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Play-In & Round 1 Matches Expert Analysis - MLS Betting

Play-In & Round 1 Matches Expert Analysis – MLS Betting

Written by on November 18, 2020

Soccer Betting News

Okay MyBookie soccer betting faithful, with the start of the 2020 MLS postseason set to get underway on Friday, Nov. 20, it’s time to take a fun-filled look at which teams are offering the best value against their MLS betting odds this coming weekend.  A pair of play-in games will take place on Friday night, No. 20, with the first round of action set for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22. Now, let’s find out who’s in action and which teams are looking like solid betting selections so you can make your bets against their MLS odds.

Quartet of MLS Cup 2020 Playoff Odds and Picks

Play-In Round Matches

No. 8 New England Revolution (8-8-8) Vs No. 9 Montreal Impact (8-14-2)

  • When: Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 at 6:30 PM ET
  • Where: Gillette Stadium

New England finished in eighth place in the eastern conference standings with 26 goals scored and 25 allowed. Montreal finished one spot back while scoring 33 goals, but allowing 43 goals defensively. New England hits the playoffs fresh off their regular season-ending 2-0 loss against Philadelphia on Sunday.

“I think in the first half in particular they were much more aggressive, they put us under pressure, and our passing and inability to hold the ball, to keep the ball was very poor,” manager Bruce Arena said. “That was our entire team. That had nothing to do with our top three players. I think from our back line up, we did a real job with our passing, our ability to hold the ball, to possess the ball.”

Montreal hits the playoffs coming off a 3-2 win over D.C. United on Sunday.

“This game mirrors our season,” manager Thierry Henry said. We always needed to fight, we did it and we didn’t give up. Could we have clinched before? Yes of course. But we did it today, away from home, down at halftime against a team that was hot at the moment and we needed to fight for it.”

Prediction

New England has won three straight and seven of 10 in this rivalry including a 3-2  road win on October 14. While the Revolution aren’t nearly as explosive as the Impact, New England is the far better defensive team in this pairing and playing at home. While I’m expecting Montreal to put up a good effort in this one, I like New England by a goal

Pick: New England 3 Montreal 1

No. 7 Nashville SC (8-7-8)Vs No. 10 Inter Miami CF (7-13-3)

  • When: Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 at 9:00 PM ET
  • Where: Nissan Stadium

Nashville finished in seventh place in the eastern conference while scoring 24 goals and allowing 22 goals defensively. Inter Miami reached the playoffs in its first season in the MLS by finishing 10th in the eastern conference while scoring 25 goals and allowing 35 defensively. Nashville hits the postseason coming off a thrilling 3-2 win over Orlando City on Sunday while Inter Miami recorded a hard-fought 2-1 win over Cincinnati on Sunday to punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Prediction

Nashville recorded a 1-0 home win over Miami in their first ever meeting on Aug. 30 while the two played to a scoreless draw in their only other meeting on Sept. 6. As much as I was impressed with Miami’s win on Sunday, the expansion team just isn’t quite ready to get past Nashville in this affair. While Inter has the slight edge in goals scored this season, Miami has been borderline awful defensively in allowing 10 more goals than they put on the board during the regular season. That lack of quality defense will be the reason Nashville narrowly escapes with a one-goal win!

Pick: Nashville 2 Miami 1

Round 1 Matches

No. 4 Orlando City SC (14-5-8) Vs No. 5 New York City FC (13-9-3)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 at 12:00 PM ET
  • Where: Exploria Stadium

Orlando City comes into the playoffs off a narrow 3-2 loss against Nashville in their regular season finale on Nov. 8 after winning their previous three matches against Columbus, Montreal and Atlanta. Orlando City has put 46 goals in the back of the net this season while allowing 29 goals defensively (+17).

New York City FC hits the postseason on fire, having won its final four regular season games while going 7-2-1 over its last 10 games overall. New York took out Chicago 4-3 in its regular season finale on Nov. 8 one game after beating the cross-town rival Red Bulls 5-2 in their previous match. New York has scored 41 goals this season while allowing 29 goals defensively (+12).

Prediction

While Orlando ranks seventh in scoring (1.7 gpg) and fourth in goals allowed (1.1 gpg), New York ranks 10th in scoring (1.6 gpg) and seventh in goals allowed (1.2 gpg). Still, these two played to a 1-1 draw the last time they met on Oct. 14., following a pair of wins by Orlando in the previous two meetings.

New York, however, has won five of the last eight meetings overall while managing a pair of draws along the way. More importantly, New York – and forward Valentin Castellanos in particular – are clearly playing their best soccer of the season at just the right time and that’s why they are the pick to win this opening round match by a lone goal. Expect a thriller in this one, that finishes just over the 3-goal total.

Pick: NY FC 3 Orlando City 2

No. 3 Columbus Crew SC (12-7-5) Vs No. 6 New York Red Bulls (9-9-5)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 at 3:00 PM ET
  • Where: MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus

Columbus hits the postseason having won two of its final three regular season matches including a hard-fought 2-1 win over Atlanta in its finale on Nov. 8. The Crew have scored 37 goals this season while allowing 22 goals defensively (+15).  New York also won two of its final three regular season contests including a narrow 2-1 win over Toronto FC on Nov. 8 in its finale. The Red Bulls have scored 29 goals this season while allowing 31 goals defensively (-2).

Prediction

Columbus ranks 11th in scoring (1.5 gpg) and a stellar second in goals allowed (0.9 gpg). Conversely, New York ranks an uninspiring 17th in scoring (1.3 gpg) and a modest 13th in goals allowed by giving up an identical 1.3 goals per contest. The Crew have won two straight in this rivalry including a convincing 2-0 win the last time they met on July 16. More importantly, New York has allowed more goals this season than they’ve put on the board while Columbus forward Gyasi Zardes has scored three times as many goals (12) as New York’s leading scorer Daniel Royer (4 goals). Columbus gets the big win to advance – and it comes by two goals!

Pick: Columbus 3 NY Red Bulls 1

Soccer Betting News

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