We’re onto Week 9 in the 2023 MLS season with another full slate of matches to gamble on. If you need help narrowing down your betting options, read this right away. We’re giving you three MLS picks in week 9 that deserve your money!
3-Way Moneyline: Austin FC at LA Galaxy
Two of the biggest disappointments in the league meet in Los Angeles this weekend. Both sides are desperate to get a result in their favor, and that desperation is what draws us to the Austin-LA moneyline to begin with. As it stands, the top betting sites for MLS have pegged the Galaxy as clear favorites to win on their home field:
The Galaxy are fresh off a 3-2 defeat against inter-city rival, LAFC. The rivals came into the Galaxy’s stadium and handed them a third straight loss this season, and fourth overall. The squad is one of two MLS teams that remain winless (which is why we’re surprised just how favored LA is on the moneyline).
Austin is 2-2-3, so not as bad, but they also had MLS Cup hype before the season started. The team was deserving of the hype coming off a Western Conference trip but things have spiraled as of late. The Verde and Black has rallied just one goal in the precious four games. A lot of the blame is going on star midfielder Sebastián Driussi, but it’s been a team-wide issue which is even worse.
We expect a lot of money to go on the draw option given how awful each club is playing right now. However, we’re going to stick with the winless Galaxy. Here’s why: they actually played well against LAFC, the MLS gold standard last time out. LA had multiple opportunities to tie it before falling 3-2. Call it a moral victory, but we think they’ll be able to tally their first win on Saturday riding that confidence.
Over/Under 2.5 Goals: DC United at Orlando City
DC and Orlando will play for the second time in this young season come Saturday. The two clubs squared off in Week 3, in DC, and finished to a 1-1 draw. But despite that outcome, bookies are favoring an over in the DC-Orlando rematch. Here are the current odds both ways:
The first thing that jumps out to us is how bad Orlando City is when playing in the confines of home. They won the season-opener there against the Red Bulls but since then? It’s been all downhill. The team is 0-1-2 since then. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, especially since the heat and humidity should play to their favor.
Can DC United capitalize though? Eh, we’re not sure. The team is slightly better than its last-place self a year ago, but not by much. Famed manager Wayne Rooney wasn’t given the best situation, but he also hasn’t been the miracle worker the franchise was hoping for this far.
To us, this has the makings of an under three goals game. Both teams are struggling, which could create an ugly game on the field with few goal-scoring chances.
Moneyline: FC Dallas at New York City FC
For our third and final pick of this article, we were drawn to the uber-tight Dallas-NYCFC moneyline. It’s the second-closest matchup of the whole week. Here’s how oddsmakers have pegged it:
Both teams are playing so-so — certainly not bad, but aren’t blowing the doors either. The home side, NYCFC, is 3-3-2 which speaks to that middle-of-the-road performance. Though, FC Dallas is slightly better at 4-2-2. Moreover, Dallas also just won consecutive games for the first time in 2023. Newcomer Geovane Jesus has been a key cog for Dallas since making his first start three games ago.
At first instinct, we were inclined to bet the draw since both teams are playing at about the same level (these two sides have also tied four of their last six meetings against one another). However, we changed our tune once we evaluated NYCFC’s home record. When playing in the Big Apple, they are unbeaten (3-1-0). New York is truly a different team when on their field, which is why they’re getting our money here.
How To Bet On MLS This Season?
There are 14 different matches going down this weekend. In each game, there are multiple wagers available — moneyline, over/under, props, and much more. If you want ALL of these MLS bets under one roof, hit one of the bookmakers listed underneath. Per our newest sportsbook reviews, these sites graded high in their soccer betting menu that encompasses more than just MLS too.
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