MLS Odds & Best Bets on November 4: Fire, Galaxy Desperately Seeking Playoffs

• Chicago, Colorado and the Galaxy all face make-or-break midweek games that are crucial to their playoff hopes
• Orlando and Columbus meet for the first time this season, with both jostling for Eastern playoff seeding
• Five regular-season makeup games taking place on Wednesday, November 4, ahead of the season’s final weekend

With points-per-game now deciding who makes the playoffs and who will be sitting at home this fall – and meaning that Minnesota United clinched a postseason berth without even playing a game – this week’s MLS makeup games will go a long way to determining all 18 playoff teams entering the season’s last weekend.

While some, such as Orlando and Columbus, have long since clinched and are jostling for playoff seeding, others, namely Chicago, Colorado and the Los Angeles Galaxy are fighting for their playoff lives.

MLS November 4 Odds

All odds taken Nov 3 at DraftKings

Can Lions Continue Eastern Dominance in MLS?

With just two losses against MLS Eastern Conference teams this season, the Orlando City Lions have roared their way into a first playoff appearance, coming off their runners-up finish at the MLS Is Back tournament in the summer.

Getting to winning ways at the right time 👊#MTLvORL | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/tcCjiUwQAv

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) November 2, 2020

And fourth-placed Orlando is coming into its first matchup with third-placed Columbus at exactly the right time, having conceded just eight goals in its last 10 games. The second-leading goal scorers in the conference are also unbeaten at home this campaign, with five wins and three draws.

Columbus enters the game on the back of an impressive 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union, the top team in MLS, but has five losses on the season and is yet to win away from home.

Big win at just the right time.#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/pd03fnhN1Z

— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) November 3, 2020

While the goals-per-game has been fairly similar for each team over their last 10 games (1.7 for Orlando and 1.5 for Columbus), it’s the defensive quality that really sets the two teams apart, with Orlando’s 0.8 goals per game stacking up well against the Crew’s 1.4.

Pick: Orlando City (+114)

Fire Set to Capitalize

Adrian Heath has been something of a miracle worker of late, overcoming a long list of injuries and COVID absences to lead Minnesota United on a six-game unbeaten streak in MLS that has been sufficient to get them over the line and into the playoffs for the second time.

Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? pic.twitter.com/vrgjPGnY8s

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 29, 2020

Goalkeeper Tyler Miller and striker Luis Amarilla are out for the season, while Ike Opara, Osvaldo Alonso, Jacori Hayes, and Hassani Dotson are also all out.

But with the Loons already safely into the playoffs, there may well be a thought that now is the time to take their foot off the gas. That may be particularly so against the lowly Fire, a team that is currently sitting in the 10th and last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Boris just ghosting through the defense.#NSHvCHI 1-1 pic.twitter.com/vE0d8n27x0

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) November 1, 2020

Chicago is currently on a four-game winless run, and has just one win in its last seven games. In the three games it has played against Minnesota all-time, the Fire has one win to the Loons’ two.

But even though Chicago is winless on the road this season, it needs the points more than Minnesota does. Given the depleted state of the Loons’ roster, it might just be that the Fire pulls it off.

Pick: Chicago Fire (+250)

Can Kinnear Keep Rolling?

Interim head coach Dominic Kinnear had an immediate impact on the Los Angeles Galaxy this past weekend, leading the embattled five-time MLS Cup champions to a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake in his first game back in charge.

The team looked far more motivated than it had under Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and having a few more days to get the Galaxy playing the way he would want will not exactly hurt Kinnear’s efforts to make it two from two.

Los Angeles badly needs the points, currently sitting 10th in the MLS Western Conference and needing help to move past San Jose into the eighth and final playoff berth.

But the Galaxy are meeting Seattle at the right time, with the Sounders having won just once in their last five games. In addition, Seattle has a 4-6-5 all-time road record against the Galaxy, who will also be looking for the continued red-hot form of Cristian Pavon. The Argentine playmaker has 10 goals and seven assists on the season.

Pick: Los Angeles Galaxy (+215)