MLS Week 18 Odds & Picks: Minnesota vs Houston, Dallas vs Austin & More

• MLS Week 18 features 13 matches from August 7-8, 2021
• Can the Dynamo snap a ten-match winless slide?
• Read on for the odds and our best bets from MLS Week 18

MLS Week 18 kicks off this weekend with a full slate of matches including seven on Saturday and six more on Sunday. Every team will be in action outside of Seattle.

It was a busy week in Major League Soccer with the transfer deadline and All-Star roster announcements. The headlines included forward Jeremy Ebobisse moving from Portland to San Jose, and midfielder Gianluca Busio being sold from Sporting KC to Italian Serie A side Venezia for a club-record deal.

Atlanta also brought in help for their offense, signing a new DP, forward Luiz Araujo, who helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title last season. The Five Stripes will be without their other attacker, Josef Martinez this weekend after he received a red card on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the LA Galaxy added help up top themselves with the transfer of Dejan Joveljic. Joveljic was on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt with Wolfsberger AC and scored 20 goals in 46 appearances last season in Austria.

In other news, the reeling FC Cincinnati parted ways with GM Gerard Nijkamp on Friday with the team sitting at just 3-6-7 this season.

Three teams will be entering the weekend fresher than the others, having not played in the midweek. Those being Vancouver, Minnesota and Colorado.

Let’s look ahead to the odds and best bets from the MLS Week 18 schedule below.

MLS Week 18 Odds

Odds as of August 6 at DraftKings

Minnesota United vs Houston Dynamo Prediction

Sixth-placed Minnesota United hosts 11th placed Houston at 8:00 pm EST Saturday night in MLS Week 18.

Minnesota has the advantage of fresher legs in this one having not played on Wednesday. Whereas Houston played away to Austin FC, losing 3-2 and playing down a man from the 20′ minute on.

Like seasons of the past, the Dynamo are once again dreadful on the road. They’re one of only two winless road teams in the West (Vancouver) and one of just five overall in the league who have yet to collect three points away from home. The scoring has been there with ten goals in ten games, however, shipping 17 goals has been their undoing.

Lights. Camera. Action!

Introducing the #MLSAllStar Game pres. by @Target squad. 🌟

First up: the guys up top! pic.twitter.com/uZiiACwc73

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 4, 2021

The loss to Austin extended Houston’s winless skid to ten matches. They have though become draw specialists, drawing seven of those ten matches. Given their poor road form though, it’s no wonder it’s been so long since they collected three points. The Dynamo have played seven of their past ten away from home, as well as four of their past five. They do return home next week and will play five of their upcoming six matches at BBVA Stadium.

The Loons are in a completely different run of form. Only a 2-0 road loss to Colorado back on July 7 has interrupted a streak that has seen them lose just once in 12 matches, going 6-5-1. They’ve been involved in a few entertaining affairs of late; a 2-2 draw last Saturday in Vancouver, as well as another 2-2 draw and 2-1 win in the two matches prior.

Robin Lod tucks it away to the far post! @MNUFC take the lead! #VANvMIN pic.twitter.com/d61r5CejgP

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 1, 2021

Adrian Heath’s side is 5-1-2 at Allianz Field, scoring ten and conceding just six times. Though despite being in a playoff position, they have allowed more goals (21) than they’ve scored (19) this season overall. They have found balanced scoring with Robin Lod leading the way with five markers, and no one else on the roster scoring more than two goals.

Only six teams have allowed fewer shots on target than the Loons, who have allowed just 62. At the end of a long road trip and coming off a midweek match, the Dynamo may not have enough in the tank to end their losing streak on Saturday.

Pick: Minnesota United to Win (-165)

FC Dallas vs Austin SC Prediction

MLS Week 18 will see the first-ever in-state rivalry, the Copa Tejas, between FC Dallas and the expansion Austin FC at 8:30 pm EST Saturday night. The only meeting between these teams came in a pre-season friendly which Dallas won in penalties after the teams drew 3-3 in regulation.

After no wins in four for Dallas, their form has picked up of late. 4-0 and 2-1 wins over LA Galaxy and SKC respectively, preceded a 1-1 draw with Seattle on Wednesday. That draw was almost not to be though, as it took a Franco Jara 91′ minute goal to level the score.

91' – Franco Jara gets a shot and scores making the game 1-1#SEAvDAL | #DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/gl9wa90uFp

— FC Dallas Public Relations (@FCDPR) August 5, 2021

Dallas at home is still undefeated — one of only three teams in the league to hold that distinction (others being Houston and Nashville). They’ve scored 16 goals while conceding only eight, but still have just three wins and five draws at Toyota Stadium.

For Austin, it was three losses in a row and all of which saw them held off the scoresheet, prior to Wednesday’s offensive explosion which saw them score three times in a 3-2 win over Houston. However, it must be noted that the Dynamo received a red card in the 20′ minute and still managed to stay in the game, scoring twice while a man down.

It’s been feast or famine (and usually famine) for the Verde and Black attack. They have just 13 goals all season and ten of those have come in three games. In their past 12 matches, they have just eight goals, and seven came from two matches. Austin hasn’t played on the road since June 21, but overall they’ve scored just six times on their travels, though, conceding only 11 in nine road games is strong. Manager Josh Wolff will hope the offense will be improved with the addition of Sebastian Driussi who is likely to make his debut this weekend as a new DP forward.

No team has played to more UNDERs (2.5) than Austin at 12-4. With their tight defense and the added intensity of a rivalry match, this one could again be close. I’d bet the draw (+260) or another UNDER.

Pick: Under 2.5 (-105)

San Jose Earthquakes vs LAFC Prediction

San Jose hosts LAFC at 7:00 pm EST on Sunday night in MLS Week 18 play.

If history holds true, this one could feature goals. The teams have played each other on eight occasions and only once (in 2018) was there less than three goals scored, and even then there was two. Otherwise, games between these sides have seen seven, five, four, four, six, three and five goals.

Last season in three games, LAFC won 5-1 at home, with San Jose winning 2-1 (in LA) and 3-2 in San Jose.

The Earthquakes don’t win often this year. They have just four wins in 17 matches. Only one of those wins have come in their past 13. However, Matias Almeyda’s side have avoided defeat in each of their past six matches, going 1-5-0 (WDL). They’ve scored in each of their past seven and now welcome Jeremy Ebobisse into the mix at forward. Whether he starts or not on Sunday is in question, but even off the bench, he should greatly improve the Earthquakes’ attack.

A new striker in San Jose.

NEWS: Earthquakes acquire forward Jeremy Ebobisse in a trade with Portland Timbers. #VamosSJ

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) August 5, 2021

LAFC have been abysmal in the backend defensively of late and are coming off a 4-1 defeat to SKC on Wednesday. That comes after back-to-back 2-2 draws and a 2-1 loss, leaving them now winless in four.

Bob Bradley will surely be looking for a response on Sunday and with Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi LAFC will always be goal dangerous. They did create 21 attempts on Wednesday but could only muster one, their single goal, on target.

LAFC have conceded in five of seven road matches and are struggling with defensive injuries which could see this match become rather open.

Pick: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Total Goals (-138 at Bet365)