FC Cincinnati are back on top of the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference following their three-game winning streak. The Orange and Blue have 48 points, one point above Inter Miami, and they can grow their lead to four points if they beat Charlotte this weekend.
While the Eastern Conference is dominated by FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami thus far, the competition in the Western Conference is slightly tighter, with three teams level on points.
LAFC, Real Salt Lake, and LA Galaxy all have 43 points apiece, and depending on this week’s Major League Soccer 2024 results, we could see a new team on top of the pack.
FC Cincinnati vs Charlotte
FC Cincinnati’s confidence is high following their 6-1 demolition of Inter Miami, who were without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez (due to the ongoing Copa America) last time out.
Inter Miami looked out of it from the get-go, and it all went downhill for them when Sergio Busquets was sent off in the 62nd minute after the former Barcelona man took exception to a foul called against his side, earning for himself two quick yellow cards.
Five different players found the back of the net for the Orange and Blue, as Yuya Kubo notched a brace, while Luciano Acosta, Pavel Bucha, Yamil Asad, and Gerardo Valenzuela all had one goal each. Serhiy Kryvtsov was the only goal scorer for the Herons.
As always, Luciano Acosta is the man to watch out for if you’re Charlotte since he is putting up MVP numbers anew, with a team-high 10 goals and 18 assists so far this term.
Charlotte, on the other hand, are in the playoff mix as a sixth seed, but they are on a two-game losing streak.
The Crown not only lost to Inter Miami with a 2-1 scoreline last time out, but they also lost their striker, Patrick Agyemang, as he was sent off in added time.
The 23-year-old striker will not be available against FC Cincinnati because of the booking he got, leaving Charlotte bereft of attacking firepower.
Betting tip: FC Cincinnati Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 2.25
LAFC vs Columbus Crew
LAFC have a date with Columbus Crew on Saturday in what will be a rematch of the 2023 Major League Soccer Cup Final, where the latter won via a 2-1 scoreline.
The Black and Gold are undefeated since May and are through to the US Open Cup semi-finals after beating New Mexico United yesterday. They are fresher than expected ahead of this weekend since their match against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday was postponed due to inclement weather.
Denis Bouanga leads LAFC’s attack this season with 14 goals and nine assists, while Mateusz Bogusz has 12 goals and six assists. These two should continue to carry the load offencively since Cristian Olivera hasn’t returned to the squad because of the Copa America, playing for Uruguay.
The only players on LAFC’s injury list are defenders Aaron Long and Lorenzo Dellavalle, although both are expected to return to action by the middle of July.
The Columbus Crew are also in fine form because they’ve won five of their last six league matches, including back-to-back shutout victories against Nashville (2-0) and Toronto (4-0).
A win here would solidify their hold at the third spot in the Eastern Conference, and they can draw closer to Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati because they’ll have two more games in hand.
Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi will go toe-to-toe against Denis Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz, as the Columbus Crew frontmen combine for 18 goals and 17 assists so far this season.
Betting tip: 1X2 Draw @ 3.50
FC Dallas vs LA Galaxy
With LAFC expected to have a hard time against the Columbus Crew, this is LA Galaxy’s chance to leapfrog them at the top of the Western Conference because they have an easier opponent against FC Dallas.
LA Galaxy have won two of their last three matches, while FC Dallas are 11th in the Western Conference with 23 points and have lost twice in the same period.
It would take nearly a miracle for the Texas-based side to win, according to the SBOTOP Major League Soccer 2024 odds, since they have a host of players unavailable for selection due to injury.
Jesus Ferreira and Liam Fraser are out due to hip injuries, while Geovane Jesus and Alan Velasco are both recovering from their major knee injuries.
As for the LA Galaxy, the attacking trio of Dejan Joveljic, Riqui Puig, and Gabriel Pec will likely have a field day on Saturday.
Betting tip: LA Galaxy Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.11
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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