MLS Week 21 Odds & Picks: Columbus Crew vs Seattle Sounders, Orlando City vs Chicago Fire & More

• MLS Week 21 runs from August 20-21, 2021
• Heineken Rivalry Week begins this weekend with key rivalries like San Jose vs LA, Minnesota vs SKC, Columbus vs Seattle, New York vs NYCFC, Houston vs Dallas and Colorado vs RSL
• Read on for the odds and our best bets from MLS Week 21

MLS Week 21 kicks off on Friday night with a Cali Clasico in Los Angeles when the Galaxy host the Earthquakes at 10:30 pm EST to begin MLS Heineken Rivalry Week. Saturday then features a huge slate of 12 matches before the league heads into All-Star Week.

Let’s look ahead to the odds and best bets from the MLS Week 21 schedule below.

MLS Week 21 Odds

Odds as of August 19 at DraftKings

It’s another busy week in MLS that saw matches on Tuesday and Wednesday in midweek play. San Jose enters Friday riding a nine-match undefeated streak after Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Minnesota. League-leaders New England picked up another win, 3-2 over DC, giving them seven wins in eight at 7-1-0.

Who ya got?#LAGalaxy vs. #Quakes74

⏰: 10:30pm ET
📺: ESPN2

Group Chat is live: https://t.co/zZCryuj0kc

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 20, 2021

Vancouver extended their impressive undefeated streak to seven games with a 2-1 road win over Austin on Wednesday despite holding just 37.7-percent possession. However, prior to that win, they had drawn five straight. They’ll host the slumping LAFC on Sunday who are winless in six.

Speaking of a team that’s been drawing, FC Cincinnati has now drawn four in a row after Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with CF Montreal. All four of those games have also fallen under the 2.5 goal total. Three have finished 0-0, with one 1-1 final.

Meanwhile, the Houston Dynamo continue to implode, failing to win for the 13th straight game after conceding an 88′ minute winner to RSL in a 2-1 loss. The Crew, current MLS Cup champs, are also sinking, now losers of five in a row after falling 1-0 to the Red Bulls.

This one may not be a game of the weekend, but for a huge price, the Portland Timbers away to Austin at +240 odds looks like a great price for an upset. True, Austin won 4-1 against the Timbers on July 1, but they have just one win in seven since and their opponents (Houston) took an early red card.

▪️ Heineken #RivalryWeek is here
▪️ Cali Clasico kicks us off tonight on ESPN2
▪️ Looking ahead to #MLSAllStar week

Everything you need to know ahead of this week's slate. 📺 pic.twitter.com/F6htLu8rR8

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 20, 2021

Columbus Crew vs Seattle Sounders Prediction

It’s an MLS Cup Final rematch when the Sounders visit the Crew in MLS Week 21 on Saturday at 5:30 pm EST.

The venue is once again in Columbus, though at a new stadium, but the form of the sides could not be any different right now.

The Crew are a middling 6-6-8 (WDL) and find themselves outside of the playoffs, eighth in the East with 24 points. On Wednesday they suffered their fifth-straight defeat, falling 1-0 on the road to the New York Red Bulls. It was the second game in a row where they were also held scoreless.

63' – Raul Ruidiaz subs on
63' – Raul Ruidiaz scores

INSTANT IMPACT pic.twitter.com/w5Xr8RtxVH

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 19, 2021

The Sounders meanwhile are tops in the West, 11-6-3 on 39 points and trail only New England in the Supporters’ Shield race. They handed FC Dallas just their second home defeat of the season on Wednesday, winning 1-0. Raul Ruidiaz scored the winner, his 14th of the season, which leads the Golden Boot race. Seattle were also huge 6-2 winners on the road against Portland last Sunday and drew with Dallas 1-1 at home in the match prior.

Winning three times in a row on the road will be no easy feat. But they’ll be traveling to a Crew side short on confidence right now. For a big price, Seattle to win at +200 would offer value. For a shorter price, Seattle to win or draw (double chance -165) could offer a small return or be a good parlay piece. Or, you could land in between both of those options and bet the Draw No Bet market (draw pushes) at +115.

Pick: Seattle – Draw No Bet (+115)

Inter Miami CF vs Toronto FC Prediction

Two teams languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings meet in MLS Week 21 when Miami hosts Toronto at 8:00 pm EST Saturday night.

Toronto has allowed a league-worst 41 goals on the season. Their xGA of 35.1 is also a league-low. Away from home, no team has conceded more than their 27 goals allowed. And no team has a worse road xGA than their 23.7 mark. Nor does any team have a worse expected goals differential on the road than Toronto’s -11.1.

Back at it on Saturday pic.twitter.com/S8HOZUNzYj

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) August 19, 2021

In fact, TFC hasn’t recorded an xGA of less than 1.0 since way back on May 12. It’s actually the only game they’ve done so. They haven’t seen an xGA under 1.0 or a clean sheet since. In recent matches, even in their two most recent wins, 3-2 over New England and 2-1 over Chicago, they substantially lost the xG battle. Against the Revs it was 2.4-1.3 and against the Fire it was 3.7-0.9.

Wednesday’s 1-0 road loss to Atlanta kept all of these streaks alive. Toronto fielded a rotated lineup and fell behind early in the 20′ minute when Ezequiel Barco scored his third goal in two games.

Miami meanwhile, was involved in a shootout Wednesday while hosting Chicago. It was a match that saw them take the lead, fall behind 2-1, equalize and then score a late winner in the 93′ minute.

Some more late-game magic for Inter Miami, with Rodolfo Pizarro scoring the late winner vs. the Chicago Fire.

That’s a third straight home win for #InterMiamiCF , while #CFFC continues to struggle on the road:

pic.twitter.com/zaRT8GzJ4y

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) August 19, 2021

There’s been just one meeting between these teams, a 2-1 win for Toronto last season. A similar scoreline could be in the cards this weekend as well. Inter Miami’s offense is gaining steam with goals in five of their past six. But they’ve conceded a goal in all but one match this season, including in each of their past 15.

For as bad as TFC has been this season, Miami hasn’t been much better. TFC has conceded in all but one match themselves this year and in each of their past 16. With players like Yeferson Soteldo and Alejandro Pozuelo in their ranks, both of whom didn’t come on until the 53′ minute on Wednesday, TFC should be able to find the scoresheet as well.

Pick: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 (-105 at Bet365)

Orlando City SC vs Chicago Fire Prediction

Orlando City hosts the Chicago Fire at 8:00 pm EST Saturday night in MLS Week 21 play.

The Lions played away to Nashville on Wednesday. Even without captain Nani in the lineup, they came away with a 1-1 draw. This, in a place, Nissan Stadium, which has been a fortress for Nashville all season.

Matches between these teams have been goal-fests historically. They’ve already played once this season, a 3-1 home win for the Fire. Even their preseason match this year was 2-2. In 2019 the scorelines read 5-2 and 1-1, and 4-0 and 2-1 in 2018.

Packed an extra point for our return flight home 💼 #VamosOrlando | #NSHvORL pic.twitter.com/UzKywzAozi

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) August 19, 2021

Know what stands out about that 5-2 Fire win back on October 6, 2019? It’s the last time Chicago won a game on the road. They’re winless away from Chicago in their past 18 matches.

They have just two road wins in their past 47 away matches. The other coming in August 2018 versus Houston. And then oddly, way back on May 26, 2018, they have a third road win, which also came against Orlando.

4 goals in 3 games. 🔥

Luka Stojanovic on a beautiful ball from Stanislav Ivanov. pic.twitter.com/weIA87SINt

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 19, 2021

So one could possibly argue that if a road win was in the cards for Chicago, this could be the venue for them to do it in. But that may be grasping at straws. After Wednesday’s 3-2 loss in Miami, which came on a heart-breaking 93′ minute goal from Rodolfo Pizarro, Chicago are now 0-1-6 (WDL) away from home this season. They’ve scored just five goals and allowed 17.

A bright spot for the Fire of late has been the play of Luka Stojanovic. With his goal Wednesday. the midfielder has goals in three straight games and four total. Odds for him as an anytime scorer Saturday are set at +240.

Orlando has been strong at Exploria Stadium at 5-3-1 with 17 goals scored and just seven conceded. Overall Orlando is undefeated in four and has suffered defeat just once in their past seven.

Pick: Orlando City to Win (-150)