After a month off for the Leagues Cup, the MLS 2024 season resumes on Saturday evening with a bunch of matches that get the competition back up and running as the thrilling race for the Supporters’ Shield resumes.
All of these matches will be shown live and in full on the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV but this is a free weekend so you only need to be an Apple TV subscriber to be able to view them. The bookmaker live streams will also show all these games.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (00.30 unless stated)
Minnesota United vs Seattle Sounders (23.45)
CF Montreal vs New England Revolution
Charlotte FC vs New York Red Bulls
DC United vs FC Dallas
Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati
New York City FC vs Chicago Fire
Houston Dynamo vs Toronto FC (01.30)
Nashville SC vs Austin FC (01.30)
Sporting Kansas City vs Orlando City (01.30)
Real Salt Lake vs San Jose Earthquakes (02.30)
LA Galaxy vs Atlanta United (03.30)
Portland Timbers vs St Louis City SC (03.30)
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Big Matches
MLS returns in style on Saturday night as the top two in the race for the Supporters’ Shield meet in what could be one of the most important matches of the season when Inter Miami welcome FC Cincinnati. A Miami win would put them comfortably clear in the race for top spot in the regular season but a Cincinnati win blows the field wide open not just for themselves but a number of sides. One of those teams would be the Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy. They play host to Atlanta United in another heavyweight clash. Real Salt Lake are another side in the hunt for the first piece of MLS silverware of the season. They play host to San Jose Earthquakes.
Best of the Rest
There is a lot to enjoy about the first night after the Leagues Cup break and we get underway with a potentially good game from the Western Conference as Minnesota United look to find their best form after a poor run heading into Leagues Cup when they take on a side in decent touch in Seattle Sounders. Charlotte FC have reinforced over the summer break and they’ll be looking to get back to a winning start when they host New York Red Bulls while New York City FC welcome Chicago Fire to the Big Apple. The last match of the night could be a good one too when Portland Timbers welcome St Louis City SC to Providence Park. The other match of note sees Sporting Kansas City welcoming a potentially attack heavy Orlando City to Children’s Mercy Park.
Betting
I’ll go with two bets on the resumption of the MLS and the first of those comes in the huge game of the night as Inter Miami take on FC Cincinnati in a match which will surely feature goals as many of them have when these two have met. It will certainly not be lost on Miami that the last time these two met Cincinnati won 6-1 and revenge will definitely be in the air for the home side here, not just for that result but also for the fact that a win here will take them a huge step closer to the Supporters’ Shield. Cincinnati come here knowing that with a playoff spot very much in their grasp they can give this one everything in a bid to bolster their top seed chances. I’m very surprised that given that these two have also played out a 4-4 in the past that we have a goal line of just three here. Miami home games are usually high scoring and with Luciano Acosta in the opposition I just don’t see how this one won’t be too. I like over 3 goals here.
The other bet I like over the course of Saturday evening comes in the match between Charlotte FC and New York Red Bulls where I like the business that the home side have done in the summer window and I fancy them to get the better of a Red Bulls side who went into the Leagues Cup break with just two wins in their last nine in MLS and finding wins hard to come by after a couple of key transfers out of Red Bull Arena, the injury to Emil Forsberg and key internationals away at the Copa America. Some of that has been resolved but there was nothing in their Leagues Cup form to suggest things have changed on the pitch. Charlotte were a little unlucky in their group that a penalties win over Cruz Azul wasn’t enough for them to come out of the group but since then the likes of Tim Ream has arrived as has Pep Biel and Jamie Paterson have arrived. Charlotte were strong at home prior to the Leagues Cup break with only Minnesota and Miami heading here and winning. I don’t think the Red Bulls are at full pelt here so on the draw no bet Asian lines I like the home side in this one.
Tips
Back Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati – Over 3 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.85 with Bet365
Back Charlotte FC (0AH) to beat New York Red Bulls for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with Bet365
