MLS: LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders Preview, Odds, Prediction

Saturday’s matchup between LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders is, without a doubt, the most interesting one of the entire MLS gameweek. These two sides are battling for the top of the MLS Western Conference, with the team from north holding the leading position in the standings, while Galaxy sits third with three points fewer but also with a game in hand. Many analysts expect to see both teams going deep in the playoffs, some even suggest that either has solid chances for winning the MLS Cup. These few reasons are enough for you to check out our preview for Sunday’s game.

Preview

LA Galaxy (+180) has 15 points in seven matches and a neutral goal-difference, 11-11. So far, Greg Vanney’s boys have posted five wins and two defeats, looking fairly solid since the season began.

Now to say a few words about the statistics. LA Galaxy is perfect at their Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, winning all four games, scoring eight times during that period. Both of their losses came on the road, though they were in Portland and Seattle, two of maybe the nasties places in the West.

The leading star of this team is the Mexican veteran striker Chicharito, who already scored seven goals and is the heart and the soul of the team ever since he came and replaced Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Seattle Sounders (+140) is a slight favorite, probably because they already met with Galaxy and had no trouble beating them. Yet, the fact that they haven’t lost in all eight games during this campaign might be a more reasonable explanation why the bookies believe more in them than the hosts.

Five wins and three losses have been the record of the Sounders. It seems that their form is on a slight downhill because they couldn’t defeat in the previous two matches at home, against Atlanta United, 1-1, and Austin FC, 0-0.

Overall, Seattle’s previous four matches were all under 2.5 goals, while three saw both teams not to score. In three road trips, Brian Schmetzer’s unit posted a draw and two wins.

Latest News

Jonathan Dos Santos had some problems with his calf, and he is not 100% sure about this match.

On the other side, Seattle will have a few players skipping this match. Xavier Arreaga is with Ecuador at Copa America. A big blow is Nicolas Lodeiro‘s absence with the excellent midfielder out due to a knee injury. Sebastian Frei si out too, the same as Josh Atencio.

Head to Head Games

The latest game saw the Sounders winning 3-0 at home. It took place some six weeks ago. Hosts took a 2-0 lead in the span of three minutes, with Ruidiaz and Smith netting in the 20th and 23rd minutes. Ruidiaz sealed the win in the fourth minute of the injury time.

Prediction

With all the injuries troubling the Sounders, and a slight slowdown in recent times, we believe that Galaxy has a nice chance of winning this match. They are underdogs, and the odds on their win are quite solid. So why not giving it a shot.

Pick: LA Galaxy +180

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