MLS Picks & Odds for Week 27 – Union vs Rapids, Timbers vs Sounders & More

• MLS Week 27 kicks off Friday night and includes 14 games this weekend
• Last week’s MLS picks record: 5-0, +3.55 units; Season Record 55-39, +9.34 units
• Read on for the MLS odds and our MLS predictions for today below

MLS Week 27 gets underway Friday night in what may be the match of the weekend when Austin hosts LAFC. Portland and Seattle follow later in the night in what kicks off a weekend of 14 matches. We’ll focus on six of those in our MLS picks today.

MLS is always a league that is higher scoring than many soccer leagues around the globe. But lately, that’s been cranked up to another level. There were 60 goals in MLS Week 24 over 14 games and in Week 25 we saw 57 goals in 14 games that weekend. Not counting the small slate of midweek games last week, last weekend we saw 49 goals in 14 games. Even though that number is dropping after a record-breaking 60, last week still saw a 3.5 GPG average.

The week saw Philadelphia thrash DC United 6-0 for the second time in five games. It also saw LAFC become the first team to clinch the playoffs, despite losing in San Jose, by virtue of Colorado drawing with Houston.

MLS Odds Week 27

Odds from Barstool Sportsbook

The Loons and the Union come in as two of the stronger home favorites this weekend at -137 and -162 respectively. However, it’s Atlanta United listed as heavy -180 favorites at home to DC United who are winless in five, who enter MLS Week 27 as the biggest favorites.

MLS Picks for Week 27

As someone who sways towards Overs in MLS betting, we’ve obviously been on a bit of a hot streak, going 9-1 in our last ten plays and 5-0 last week in our MLS picks. We’ll bank on more goals, and the likes of Philly and Minnesota to stay hot in our MLS predictions today below that will feature four straight bets, as well as one two-game parlay below.

If the Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs started today… pic.twitter.com/c6L8lyuTJd

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 26, 2022

Minnesota United vs Houston Dynamo Pick

Minnesota is looking to maintain a top-four spot in the West, while Houston looks to be sputtering towards the backend of the season.

The Loons go as does Emanuel Reynoso, and right now he’s going. Reynoso has seven goals and five assists in his past nine games. Minnesota as a team are 7-2-1 in their past ten. If you’ve been backing Overs with the Loons, you’d be 10-2 in their past 12.

.@MNUFC with the penalty by Emanuel Reynoso.

1-0 to the hosts. pic.twitter.com/miyEySmBEn

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 21, 2022

The Dynamo are 26th in MLS with just 26 points. They escaped Colorado with a 1-1 draw last week, but only by scoring a 95′ minute goal, and only after the Rapids took a red card. That makes their road record  3-1-9 this season. Those three road wins are their only three in their past 38 road games.

Minnesota won 2-1 in Houston back on July 23. That makes it four wins in a row for the Loons over the Dynamo, plus a streak of six undefeated against Houston. Let’s bet on that run of success to continue in our MLS predictions.

Pick: Minnesota to win (-137); 1 unit at Caesars Sportsbook

Charlotte FC vs Toronto FC Pick

The last time these two met was just a few weeks ago, in Toronto on July 23. Toronto’s Italian superstars exploded onto the scene and propelled TFC to a 4-0 thrashing of Charlotte by halftime. So convincing was the first half, that Lorenzo Insigne was subbed off, and he was showered, changed and back on the sidelines taking in the game by the second half.

That win sent TFC onto an undefeated run of five games before falling 2-1 in Miami last weekend.

MLS: It is perplexing how Toronto FC doesn't have an above-average MLS goalkeeper in a team that is one of the most talented in the field.

Alex Bono continues to force TFC into outscoring their problems. pic.twitter.com/KLCulAD4SM

— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) August 21, 2022

Charlotte has gone 2-0-3 since that defeat and also lost 2-1 at home to Orlando last weekend.

This game, as will likely every remaining game this season, will be a big one for both if they hope to keep alive their playoff hopes. Charlotte sits tenth in the East with 32 points, ahead of Toronto, 11th, with 30. Both are within striking distance of seventh place, currently occupied by Columbus with 35 points.

Since July 23, Toronto has scored 14 goals and conceded seven in six games. The defense has shown some improvement but they’ve still conceded in four straight. Betting both teams scoring and Over 2.5 has cashed in each of those four games. Meanwhile, Toronto has only kept one clean sheet on the road all season.

Lore saw Mimmo last match and said let me try 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/xguxGdtPsp

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) August 21, 2022

Charlotte has also been playing to many Overs of late, going 6-0 to Over 2.5 totals in their past six. Charlotte has been strong at home this season at 8-0-5 but has lost their past two at Bank of America Stadium 2-1 and 3-2. The Crown have scored in 10/13 at home and will have every motivation to put in a better performance against TFC this time around. But Toronto’s offense is flying and this one should see goals and goals from both sides.

Pick: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 (-125); 1 unit

Philadelphia Union vs Colorado Rapids Pick

Only one team is still undefeated at home this season entering MLS Week 27 and that team is the Union at 8-5-0. They’re currently second in the MLS Cup odds at +800. What’s more impressive is their +23 goal differential at Subaru Park. At home, Philly has scored 30 while only conceding seven.

As good as Philadelphia is at home, Colorado is just as poor on the road. The Rapids are 1-3-8 on the road, scoring 16 times and conceding 27. Their six road points are the worst in the league.

He became the 2nd player in @MLS history to score TWO hattricks against the same club. @PhilaUnion striker Julian Carranza describes what makes the Philadelphia Union so strong. pic.twitter.com/d0b92N6Zmi

— SiriusXM FC (@SiriusXMFC) August 25, 2022

Colorado enters this MLS Week 27 game winless in three and has just three wins in their past 13. If they were playing almost any other team than the Union, a both teams to score bet could come into play as that has cashed n 9/10 with the Rapids.

But the Union are rolling and at home, they should pick up all three points. They just ripped apart Wayne Rooney’s DC United 6-0 in DC last week. Julian Carranza scored a hat-trick and now has 12 goals on the year. They’re 7-1-2 in their past ten and have outscored their opponents 29-8 in that stretch. We’ll include a Union win in our MLS picks for today.

Pick: Philadelphia to win (-162); 1 unit

Sporting Kansas City vs San Jose Earthquakes Pick

It’s two bottom-feeders squaring off in MLS Week 27 on Saturday night with 14th place SKC hosting 12th place San Jose. Despite their poor records, both are coming off wins. San Jose, an impressive 2-1 home win against Supporters’ Shield leading LAFC last Friday. And SKC, a 4-1 beatdown of Portland at home on Sunday.

These teams drew 1-1 in May, their second straight 1-1 result in their head-to-heads. The past nine meetings between these teams have all seen both teams scoring. Six of those nine have seen the Over 2.5 also hit.

8️⃣ goals scored in our last 2️⃣ home matches.

We go for more on Saturday. #SKCvSJ

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) August 24, 2022

There’s nothing to lose here for both teams which should open this game up quickly. Both teams struggle defensively, with San Jose ranking 27th in goals allowed and SKC 26th. As poor as the Earthquakes have been, only seven teams have scored more than their 42 goals this season. And while Sporting has struggled to score for most of the season, they’ve exploded for 11 goals in their past three, becoming the first team to score three goals in the first half of three straight games. Sports bettors in Kansas should be sure to check out the best Kansas sports betting apps for your MLS picks once legalized wagering launches in Kansas on September 1, 2022.

Pick: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 (-118); 1 unit

MLS Parlay Picks for Week 27

Here’s a two-game MLS parlay from the Friday doubleheader on ESPN. Be sure to check out this Barstool Sportsbook promo code that offers a unique sign-up bonus to bet on all the MLS action and our MLS predictions this weekend.

Big night on ESPN. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/SjHi3wTQqo

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 26, 2022

1. Austin FC vs LAFC: The first game of MLS Week 27 kicks off Friday at 8:00 pm EST and it could shape up to be the most exciting. It’s first in the West LAFC traveling to second in the West Austin. Both teams are coming off a rare defeat in Week 26. These are the two highest-scoring teams in the league with 55 goals. Austin won 2-1 earlier this year in LA when these teams met, but LAFC is 3-0-1 against the Verde and Black all time. Austin has scored 32 goals in 12 games at Q2 Stadium and has scored a goal in 16 straight home or away. They could include new signing Emiliano Rigoni in the lineup Friday as well. Austin’s past ten home matches have seen 20 combined goals. LAFC has scored in eight straight and in 24/26 this season. Both teams play to Overs, with Austin at 18-8 and LAFC 16-10. You should be safe betting both to score and Over 2.5 (-157) on its own, but since we’re using this in a parlay, we’ll just go “both to score” in our MLS picks.
2. Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders: And we’ll do the same in this match between Cascadia rivals Portland and Seattle. Both the Timbers (15-12) and Sounders (14-12) have also skewed to the Over this season, albeit to a lesser extent. These rivals are neck and neck for the final Western Conference Playoffs spot. They both have 33 points, one back of seventh place LA Galaxy. The fact that Portland is still in the playoff picture with only seven wins in 27 games is shocking. They’re getting by with draws, lots of them. 12 to be exact; the most in the league. A run of no losses in ten looked good, but with two straight losses (4-1 and 3-1), after three draws, they’re now winless in five. Both teams have scored in seven straight Timbers games and also in 20/27 overall. Seattle’s form is just as dodgy and they’re starting to look like they may end their streak of making the playoffs in every season of their existence. Seattle is 3-1-6 in their past ten and winless in three after last week’s 3-3 draw against the Galaxy. There’s an oddity in this matchup in that the home team is just 1-1-8 in the past meetings in MLS play. The Timbers took the earlier meeting 3-0 in Seattle this season, but I think each will find the scoresheet this time around for my MLS picks.

MLS Parlay Picks:  Austin vs LAFC both to score & Portland vs Seattle both to score (+127); 1 unit at Caesars Sportsbook