MLS Week 21 Odds & Picks: League Leaders LAFC Host Defending Champions Atlanta United

• Week 21 of the MLS season continues this weekend with 12 matches across Friday and Saturday
• The defending champs travel to the current league-leaders Friday night
• Minnesota put their eight-game undefeated streak on the line against Vancouver who are winless in ten

Week 21 in the Major League Soccer season begins Friday, July 26, 2019 in Los Angeles with 12 matches over the weekend. The conclusion of Week 21 will set the stage for the league’s All-Star Game taking place in Orlando on July 31.

We take a look at a few of the top games from the MLS Week 21 slate and provide some expert betting advice. This week I want to focus on two small parlay bets for the weekend.

MLS Week 21 Parlay Bet 1

Let’s first look at a couple bets from the LAFC vs Atlanta United and Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders matches.

Los Angeles FC vs Atlanta United Odds

*All odds taken July 26, 2019

Title Contenders Face off at Banc of California Stadium

Friday night at 10:00 pm EST sees two of the league’s top teams meet in Los Angeles. LAFC, first in the West and in the Supporter’s Shield race, will host last year’s champions Atlanta United, who currently find themselves second in the East.

The teams have met just once previously, with Atlanta running out to an impressive 5-0 home win last year on April 7, 2018.

The Five Stripes will be looking to continue their move up the East table, with hopes of securing a third straight win in league play and possibly a third straight clean sheet as well. They are coming off 5-0 and 2-0 home wins over Houston and DC. However, they were lucky to get a rotated Dynamo lineup, which also went down a man six minutes into the game, and a Wayne Rooney-less DC United last week.

He comes up in BIG moments
He scores BIG goals

Pity Martínez slams home the close range header! pic.twitter.com/Chyknztudu

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) July 21, 2019

Atlanta may have lost each of their past five road games, but they’ve scored at least once in four of them. Pity Martinez seem to be slowly coming into form and Josef Martinez is now tied in second overall in the Golden Boot race with 16 goals.

Win or lose, the defending champs should be keen to show the biggest challengers to their title defense that they   are still one of the league’s best. They should do their part in finding the scoresheet.

2 – Josef Martinez has scored in six consecutive #MLS games for the second time, becoming the second player in league history to do so multiple times. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/99USB6D3nJ

— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) July 18, 2019

The only player ahead of Martinez (Josef) in the scoring race, is LAFC and newly named MLS All-Star captain Carlos Vela. The Mexican star has 21 league goals and scored twice last week in a 3-2 loss in the LA Derby to the Galaxy.

LAFC haven’t lost often this year, but when they have, they’ve been quick to rebound. After losses in any competition this season, their following matches resulted in wins of 4-1, 5-1 and 3-1.

By LAFC standards, they are actually mired in a bit of slump right now. Two losses in three have included the letdown last Friday to Zlatan and the Galaxy, plus a 1-0 home defeat to Portland in the US Open Cup.

However, LAFC are still undefeated at home with eight wins and one draw. They’ve scored in all but one of those matches. In the eight where they did, each time they’ve scored multiple goals. But, they’ve also conceded in six.

LAFC haven’t lost often this year, but when they have, they’ve been quick to rebound. After losses in any competition this season, their following matches resulted in wins of 4-1, 5-1 and 3-1.

#CaptainVela x 2⃣

For the second year in a row, @11carlosV is your #MLSAllStar Captain! pic.twitter.com/onY6YblozH

— LAFC (@LAFC) July 25, 2019

In their last eight matches in league play, only once have both teams not scored. There’s a reason this total is set at 3.5, instead of the typical 2.5. Their past four MLS matches have featured five, four, seven and six total goals. Take out a 1-0 road loss to Colorado and their previous two games ended with five and six goals.

If you’re looking at a single bet on this match, I’d look towards a ‘both teams to score and over 2.5 goals’ bet at odds of -125, or an ‘LAFC win and both teams to score’ bet at odds of +155.

But for the purpose of this parlay a simple ‘both teams to score’ bet at -190 will suffice.

Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders Odds

Dynamo Look to Move Above Playoff Line in Week 21

The Houston Dynamo will host the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, July 27 at 8:00 pm EST. Houston sit just outside the playoff positions in eighth, while Seattle are third in the West.

Back in May these two played out an exciting, yet low-scoring 1-0 Seattle win at CenturyLink Field. The setting changes to BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, a location where the Dynamo are much more comfortable. Houston are 7-1-3 (W/L/D) at home, but only 2-8-0 on the road.

Cristian Roldan scored early just five minutes into the season’s earlier match, which proved to be game’s only goal and all Seattle would need for the win. However, despite just one shot on target, Houston were not without their fair share of quality chances. On another night, and maybe at home, they should’ve contributed on the scoresheet.

After three straight losses, Houston went to Toronto last week and playing against a heavily rotated TFC lineup, they actually came away with a win on the road (3-1).

Only three teams in the West have allowed more goals than the Dynamo.

Houston was also in action midweek in the inaugural Leagues Cup where they were defeated in penalties by Liga MX side Club America.

The Sounders aren’t exactly world beaters themselves on their travels with only two wins, compared to the eight they have in Seattle.

Raul Ruidiaz just keeps scoring!!!#ArribaPerú pic.twitter.com/kBtkp5XSyr

— Diego Montalvan (@DMontalvan) July 22, 2019

Last weekend they hosted Cascadia rivals Portland and lost 2-1. They had won their two matches prior, one which was on the road to Columbus. While the wins haven’t been coming on the road, Seattle have at least scored in four of their past five road games.

Only three teams in the West have allowed more goals than the Dynamo and the Sounders certainly have the talent to find the back of the net. But Houston at home, in the heat are always dangerous.

Parlay Bet: LAFC vs Atlanta both teams to score & Houston vs Seattle both teams to score (+137)

MLS Week 21 Parlay Bet 2

For the second parlay bet I see two favorites primed for success on Saturday in the Minnesota vs Vancouver and Toronto vs Cincinnati matches.

Minnesota United vs Vancouver Whitecaps Odds

Will Whitecaps Snap 10-Game Winless Streak?

Minnesota United will host the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday night at 8:00 pm EST.

When I looked at this match earlier this week, the Loons were favored on the moneyline at -260. That’s now shortened to -280 and for good reason.

These two teams could not be going in more opposite in directions right now. Minnesota are fourth in the West with 34 points, while Vancouver sit at the bottom of the table with 20. The Loons can do nearly no wrong of late. They’re currently on a run of matches which have seen them go undefeated in eight matches across all competitions.

The streak of wins had reached seven, until last week’s 1-1 draw on the road to Real Salt Lake. While their goal scoring has cooled off a bit of late, a home date with the fledgling Whitecaps could quickly change that.

These teams opened the season against one another which resulted in a 3-2 away win for Minnesota. Despite scoring first, Vancouver would allow the Loons to score three straight and fell behind 3-1 in the match. It set the tone for a slow start to the year which Vancouver has never recovered from.

Dominick Zator on the match winner!#CanChampxOneSoccer | #CavsFC pic.twitter.com/h6831iGDtM

— Cavalry FC (@CPLCavalryFC) July 25, 2019

They’re currently winless in ten overall matches, having lost four straight. Last weekend they lost at home 3-1 to the surging San Jose Earthquakes. It was another example of two teams going in opposite directions and the hotter team winning.

But on Wednesday, things got even worse for the Caps as they were eliminated by Canadian Premier League (CPL) side Cavalry FC, at home, 2-1. They’ll now forever hold the distinction of being the first MLS team to lose to a CPL team. For those not up to speed on their Canadian soccer, the CPL is so new that the Cavalry Twitter account is still not even verified.

I can’t see any reason Minnesota can’t come away with a rather straightforward victory.

Toronto FC vs FC Cincinnati Odds

TFC Hope to Return to Winning Ways Against Expansion Cincinnati

After a couple months of struggles, Toronto had looked to have turned things around with back-to-back wins in July over Montreal and New York Red Bulls. At home to a Dynamo team notorious for poor showings on the road, TFC head coach Greg Vanney elected to rest several of his starters last weekend at BMO Field Saturday night, with the teams having just played on Wednesday.

It proved to be a disastrous decision as Houston led 2-0 at the half and went on to win 3-1. The goal to put Houston up 3-0 in the second half was especially concerning, as Mauro Manatos literally went 1-on-4, (nearly five) against Toronto defenders and still scored. Vanney subbed in several regulars in the second half and Toronto controlled the run of play, but it was too little too late.

Mauro Manotas just beat the Toronto defence all on his own. pic.twitter.com/UAS9dOycMm

— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) July 21, 2019

It was embarrassing and Greg Vanney was none to pleased, calling it “Keystone Cops” defending. But with no midweek games this week and wanting to put that loss out of their minds quickly, all the regulars should be in the lineup this weekend. And when the starters are playing for Toronto, they can still look like one of the league’s top teams.

And one of the league’s top teams should have no problem at home to expansion side FC Cincinnati. FCC are a league-worst 5-15-2 (W/L/D). They’re 2-9-1 on the road and have scored 11 road goals, compared to conceding 32. They’re currently riding a two-game losing streak having lost 2-0 at home to New England and 4-1 at home to DC last week.

Hungry for 3⃣ at home! ?@MariaPapadakiss gets you set for #TORvCIN ➡️ Painting the Picture presented by @BenjaminMooreCA#TFCLive pic.twitter.com/QRQZpXNctQ

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) July 25, 2019

If you wanted to look at either of Minnesota or Toronto on their own to win and score at least two goals, or to win on the spread I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But a simple two-team parlay for each to win should still net you an approximate 80-percent ROI.

Parlay Bet:  Minnesota to win and Toronto to win (-130)