LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes – MLS, October 14, 2020

San Jose’s shock three-game winning streak was ended by Portland on Sunday, but the Quakes will be confident of returning to winning ways against the Galaxy on Wednesday, October 14.

Five straight defeats have left Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s side three points adrift at the bottom of the Western Conference, with San Jose five points ahead in seventh place.

If you’re interested in wagering on this game, make sure you check out my LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes prediction and betting pick below.

San Jose (4.10) beat the Galaxy (1.75) less than a fortnight ago, yet the top online betting sites view the home side as the clear favorite to win this time around.

The Los Angeles club may be on a poor run right now, but with two games in hand over the majority of the Western Conference, Barros Schelotto’s side could easily break into the play-off spots with a couple of positive results.

Let’s take a closer look at the teams.

Whichever way you look at it, LA Galaxy is in a real mess at the moment. Yes, the Los Angeles outfit has played fewer games than most of the teams in the division. But there is no hiding from the fact that the Galaxy is three points adrift at the foot of the standings.

The team strung together an impressive four-game winning streak after the MLS is Back Tournament. However, it has been all downhill since then. One draw and five defeats have seen the Galaxy tumble down the table in spectacular fashion.

There were signs of hope in their previous outing. I mean, not many teams score three goals against Portland, do they? But when you concede six goals against the Timbers, it doesn’t really matter how many goals you score in reply.

The Galaxy needs a spark, and the visit of San Jose could provide it.

The Quakes have been excellent in recent weeks. Three straight victories propelled Matias Almeyda’s men into contention for a play-off spot, with their winning streak only coming to an end last weekend.

THREE-STRAIGHT WINS! #VamosSJ pic.twitter.com/0yEM24MZrU

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) October 8, 2020

However, let’s not forget how poor San Jose was before their mini revival. The Goonies failed to win any of their eight games after the MLS is Back Tournament, with five defeats – including a 3-2 loss to LA Galaxy – coming in that time.

It is also worth pointing out that San Jose has the worst defensive record in the Western Conference. Almeyda’s men have conceded a colossal 43 goals in 17 games this year. That’s an average of just over 2.5 goals per game!

Can the Galaxy take advantage of the poorest defense in the division and end finally their losing streak?

La Galaxy and San Jose have both gotten the better of each other this year, with the teams also producing a goalless draw. There has been very little to separate the two sides recently, so I’m expecting another tight encounter this time around.

Having suffered five straight defeats, the Galaxy will obviously approach this game with caution. Still, I’m confident that Cristian Pavon and co. can come away with a point. San Jose has been streaky throughout 2020, meaning the Galaxy has an ideal chance to get back on track on Wednesday.