The penultimate full round of matches in the MLS 2021 regular season is quite a drawn out affair but it begins on Saturday evening when six fixtures take place on what is another huge day across both Conferences.
We get to enjoy two of these six games on the two main channels which show this league in the UK but those and all the others are available via the bookmaker streams and with the clocks going back and all of them relatively early starts there is no reason not to kick back for some wall-to-wall action!
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (UK TV and kick off in brackets)
Inter Miami CF v New York City FC (18.30)
Real Salt Lake v San Jose Earthquakes (20.30)
New York Red Bulls v CF Montréal (21.00)
Atlanta United v Toronto FC (23.00 – Sky Football)
D.C. United v Columbus Crew (00.30)
FC Dallas vs Austin FC (01.00 – Free Sports)
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Preview
The two televised matches come later in the evening with playoff ambitions the focus of the first one as Atlanta United can consolidate their hopes of being around when the postseason begins. They host Toronto FC knowing that they have to win to keep a strong chasing pack at bay. The other televised game is one which has only bragging rights on it when the bottom two teams in the Western Conference meet as FC Dallas host Austin FC. The losers will end the weekend bottom of that Conference.
There is so much to play for in the other four matches though. New York City begin the night when they make the trip to Inter Miami. Miami are done for the season now while a win for NYCFC could secure their postseason berth. Over in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake have the chance to put three points between themselves and Minnesota United and Los Angeles FC in the race for the playoffs when they host San Jose Earthquakes who can’t extend their season now. The two sides immediate below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference meet when New York Red Bulls host CF Montreal and the winner of that one will be hoping DC United lose at home to the champions Columbus Crew. DC United occupy the final playoff spot but are just a point ahead of the Red Bulls and Montreal and only three ahead of the Crew so the results of those two matches are going to be extremely significant.
Betting
I’ll take one over the course of the night. I’m leaving that maze of outcomes in the Eastern Conference alone and focusing on the first of the two matches in the Western Conference, the one which has some meaning to it. It has plenty of meaning to Real Salt Lake when they host the San Jose Earthquakes. The Earthquakes head into this match having lost their last three matches on the road, the latest of which in Portland on Wednesday night ending their season from a competitive standpoint.
Real Salt Lake certainly haven’t ended their season. Their win in Dallas on Wednesday night moved them back into the top seven and a win is needed here to keep a bit of distance between themselves and the chasing pack. Real Salt Lake have turned Rio Tinto into a fortress in recent times. They have won their last seven home matches and look to have clicked into gear here at just the right time. It is never easy to play two away games in three days anywhere in the world least of all in MLS with the different time zones and length of travel and having to do that here the Earthquakes could really struggle for motivation now they can no longer make the postseason. Even when they have been motivated we’ve seen them be all over the place defensively. If RSL want to be around when the crunch stuff starts this is a match they need to win and I’ll back them to do just that.
Tips
Back Real Salt Lake (-0.75AH) to beat San Jose Earthqiakes for a 3/10 stake at 1.84 with BetVictor
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