{"id":22094,"date":"2023-08-17T08:16:13","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T12:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=22094"},"modified":"2023-08-17T08:16:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T12:16:15","slug":"mls-predictions-picks-and-betting-advice-for-8-20-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/soccer\/mls-predictions-picks-and-betting-advice-for-8-20-23\/","title":{"rendered":"MLS Predictions, Picks and Betting Advice For 8\/20\/23"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Betting Advice for MLS 8\/20\/23<\/h2>\n

WagerTalk MLS handicapper Nick Borrman<\/a> presents his August 20 MLS predictions and picks around key matches including Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati and Chicago Fire vs Orlando City SC. Which teams is he looking to pick up points and which will have goal scoring? Read his betting preview now!<\/p>\n

Toronto FC vs CF Montreal | 8\/20\/23 | 7:30pm ET<\/h2>\n

Toronto +125 | Draw +235 | Montreal +185<\/strong>
\nAsian Handicap: Toronto -0.25 | Total: 2.5<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Nothing more exciting than watching two bad teams duke it out and that\u2019s exactly what we have here on Saturday night as the MLS returns to action following the Leagues Cup break.<\/p>\n

Toronto have just three wins this season in now 26 matches including their two Leagues Cup group stage games.\u00a0 Three.\u00a0They are averaging 0.91 xG per match which ranks dead last in the league, though that does uptick to 1.09 at home, which is slightly better at 4th<\/sup> worst in the league.<\/p>\n

However, their defense hasn\u2019t been terrible allowing 1.32 xGA this season which is better than 12 teams but that does drop to only 1.13 at home. \u00a0Because of their anemic offense but somewhat solid defense, their matches generally don\u2019t see a lot of goals, or rather, don\u2019t see a lot of action from both teams.\u00a0 Only ten of their 24 matches this season have seen both teams score.<\/p>\n

That holds true even more so with Montreal who lead the league with a ridiculous 3-20 BTTS Yes-No record.\u00a0 Yes, 20 of their 23 matches have seen one side fail to score, a whopping 87% No rate.\u00a0 Montreal has scored in just three of their 12 away matches this season with basically all their success coming at home.<\/p>\n

Montreal averages just slightly above Toronto with 1.08 xG per match this season, dropping to 1.03 on the road.\u00a0 Though their defense has been much very bad on the road allowing 1.78 xGA.\u00a0 However, it\u2019s sort of been a Jekyll and Hyde situation as Montreal has kept nine clean sheets, it\u2019s just when they do concede, it can often turn into two, three or more.<\/p>\n

Going to trust the trends for both teams hold true once more here.<\/p>\n

TAKE BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE NO +125<\/strong><\/p>\n

Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati | 8\/20\/23 | 7:30pm ET<\/h2>\n

Columbus -105 | Draw +240 | Cincinnati +250<\/strong>
\nAsian Handicap: Columbus -0.5 | Total: 2.75<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The battle of Ohio usually produces plenty of fireworks and I expect that to be the case once again at the teams return to action on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Both teams qualified from their group in the Leagues Cup but were each eliminated in the first knockout round, so both are on equal rest.<\/p>\n

Columbus\u2019 three Cup matches averaged 4.67 goal per match.\u00a0 That follows a trend in their previous 14 MLS matches leading up to the Leagues Cup in which there were a total of 50 goals in 14 matches, an average of 3.57 goals per match.\u00a0 They had a 10-4 Over record during that stretch and if you include the Cup, 13 of their last 17 matches have finished Over the total.<\/p>\n

Cincinnati is having a tremendous year which started out thanks to their defense as they kept five clean sheets in their first seven matches, allowing an average of only 0.57 goals per match, and won four 1-0 games along the way.\u00a0 Since then, they have kept just four clean sheets over their last 19 matches and have allowed an average of 1.37 goals per match.\u00a0 Over their last eight matches, they have conceded at least one goal in each and allowed 1.75 goals per match.<\/p>\n

You can see the trend defensively is getting worse for this team, luckily for them, their offense has clicked into full gear, and they are still winning games as they have scored at least two goals in 11 of their last 16 and scored three goals in seven of those.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m inclined to believe the Leagues Cup break will not help defenses either as they are likely not to be in sync with one another along the back which will only help us fly Over this total.<\/p>\n

TAKE OVER 2.75 GOALS -125<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicago Fire vs Orlando City SC | 8\/20\/23 | 8:30pm ET<\/h2>\n

Chicago +120 | Draw +230 | Orlando +205<\/strong>
\nAsian Handicap: Chicago -0.25 | Total: 2.75<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Chicago has been very good at home this season with just one loss through 12 matches.\u00a0 They have settled for six draws though to go along with five wins.\u00a0 They had been playing their best just before the Leagues Cup break winning three straight at home, keeping clean sheets in all three.<\/p>\n

However, there are warning signs that it could come crashing down.\u00a0 Chicago has averaged 1.58 goals scored per match but on only 1.04 xG while allowing just 1.08 goals per match on a much higher 1.42 xGA.\u00a0 While actual goals scored and xG don\u2019t necessarily match one another every single match, over time, those averages will start to creep closer and closer to each other.<\/p>\n

That just means we are looking at a team overperforming quite a bit both offensively and defensively at home and some regression seems inevitable.\u00a0 American Soccer Analysis has Chicago overperforming by nearly 6.9 points at home this season.<\/p>\n

Orlando meanwhile has been solid away from home with only three losses to go with four wins and four draws.\u00a0 They have been scoring a few more goals than expected as well, averaging 1.45 goals per match vs 1.24 xG, but their defensive numbers have been right in line at 1.45 allowed on 1.53 xGA.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of May, Orlando had just two losses over their final 13 matches prior to the Leagues Cup break.\u00a0 They then beat Santos Laguna and drew with Houston in their Leagues Cup group before being eliminated by Messi\u2019s Inter Miami which we know the magic story happening there.<\/p>\n

I expect their form to continue as MLS play resumes this weekend vs a team destined to begin losing points at home.<\/p>\n

TAKE ORLANDO CITY +0.25 -110<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Fan<\/a><\/p>\n

Interested in placing a MLS bet? Visit FanDuel to get a $1,000 no sweat first bet<\/a> in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia or Wyoming.<\/em><\/p>\n

MLS Free Picks at WagerTalk<\/h3>\n

Visit our MLS Free Picks Page<\/a> where our handicappers are consistently loading up free plays across the weekly MLS slate!<\/p>\n

Stoppage Time | Weekly Soccer Preview<\/h3>\n

Join Carmine Bianco, Kevin Dolan, Nick Borrman, Bryan Power and Pavlos Laguretos for Stoppage Time every Tuesday and Thursday breaking down betting angles across the European soccer schedule!<\/p>\n

WagerTalk Live Odds Screen<\/h3>\n

WagerTalk\u2019s live odds screen<\/a> features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLS moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all scheduled games.<\/p>\n

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Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?<\/span><\/h4>\n