Major League Soccer Eastern Conference contenders Inter Miami are aiming to bounce back after being on the wrong side of an upset on the 16th matchday of the 2024 campaign.
The Herons saw their 10-game winning streak snapped by Atlanta United yesterday, and they will look to vent their ire against St. Louis.
Inter Miami are at the top of the East with 34 points. Depending on this weekend’s set of Major League Soccer 2024 results, there’s a chance that the Herons will grow their table lead to at least four points.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake also need a win to extend their table lead, with the LA Galaxy and LAFC close by.
As we look forward to the 17th matchday of the season, check out the previews of the top three games, handpicked by SBOTOP.
Inter Miami vs St. Louis
St. Louis are also looking to get back on the winning track because they are on a three-game losing streak, but the Major League Soccer 2024 odds don’t like their chances of snapping their skid against Inter Miami.
That is because Lionel Messi continues to have his way here in the United States with his incredible productivity, having scored 11 goals and 12 assists in the first 13 games this season.
In the 3-1 loss against Atlanta United, the 2022 World Cup champion scored the only goal for the Herons, drawing level with teammate Luis Suarez in the team’s scoring charts.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are currently two goals behind Golden Boot frontrunners, DC United’s Christian Benteke and Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango.
However, the concern for Inter Miami is managing Messi and Suarez’s workloads because these veterans will represent Argentina and Uruguay, respectively, in the Copa America in June.
Compared to Inter Miami, St. Louis don’t have much firepower in their arsenal, as their top scorer is Joao Klauss, with five goals. The Brazilian striker didn’t score a goal during their three-game losing streak, so Saturday may be the right time for him to end his mini-drought.
St. Louis are currently 11th in the Western Conference, but they can end up in the ninth position after this weekend if they score an unlikely upset against the Herons.
Betting tip: Inter Miami Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.72
Real Salt Lake vs Austin
Unlike in the Eastern Conference, there’s a tight battle in the Western Conference, as the top five teams, including Real Salt Lake and Austin, are within arm’s reach of each other. Real Salt Lake are leading the pack with 30 points, while Austin are in fifth place with 23 points.
Real Salt Lake have been undefeated in the league since March, but their last two games have been draws against the Seattle Sounders (1-1) and FC Dallas (3-3).
As mentioned, Cristian Arango is the joint frontrunner for the Golden Boot award, making him an early candidate for the Major League Soccer MVP award this season. Besides having 13 goals, he has also had nine assists so far this term.
Andres Gomez is another attacking threat that Austin should account for, as the 21-year-old winger has eight goals and five assists, including six goals over the past 10 matches.
On the other side of the pitch, there’s Sebastian Driussi, Austin’s all-time leading scorer. The Argentinean skipper has five goals under his belt this year.
Austin have bolstered their frontline with the acquisition of Osman Bukari from Red Star Belgrade on Thursday, but he is not expected to make it in time against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.
Betting tip: Real Salt Lake Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 2.21
Chicago vs LA Galaxy
The matchup between Chicago and the LA Galaxy appears to be lopsided since the hosts have the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference while the visitors have the second-best team in the tough Western Conference.
Although they’re 3-2-4 on the road, the LA Galaxy should win this one because they haven’t lost a game since April and they have more quality players in the final third compared to Chicago.
Dejan Joveljic is the LA Galaxy’s top scorer with nine goals, while Riqui Puig is the team’s top playmaker with five goals and eight assists. They also have Gabriel Pec, who has four goals.
Meanwhile, Chicago have Hugo Cuypers as their leading scorer with four goals and one assist.
Another reason why the LA Galaxy are favoured is because they have a healthier squad than Chicago, with key defenders Tobias Salquist and Chase Galper injured.
Betting tip: LA Galaxy 1X2 @ 2.54
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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