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Inter Miami and Monterrey battle in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal Wednesday. Kickoff from Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the 1st leg is set for 8 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Inter Miami vs. Monterrey odds, and make our best expert soccer picks and predictions.
Inter Miami, which is among the best teams in the MLS, has struggled without F Lionel Messi, who has missed games with a hamstring injury. Messi could play in this game as he has returned to training. Messi is the team’s most dynamic offensive player. That said, Inter drew NYCFC in MLS action 1-1 Saturday, and they beat Nashville SC 5-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16 with the 2nd leg being played on March 13.
Monterrey sits 2nd on the Liga MX table through 13 matches, having won 8, drawn 4 and lost 1. It has a +13 goal differential in those matches, scoring 23 and allowing 10. Monterrey beat the reigning Supporters Shield champions FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16, taking Cincinnati down 3-1 on aggregate and winning 1-0 on the road in the 1st leg. Monterrey’s F Brandon Vazquez, who played for Cincinnati in 2023, scored 2 goals in the 2 legs.
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Inter Miami CF vs. Monterrey odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 10:51 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Inter Miami -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Monterrey +230 (bet $100 to win $230) | Draw +270 (bet $100 to win $270)
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -152 | U: +108)
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Inter Miami CF vs. Monterrey picks and predictions
Prediction
Inter Miami 2, Monterrey 1
Moneyline (ML)
BET INTER MIAMI (-105).
Inter Miami is a far better team both at home and with Messi on the pitch. They throttled Nashville SC in the 2nd leg at home, winning 3-1 and being up 3-0 heading into the 90th minute. Messi has tallied 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 MLS games. Inter was 2-1-0 in those games, beating opponents a combined 8-1.
While Monterrey is a strong and proven side, it really didn’t showcase much on the road against FC Cincinnati, ending with 44% possession and 4 fewer shots. A team with Messi should be far more difficult to possession and break down.
Expect the home side to come out on top. At this value, back INTER MIAMI (-105).
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN OVER 2.5 (-154).
Monterrey took one of the MLS’s best scorers and put him on its team. It scored on Cincinnati in both matches. Cincinnati has one of the best defenses in the MLS while Inter has allowed 6 goals in its last 3 MLS matches.
However, in both its CONCACAF Champions Cup battles, Miami has tallied at least 2 goals and netted a total of 5 on Nashville through the 2 matches. It has scored 8 goals in the 3 MLS games Messi has played on top of those matches against Nashville.
The price is steep, making this just a lean, but with the above in mind, take OVER 2.5 (-154).
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