Bruce Arena and the Galaxy are coming for the rest of MLS.

It’s been awhile. I’ve been wagering away on Twitter for weeks now, and while I’ve made two housekeeping posts, there hasn’t been a true #MLSinVegas post since week 6. This week’s will be a short post, but at least I’ll get the wagers up in this space with some time to spare. First though, a little housekeeping:

WEEK 17 REVIEW
LOSS $100 on TFC to win = ($100)
HIT! $100 on HOU to win at -$140 = $71
Weekly Total = ($29)

WEEK 18 REVIEW
HIT! $200 on LAG to win at -$165 = $121
Weekly Total = $121

NEW 2016 SEASON TOTALS
Picking Winners: 13 for 29 (44.8%)
Copa America: 1 for 1!
Picking Draws: 0/2
Total Earnings:$51

Some bad losses and dicey wins, but we’re still breathing here in 2016. I don’t have too much to say about these matches below, but I do believe there is a lot of value in MLS for us gamblers to take advantage of this weekend.

One of these teams is not like the other. Houston has struggled all season long and suffered a mid-season coaching change. They’ve actually been noticeably better since Wade Barrett took over, but they are still very clearly a below average team. Montreal, on the other hand, are a dangerous side with talent all over the pitch. They are 5-2-3 at home while Houston are 0-8-3 on the road this season. The Montreal moneyline, at just -$125, seems like a no-brainer to me.

Sometimes in sports wagering, you just gamble on the team you want to lose. As an FC Dallas fan, I’d love to see Colorado drop points in this match, as FCD and the Rapids are neck and neck ahead of the rest of MLS in the chase for the 2016 Supporters’ Shield. But I just don’t see that happening, so in this case, I’ll wager $20 to $50 on Colorado to win at home and look at it this way: either (A) Colorado wins in predictable fashion and I get a nice little financial reward or (B) Vancouver takes 2 to 3 points from Colorado, and I’ve merely payed a small fee to see my club get an advantage in the race for the Shield. It’s a win-win!

Mot much to say about this one, but it could be compared the Montreal v. Houston match I discussed above. RSL are at home, and they’re just a better team than Chicago. RSL (5-0-5) are unbeaten at home so far this season while Chicago (0-8-2) are winless on the road. Again, this feels like the Montreal v. Houston game, with the home team seemingly an irresistible wager. Irresistible can be very dangerous when it comes to gambling, and far stranger things have happened in MLS than Chicago taking points from this match.

Ummmm…. Yes Please! LA seem like a better and better bet with each passing week. It shocks me that the Galaxy are only -$110 to win here instead of -$125 or more. LA have had the week off while NYRB played in a CONCACAF Champions League match in Jersey on Wednesday. I’ll take a rising LA Galaxy side to win at home, and feel just a little more comfortable with it given the circumstances for New York. Oh, and here’s the home and away records for the two clubs LA at home (6-0-4), NYRB on the road (1-7-4).

***Official Week 22 Picks**

• $100 on MTL to win at -125
  
• $50 on COL to win at -130
  
• $100 on RSL to win at -135
  
• $150 on LAG to win at -110