With only a few games left in the 2023 Major League Soccer campaign, teams are fighting for the last few playoff spots in both conferences. It’s pandemonium in the league table as teams in the bottom half of the standings are neck and neck, with each of them determined to make a postseason run.
Here are some of the notable matchups that could shape the MLS postseason landscape:
Cincinnati FC vs NY Red Bulls
FC Cincinnati are still on a high after winning the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield for the first time in club history. Surely one of the best Major League Soccer 2023 highlights this season! After 31 league matches, Cincinnati are currently the best team in the MLS. They are atop the Eastern Conference with 65 points, 11 points higher than second-seeded Orlando City.
This milestone may be one of the most inspiring stories in the MLS to date. Since joining the MLS back in 2019, they have been notably one, if not the worst, team in the league. They’ve managed to win a total of just 14 games in their first three campaigns in the MLS.
They aim to keep the ball rolling, as they are expected to breeze past the struggling NY Red Bulls in their fixture this Thursday.
Coming off a close-game loss against Chicago, the Red Bulls will try to bolster their play-off bid and get three league points against the steamrolling Cincinnati FC.
The playoff-hopeful NY Red Bulls have won just one and lost three of their last five league games. They have won just one of their last six MLS away games, lost four, and drawn one in their MLS campaign since the start of July.
They currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, with a total of 34 points in 31 games. After their visit to league-leaders Cincinnati, the Red Bulls will face Nashville SC and Toronto, which will likely dictate whether their post-season hopes will be within their grasps or if they should just focus on next year’s campaign.
Betting Tip – FC Cincinnati 1X2 @ 1.90
CF Montreal vs Houston Dynamo
Montreal are going into their match against Houston as the team that holds the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are trying to hang on to this sought-after position, but it would be a tough order as they face the Portland Timbers and Columbus Crew in the near future.
In 31 games, Montreal have managed to modestly score 37 league points. It is evident that the Canadian club has a problem finding the back of the net, as they have only scored 30 goals in the entire season so far, just four more goals than the worst club in the East, Toronto FC.
They also have the third-worst goal difference in the entire MLS with -18. It seems that this club will eventually forfeit their playoff spot if they don’t turn things around quickly. They are winless in their last five outings, so expect an equally hungry and desperate Montreal squad against Houston.
The Houston Dynamo had won the U.S. Open Cup final against a Messi-less Inter Miami last week. They are having a solid campaign this season as they are currently 5th in the Western Conference and are poised for a deep playoff run.
Interestingly enough, the SBOTOP Major League Soccer 2023 betting odds have Houston Dynamo as the underdogs at 2.84 and Montreal as the favourites to win at 2.37. Montreal have their backs against the wall and are hanging on by a thread, so this match against Houston will be a pivotal one for them.
Betting Tip Houston Dynamo 1X2 @ 2.84
Chicago Fire FC vs Inter Miami
Major League Soccer poster boy Lionel Messi will miss another game as the Chicago Fire will host Inter Miami in Soldier Field for one of the last few hopes of Inter to clinch a playoffs spot.
Despite their U.S. Open Cup Final defeat against Houston Dynamo, to Inter’s credit, they’ve been keeping it together during Messi’s absence. They have lost only one league game in the month of September and just twice during their last five games across all competitions.
Inter fans remain uneasy, as there’s still no clear answer to when Messi will be back for Inter Milan. The next league matches will be crucial for their playoff bid. Not to mention Messi will most likely be called up by Argentina for their October 12 matchup against Paraguay in Buenos Aires before taking on Pero on October 17 at the Estadio Nacional.
Chicago Fire was once one of the most formidable clubs in the MLS. They have produced nine top-five finishes from 1998 to 2009, including a 1st place finish in both conferences and overall back in 2003. But ever since 2010, The Chicago Fire have been slowly and consistently falling off the league table.
Since 2010, they’ve been consistently in the bottom half of their conference, except in 2003, where they went on a Cinderella run and finished 3rd in both their conference and overall.
In recent form, Chicago are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference, only four points above Inter Miami. They have won just one of their last five matches, which includes a proper 4-0 demolition job handed by D.C. United.
They are coming off a much-needed win over THE struggling NY Red Bulls with a modest 1-0 score line, Chicago look to use this win as momentum as they face a Messi-less Inter squad on Thursday.
Betting Tip – Under 3.00 @ 1.75
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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