MLS Week 19 Odds & Picks: Toronto FC vs New England Revolution, Atlanta United vs LAFC & More

• MLS Week 19 takes place from August 13-15, 2021
• Will it be another week full of goals in MLS?
• Read on for the odds and our best bets from MLS Week 19

MLS Week 19 takes place this Friday-Sunday with San Jose hosting Vancouver on Friday night kicking off the round. Following this, Saturday features seven matches and four more on Sunday.

Keep in mind four teams were involved in an additional competition earlier this week, the Leagues Cup. Each of Sporting KC, Seattle, NYCFC, and Orlando participated in the quarterfinals. Only Seattle, with a 3-0 win over Tigres were able to advance. Also, the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals Leg 1 matches took place this week as well with Philadelphia playing Club America on Thursday, losing 2-0.

However, the Union, as well as Orlando and Cincinnati are off this weekend.

If you were betting on goals last week it was a profitable week. Out of 13 games, ten of them saw both teams finding the back of the net. Of those ten, eight saw their totals go OVER 2.5. I see quite a few matches where that trend could continue this round.

Let’s look ahead to the odds and best bets from the MLS Week 19 schedule below. For those looking to place a bet on MLS in Maryland, you may be able to do so soon! Maryland sports betting is set to launch this fall.

MLS Week 19 Odds

Odds as of August 13 at DraftKings

Toronto FC vs New England Revolution Prediction

On paper, looking at the rosters this could be the match of the weekend at 8:00 pm EST Saturday night. I’m hoping for that at least since fans are finally allowed back and I’ll be in attendance (yay normal life). Both TFC and the Revs are loaded with talent. However, it’s New England who are rolling this season and who find themselves ten points clear in the East entering MLS Week 19.

They’re a whole 25 points ahead of 14th place Toronto FC, who with only 15 points, actually rank dead last in the league, even a point behind the likes of Inter Miami, Cincinnati, Austin and Vancouver. Some of those teams have been poor for a while. Others have very limited experience in MLS. Some, like Austin, are making their MLS debuts this season.

TFC fielded one of their best starting XIs of late on Saturday against NYCFC. It didn’t matter as they still found themselves down 2-0 within 21 minutes of play. Interim (and now full-time) head coach Javier Perez then made some bold half-time moves, subbing off both captain Michael Bradley and striker Jozy Altidore. In their place came Ralph Priso and Ifunanyachi Achara and the impact was felt immediately. TFC had the game tied within ten minutes of the second half and both substitutes picked up assists on Alejandro Pozuelo’s game-tying goal. Toronto was the team in control for most of the rest of the game but couldn’t find a third goal.

Could that comeback be the spark this side needs to turn things around heading into the second half of the season? Maybe. TFC is now 2-4-1 (WDL) since Perez took over. That’s just one defeat. Great. But it’s also only two wins. Not great. It’s also four draws and only four points of a possible 12 from home matches in that stretch. Definitely not great. So where TFC goes from here is still anyone’s guess.

Breaking that trend will be tough against New England. Bruce Arena’s side is rolling along at 12-4-3 this season. A 2-1 win over Philadelphia on Sunday makes them now six matches undefeated at 5-1-0. However, injured MVP candidate Carles Gil looks to miss out on this one, a big loss for the Revs.

I asked Bruce Arena about Carles Gil and if he’s training with the the full team which prompted him to say he would like to be asked questions about the game. He soon after left the virtual podium #NERevs

— Sam Minton (@Sam_Minton22) August 11, 2021

Toronto will hit the road for four games after this match. They need to pick up some home points. They’ve scored in seven of eight overall matches and are finally healthy. They’ve also scored in seven of eight home matches this season. But they’ve allowed a league-worst 38 goals, a whole eight more than even FC Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Revs are the league’s highest scorers with 35 tallies, and even without Gil, simply have too much talent to be kept off the board against this fragile TFC backline. The Revs have scored at least once in 17/19 games this year.

Much like TFC’s game last week, this one could get interesting and result in a few goals.

Pick: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 (-125 at Bet365)

Atlanta United vs LAFC Prediction

It’s one of the more rare inter-conference matchups when Atlanta United hosts LAFC at 4:00 pm EST Sunday afternoon in MLS Week 19 action. Not long ago, this could maybe have been viewed as a potential preview for an MLS Cup. However, Atlanta currently sits tenth in the East, while LAFC is just seventh in the West.

Earlier this week, Atlanta announced the hiring of new head coach Gonzalo Pineda, previously the assistant with Seattle. He’ll observe this one, while interim Rob Valentino, who will stay on Pineda’s staff, remains on the sidelines Sunday. Another new face coming to town, is new DP forward Luiz Araujo who could debut this weekend.

"When you’re offered Atlanta United, you go for it."

Hear from @GonzoPineda8 at his first #ATLUTD Press Conference: https://t.co/HsO8uPgEyK pic.twitter.com/YNLBpxiuBN

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) August 12, 2021

The Five Stripes finally broke a 12-match winless skid with a 3-2 road win over another reeling side, the Columbus Crew last weekend. Ezequiel Barco scored twice, once from the spot, and Damian Moreno added a second PK goal to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead. Columbus would add a second, but not until the 91′ minute through a PK of their own. Moreno ranks second in the league, alongside NYCFC’s Valentin Castellanos in goal-creating actions this season. He ranks first in both progressive carries and carries into the final third.

It was the third-straight game where Atlanta scored two goals or more. That’s great from an offensive standpoint, but defensively they’ve been equally as poor. It was also the third-straight game where they’ve conceded two or more goals. In Atlanta’s last 13 matches they’ve kept just one clean sheet.

⭐️ @MLS Team of the Week honors for two of our own ⭐️

Congrats to Ezequiel Barco and Rob Valentino ‼️ pic.twitter.com/FyQHn13VOz

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) August 9, 2021

Things aren’t too much better right now in the LAFC camp. They’re coming off a 2-1 loss to San Jose, where their only goal came off an own goal. Bob Bradley’s team is now winless in five. Every single one of those five have seen at least three goals scored and both teams finding the back of the net. That streak of both scoring and OVER 2.5 total goals actually extends to their past six. LAFC have scored in all but one match this season, so expecting anything different against Atlanta seems unlikely.

But the LAFC backline, especially since the injury to Eddie Segura has also been a mess. This one could get wild.

Pick: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 (-120 at Bet365)

Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew Prediction

Sunday’s second match kicks off at 6:00 pm EST between the East’s 11th-place Chicago Fire and the seventh-place Columbus Crew in MLS Week 19.

It’s the second meeting of the season for these two with the first coming back on June 19, a 2-0 Columbus win. The Fire were always going to be up against it in that match. They’d won just once heading into that match, were on the road, and were playing in the final game to be played at Crew Stadium. Gyasi Zardes scored twice and the Crew claimed an expected victory.

Injuries & call-ups hampering #Crew96 drive for consistency & chemistry in the XI.

Zelarayan & Zardes have started just 8 games together.
13 different back 4⃣ line-ups.

More from Coach Porter, J Mensah and D Nagbe, plus @neilsika!

📻 @971thefan
📱🖥️ https://t.co/wCcrPrxi1E pic.twitter.com/9nb0Gptk79

— Chris Doran (@ChrisDoran18) August 10, 2021

Not that Chicago finds itself in much better form two months later, but the tables should be more balanced this time. The Fire still have only four wins on the year, but are coming off a 2-1 home win over the Red Bulls and have lost just once in their past five and only twice in their past nine.

Chicago has also scored in all but one of those nine, a 0-0 draw versus a stingy NYCFC defense.

The Crew defense has been anything but stingy of late, more so charitable. Columbus have dropped their past three results by 3-2, 4-2 and 4-1 scorelines.

Crew games have been madness of late. Their past three losses have seen them create 33 attempts at goal, yet only seven on target. Against them, the Crew have allowed 47 attempts at goal and 17 shots on target. Columbus has also allowed 2.5, 1.7 and 3.8 expected goals against.

That was quick!

Luka Stojanovic with a banger to give @ChicagoFire the early lead! 🔥 #CHIvRBNY pic.twitter.com/m6vug7BXMV

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 8, 2021

In Robert Beric and Luka Stojanovic, fresh off a two-goal performance last week, the Fire should be able to create problems for this shaky Crew backline. But Columbus have plenty of players who can cause Chicago’s defense problems as well. The Fire have kept only three clean sheets all season and just one in their past seven.

Pick: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 (+110)

More MLS Week 19 Betting Notes

1. FC Dallas vs Sporting Kansas City: Ten of Dallas’ 18 matches have seen both teams scoring. It’s 14/18 for SKC, the most in the league. Both are in good form and it seems likely each can find the back of the net at least once this weekend.
2. Houston vs Colorado: The Dynamo winless skid rolls on – it’s ten without a win, but most of those came on the road. They’ll return home on Saturday against the Rapids. Both teams have scored in 72% of Houston matches this season.
3. More winless streaks: Montreal is now winless in five, while the Red Bulls are winless in six, with just one W in nine.
4. Teams in-form: On the flip side, teams like Minnesota (one loss in 12), San Jose (undefeated in seven), Vancouver (undefeated in five, 1-4-0), and DC United and NYCFC, both at 3-2-0 are all in top form right now ahead of MLS Week 19.
5. There are still four teams that are winless on the road. Only one, Vancouver is away this weekend, and against an in-form Earthquakes team, that streak may continue. Conversely, Nashville, Dallas and Houston have all yet to lose at home and all three are hosting this weekend.