-0 in the USOC this week in Birmingham.

The 🐐 is coming. Millions of MLS fans all over the world welcome you, Leo.

Follow along for more. 👀 pic.twitter.com/NLzkatvwrC

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 7, 2023

Still, it was Miami that came out on top when these teams last met just weeks ago on May 13 in Miami, with the Herons winning 2-1. All of the scoring was done in the first half with David Ruiz opening the scoring for Miami four minutes in, and Carles Gil levelling in the 26′, before Josef Martinez scored the eventual winner in the 44′.

I’m looking for a different result this time though. New England’s slide has coincided with four of six being on the road and with numerous injuries. They’re back at home where they’re undefeated at 4-3-0 and Gustavo Bou returned to the lineup last week. Miami is 1-0-6 on the road with just three goals scored and nine conceded, fired head coach Phil Neville last week and just don’t look like a team capable of going into New England right now and stealing three points.

• MLS Picks: New England to win and score over 1.5 goals (-135), risk 1 unit at DraftKings

Portland Timbers vs FC Dallas Prediction

Portland remained undefeated against their Cascadia rivals Seattle for now eight straight games after a 0-0 draw in Week 17. That’s one bright spot, as they’re just 4-5-7 and 10th in the West with 17 points. That’s nine points back of Dallas who are fourth.

FCD fell victim to Hany Mukhtar and the Yotes last weekend falling 2-1 at home. They then won 2-0 at home to St. Louis on Wednesday.

Now they go on the road where they’re 2-3-3 this season. Those two wins are their only two over their past 11 road games dating back into last season. However, they have scored a goal in 8/9 recent road games.

The last three meetings have all seen both teams scoring between these teams. It was 1-1 earlier this season in April. Last season they also drew 1-1 and Dallas won 4-1.

While Portland’s last match was scoreless, they’re winless in four and have only scored one goal in those four, three of those four games were on the road. At Providence Park across all competitions they had scored 15 goals in their previous five at home. They’ve also scored in 17/19 recent home games.

For Dallas, both teams have scored in 5/6 games and that’s how we’ll bet for our soccer picks today here.

• MLS Picks: Both teams to score (-145), risk 1 unit at DraftKings

Which team currently leads the league in xG? 👀

Take a look ahead at Matchday 18 by the numbers:

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 9, 2023

MLS Parlay Picks

Here’s a three-teamer where all we’re asking for is the home team to score a goal in this MLS parlay.

• Houston vs LAFC (HOU to score): Houston is 5-1-1 at home this season, scoring nine and only conceding twice. Add in the USOC and they’re 7-1-1. The Dynamo have never failed to score against LAFC. Actually, both teams have scored in all 11 historical meetings. That could be a bet on its’ own. But LAFC are coming off a CCL letdown and a midweek game, so we’ll simply back the home to team to score here.
• Sporting Kansas City vs Austin FC (SKC to score): Sporting got off to a disastrous start but are now undefeated in three and 4-2-1 across their past seven in MLS. They’ve scored in six of those seven games for a total of 13 goals.
• St. Louis City vs LA Galaxy (STL to score): St. Louis have the second-highest goals scored this season at 32 and are first in the West. The Galaxy have conceded 26 goals, the second-most in the West and are dead-last in the conference and league with 12 points. St. Louis has scored in 7/8 at home this season and have a combined 10 goals scored in their past three at home.
• Total odds (-152); 1 unit at DraftKings

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