23/1 MLS Bonus Accumulator

We begin the bet with the Wilfried Nancy derby as his current club Columbus Crew play host to his former one CF Montreal in what has plenty riding on it. Should the Canadians lose they could miss out on the playoffs altogether but Columbus need to win to secure home advantage in the best of three leg of the playoffs.

Columbus Crew are incredibly good on home soil. Only one team has left this part of Ohio with all three points and I don’t see Montreal being the second. As you would expect for a team who have to travel from Canada for the majority of their away matches, the Montreal away form is not good.

They have picked up just two victories on the road all season, one of which was at the other Canadian side Toronto FC. This looks like a strong chance of a home win.

We head to Citi Field for the second leg of the bets on Saturday for what is pretty much a straight knockout between New York City FC and Chicago Fire with the losers seeing their season end. Even the winners could miss out on the playoffs should other results go against them but three points gives them hope.

I think we are in that perfect situation where both teams to score looks a good thing. The Fire have caught fire in recent weeks but were clipped by Charlotte FC last time out. New York City FC just haven’t been able to find the consistency they have needed to push themselves into the playoffs but with one game left they still have a chance.

Whoever concedes the first goal will be obliged to take plenty of risks to get back into the game knowing they will need to score twice to keep their season alive. The situation dictates both teams are likely to score in this one.

We move to the conclusion of the Western Conference for the last three legs of the accumulator and we will begin in California where the LA Galaxy will close out their season against an FC Dallas side who will be looking to extend their campaign. The Texans know they are in the playoffs with a win but their season could be over if they come up short.

I don’t think the Galaxy will just roll over for Dallas here. They are a big team in MLS and finishing off with a win will mean something to them and while they have failed this season they have some big names who could be very dangerous with no competitive pressure on them.

The Dallas front three is arguably as good as anything going around in MLS and both teams to score looks good here. Galaxy games have been full of goals recently while both teams have scored in eight of the last nine Dallas matches.

The last leg of the bet takes us back to California where the San Jose Earthquakes will look to secure their spot in the playoffs, which it looked like would be the least they would achieve earlier in the season. An already eliminated Austin FC will be the visitors to PayPal Park and they could be the ideal opponent.

San Jose have hit the skids at the wrong time with just one win in nine matches but they have their destiny in their own hands. If they win this game they are in and might well reach the playoffs with a draw but they won’t want to take that chance. While their form has dropped off, they have only lost one of their last six at home and should be fired up for one final push here.

Austin haven’t looked great all season and it has been a bit of a tale of woe on their travels recently. They haven’t won any of their last six away games and have only won one of their last 10 overall. A much more motivated San Jose can get the job done here.

The next part of the bet this weekend sees us heading to Canada where rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, Toronto FC, play host to an Orlando City side who have their sights set on the big prize over the next month or so.

Toronto have been horrendous this season and will be delighted when this campaign ends and they can begin their rebuild for next term. They have lost 14 of their last 15 matches and have failed to score in four of their last five.

Orlando look to be powering home this term. They have lost just one of their last 11 in MLS, winning eight of them and they are very much a danger come the playoffs. I don’t see them wanting to end their form now and expect them to feast on troubled prey in this one.

The Portland Timbers will look to secure another shot at the MLS Cup in the early hours of Sunday morning when they play host to a Houston Dynamo who already have one piece of silverware this term and will be looking to add to that over the next month or so.

Houston did very well to win the US Open Cup but I do fear a little for them here because they do not travel well and Providence Park is one of the tougher places in the league to go for a big game.

Portland know that a win here doesn’t just get them into the playoffs but they will skip the ‘play-in’ round and move straight into the best of three part of the postseason. Portland have won their last four at home and should be taken to see off a Houston side whose best work comes on their own patch.