MLS Week 2 Odds & Picks for March 5-6

• MLS Week 2 kicks off this weekend with 14 matches
• Last week’s record: 3-2, +0.82 units
• Read on for the odds and our best bets for the weekend below

One week is in the books as the 2022 MLS regular season kicked off last weekend. MLS Week 2 will kick off on Saturday with 12 matches, starting at 1:30 pm EST with New England hosting Dallas and concluding at 10:00 pm EST Sunday night with LAFC hosting Portland.

With Leg 1 of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals kicking off on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, the likes of NYCFC, Seattle, New England and Montreal may use some rotation this weekend.

Saturday will be a busy day of MLS action with 12 matches on Saturday, followed by just two on Sunday. Last week we went 3-2, betting a unit on each match, besides 0.30 units for the one draw bet. All picks below are for 1 unit.

MLS Week 2 Odds

Odds from March 4 at DraftKings

The Revolution are the biggest favorite on the board this weekend, hosting FC Dallas. Then, it’s second-year side Austin FC as -160 favorites at home to Inter Miami. The biggest game of the weekend is also the last when LAFC hosts Portland Sunday night also as -160 favorites themselves.

Sporting KC vs Houston Dynamo Prediction

Neither of these sides got off to a good start to their MLS seasons last week. Sporting KC fell 3-1 on Atlanta, while Houston picked up a single point in a 0-0 draw at home to RSL. The two Western Conference sides will meet at 3:30 pm EST Saturday in MLS Week 2 play.

Sporting finished last season in third place in the conference with 58 points, just three points out of first. Meanwhile, Houston was dead last with just 30 points and just six wins on the season. Despite DP striker Alan Pulido being lost for the season for SKC, they’re still expected to be a contender in the MLS Cup odds. The same can’t be said for Houston.

SKC won the season series last year, winning at home 4-2 and 3-2, while Houston won their home date 1-0.

The Dynamo, no matter the year, no matter the coach, just continually seem to always struggle on the road. You have to go all the way back to August 25, 2020, to find their last road win. That’s a run of 25 matches without a win on the road. They’ve lost 16 of those 25.

Te espera tu gente y tu nueva casa, @HHerreramex.

We can’t wait to welcome you to Houston 😎#HH4HTown

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) March 2, 2022

If you go back 20 road games further, they have just one other away win. So that’s two road wins in 45 matches. That is horrendous. The lone “bright” spot here could be that their last road win in 2020 did come against SKC. I’m not expecting that to happen again, especially when the past two games in Kansas City have gone to the home team. The Dynamo will be boosted by the signing of Mexican international Hector Herrera from Atletico Madrid, however, he won’t be joining until the summer.

I’ll back SKC in their home opener.

Pick: SKC win (-110), 1 unit

Austin FC vs Inter Miami Prediction

No team got off to a better start to their 2022 MLS season than Austin with a 5-0 win. They scored two minutes into the match, had three different scorers, Cecilio Dominguez scored twice and an own goal in the final minutes rounded out the scoring.

There is one caveat. It came against the Wooden Spoon holders FC Cincinnati. But a win is a win and Austin was strong at home last year in their inaugural season. They won five of their final six at Q2 Stadium.

Let’s continue the momentum. 😤#AustinFC x @SeatGeek

— Austin FC (@AustinFC) March 4, 2022

The good news is that their opponents in MLS Week 2 at 4:00 pm EST Sunday aren’t predicted to be a strong opponent this season. In fact, they may challenge Cincinnati for the basement. Inter Miami is in a rebuild and drew 0-0 at home to Chicago last week. Miami won just one of their final six road games last year.

Austin rides the early season momentum on their home pitch in Week 2 to stay atop the West standings.

Pick: Austin FC to win (-160), 1 unit

LAFC vs Portland Timbers Prediction

The season could not have started better for new LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo. His team routed the Colorado Rapids 3-0 at home and captain Carlos Vela opened his account with a Week 1 hat-trick. LAFC are the current favorites in the MLS futures to win MLS Cup.

The Timbers held a strong account of themselves hosting the Supporters’ Shield champs New England. They fought back from being down 1-0 and 2-1 and ended with a 2-2 draw from this Yimmu Chara bicycle-kick goal.

Early frontrunner for Goal of the Year by Yimmi Chara? 🚲 pic.twitter.com/NbLgP8F7J8

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 27, 2022

Portland has had LA’s number of late. The Timbers won all three meetings last year by 2-1 scores. They’re also undefeated versus LAFC in their past five.

This matchup usually sees goals. Both teams have scored in each of the past nine MLS meetings. In seven of those nine meetings, the total has also gone Over 2.5 goals. I’d be surprised to not see another entertaining affair in MLS Week 2 at 10:00 pm EST Sunday night.

Pick: Both to Score & Over 2.5 (-105), 1 unit

MLS Week 2 Parlay Bet

Here are two pieces that could be tied into a parlay on Saturday where you don’t need either team to actually win the game.

Chicago Fire vs Orlando City

This offseason saw the departures of the likes of Nani, Daryl Dike and Chris Mueller for Orlando City. They haven’t replaced those pieces but did win 2-0 at home last week over Montreal. They received second-half goals from Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel.

The Fire will be disappointed to have only left Miami with a 0-0 draw in Xherdan Shaqiri’s debut last week. But it was still a point on the road, which is often rare for Chicago. Each team won at home in this matchup last season and I think in Chicago’s home opener they should be able to do enough to at least draw.

You don’t have to be from here to be a game-changer.

Mint History with us.#NewlyMinted pic.twitter.com/caWSasvryt

— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) February 14, 2022

Charlotte FC vs LA Galaxy

This is Charlotte’s first-ever home opener. Charlotte is an expansion team with little top-tier talent on their roster at this point. The motivation to open Bank of America Stadium could give them a boost, but this is still a team that lost 3-0 to DC last week.

Up against Chicharito and the LA Galaxy who escaped last week with a 1-0 late win versus NYCFC, it would be quite the upset for Charlotte to pull.

Pick: Both Chicago and LA – Double Chance (Win or Draw) -147 odds, 1 unit

The post MLS Week 2 Odds & Picks for March 5-6 appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.

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