LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes Betting Preview – MLS, August 29, 2020

Of course, the California Clasico is no longer California’s fiercest rivalry. Ever since LAFC came along, El Trafico has taken center stage in the Golden State. But there is no denying that when LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes clash on Saturday, August 29, both sides will be desperate to avoid defeat against their old foe.

The Galaxy currently sits rock bottom of the Western Conference. However, seventh-place San Jose is only three points ahead. The standings a very congested at the moment, so a lot could change this weekend.

You can find my LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes prediction and betting pick below.

As you can see, the betting sites can’t seem to separate the teams. San Jose is the marginal favorite, but marginal is definitely the key word there. At first glance, the price for the draw stands out to me. But these two sides don’t seem to be producing too many draws this year.

Can either team conjure up a win? I assess both sides’ chances below.

2020 did not start well for the Galaxy, with Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s side only managing to pick up one point from a possible six before the regular season was suspended. And after suffering consecutive defeats in their opening two games at the MLS is Back Tournament, a draw with Houston Dynamo saw the club finish bottom of Group F.

The Galaxy was crushed 6-2 by LAFC last month, so when the two sides met again on the first day of the regular season’s resumption, another heavy defeat was on the cards. However, goals from Ethan Zubak and Sebastian Lletget saw the Galaxy claim a famous – and very unexpected – 2-0 victory over their Los Angeles rival.

San Jose also claimed just a single point from their opening two games this year, although the Quakes did enjoy a far more successful time at the MLS is Back Tournament. Matias Almeyda’s men finished top of Group B and made it all the way to the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Minnesota United.

High-scoring victories over Vancouver Whitecaps (4-3) and Real Salt Lake (5-2) last month prove that San Jose is capable of outscoring their opponents. But when a team has netted ten goals and sits on a goal difference of 0, you know there are some underlying defensive issues.

Having said that, the Quakes are bound to rise to the occasion on Saturday. After all, this is still the biggest rivalry for the San Jose club.

At the end of the day, the Galaxy has only won one of their six games this year. The Quakes have played a game less than LA, but they already have two wins to their name. I’m sure that Almeyda will be eager for his team to improve defensively, but I’m confident that San Jose has enough attacking firepower to get the job done on Saturday.