In a battle of first-place teams, LAFC (7 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw) welcome the Philadelphia Union (5-1-3) to Banc of California Stadium Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. ET. Below, we preview the LAFC vs. Philadelphia Union odds and lines, and make our best MLS bets, picks and predictions.
L.A. has won 3 straight games, while outscoring opponents 7-2. The F Carlos Vela-led side is atop the Western Conference and is averaging 2.33 goals per game.
Defensively, L.A. has taken its game to the next level as well, allowing under a goal per game (0.89). It is one of 5 teams in the West to allow 9 goals or less so far.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia is atop the East, holding a 1-point lead over the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City SC. The Union opened the season with 16 points in 6 games. However, they’ve gone 0-2-1 in their last 3 and are coming off back-to-back 1-1 draws vs. Montreal and Nashville.
The Union have pitched 4 shutouts and have allowed just 1 multi-goal game. They are 2-1-1 on the road and are led by M Dániel Gazdag, who has 4 goals.
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LAFC vs. Philadelphia Union odds, lines, picks and predictions
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10:33 p.m. ET.
- Money line: LAFC -155 (bet $155 to win $100) | Philadelphia Union +420 (bet $100 to win $420) | Draw +310
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -140 | U: +115)
[tipico]
Prediction
LAFC 1, Philadelphia Union 1
Money line (ML)
LEAN to a DRAW +310.
The draw isn’t my favorite play, but it has some value here. The Union have drawn 2 straight games and should be able to hang with the dynamic LAFC offense.
The Union lead the MLS in least-goals allowed, yielding just 6 goals in their 9 games. The defense is that good, and GK Andre Blake is arguably the best in the league.
Philadelphia has the league’s second-highest save rate and fifth-most interceptions. Given LAFC’s offense has the most total scoring attempts in the MLS, it’ll be a difficult battle for both sides.
With the value given to the DRAW and the fact Philadelphia has tied 2 straight, I suggest a partial-unit play on the DRAW (+310).
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN to the UNDER 2.5 (+115).
This is my favorite play in the match.
However, I’m not quite there on suggesting a full-unit play mainly because of Vela and the talent on the LAFC attack. M Kellyn Acosta and M Latif Blessing bring pace to the L.A. attack, while Vela has consistently been the closer.
Expect a highly competitive battle as the Union have the league’s best defense.
The Under is 7-2 in Philly games. Plus, the two teams combined for Under 2.5 expected goals in the 2 games the Union had that totaled more than 2 goals.
LAFC’s defense is no joke either, having given up just 8 goals in 9 games. It has allowed 2 multi-goal games and has posted 3 shutouts. It should be able to limit the Union as well.
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