It might be an international weekend but the MLS 2024 season stops for nobody and another full round of fixtures take place on Saturday evening as the early Conference tables begin to settle down at the end of the first month of the campaign.
As always all of the matches are available for streaming via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Two of them are free without the Season Pass and they are all going to be able to be watched with the bookmaker live streaming service.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (23.30 unless stated)
New England Revolution v Chicago Fire FC (18.00)
New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami CF (18.00)
Charlotte FC v Columbus Crew
FC Cincinnati v New York City FC
Orlando City SC v Austin FC
Toronto FC v Atlanta United
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Real Salt Lake
Sporting Kansas City v LA Galaxy (00.30)
St. Louis City SC v D.C. United (00.30)
Colorado Rapids v Houston Dynamo FC (01.30)
Los Angeles Football Club v Nashville SC (02.30)
Portland Timbers v Philadelphia Union (02.30)
San Jose Earthquakes v Seattle Sounders FC (02.30)
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Big Matches
As ever in the MLS these days the immediate attention is drawn towards Inter Miami and they face one of the better Eastern Conference sides in New York Red Bulls to open up the show on Saturday. The champions Columbus Crew are also in action when they make the trip to Carolina to take on Charlotte FC while over in the Western Conference, the leaders Minnesota United don’t play so there is the chance for the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers to move level with them. The Whitecaps host Real Salt Lake while the Timbers welcome Philadelphia Union to Providence Park.
Best of the Rest
Four of the bigger names in MLS meet in two matches on Saturday evening as Sporting Kansas City welcome LA Galaxy to Children’s Mercy Park while at PayPal Park the San Jose Earthquakes will meet the Seattle Sounders. FC Cincinnati have quietly gone to an unbeaten start to their season and they’ll be looking to extend that when they host New York City FC. St Louis City SC are also undefeated and DC United will make the trip to CityPark on Saturday while the beaten finalists in MLS Cup and Leagues Cup last season collide when Los Angeles FC host Nashville SC.
Betting
There are two bets that I like over the course of the evening on Saturday and the first of them will be for FC Cincinnati to beat New York City FC. I don’t think that New York City FC are a particularly good side at the minute but even without that thought they are going to be without a bunch of players for the trip to Ohio with Maxi Moralez and Talles Magno both out with knee injuries and then the likes of Mounsef Bakrar, Tayvon Gray and Tomas Romero among others away on international duty. Keaton Parks is also missing through suspension as well. FC Cincinnati have largely avoided international call ups with Miles Robinson the only one of any note that they are missing. Importantly, Luciano Acosta is available for the Supporters’ Shield holders and with the respective strengths of the two sides and the gap extended by international call ups, I think Cincinnati come out on top here.
Another team who have run into a huge number of international call ups are the Philadelphia Union and that makes what was always a tricky test away to the Portland Timbers even harder. Portland have lost a couple of defensive players to international duty but that is balanced out by the Union likely to be without Julian Carranza through injury and definitely without Daniel Gazdag who is with his country. Andre Blake, Jose Martinez and Damion Lowe are just some of the many Philadelphia will have to do without here. Portland have made a good start to the season and have scored eight times in their four games. Philadelphia are yet to win this term and I don’t see that changing at a Providence Park where Portland are usually so strong.
Tips
Back FC Cincinnati to beat New York City SC for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Unibet
Back Portland Timbers to beat Philadelphia Union for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Betway
