Major League Soccer Predictions and Best Bets for Saturday, February 26 (2022)

The wait is finally over!

The 2022 Major League Soccer season gets underway this weekend, with all 28 teams in action. We have nine games to enjoy on Saturday, February 26, before a further five games on Sunday.

I will be focusing on the first batch of games in this piece, sharing my MLS predictions and betting picks for Saturday. Before we go any further, let’s take a quick look at Saturday’s MLS schedule.

As you can see, there are plenty of tasty matchups on the schedule. So, without further ado, let’s get stuck into my Major League Soccer predictions for Saturday, January 26.

We all know that LAFC endured a campaign to forget last year. The 2019 Supporters’ Shield winners lost 13 of their 34 matches in 2021 and ended up missing out on the playoffs for the first time in the club’s history.

However, I’m backing the Black & Gold to make a resurgence in 2022. With stars such as Carlos Vela, Cristian Arango, and Jose Cifuentes leading the way, I can see LAFC hitting the ground running this year.

With a new head coach at the helm, the LAFC players will be eager to impress on Saturday. That’s why I’m backing Steve Cherundolo’s men to claim all three points at Banc of California Stadium.

Just like LAFC, Toronto underachieved last year. In actual fact, the Reds recorded their worst-ever season as a Major League Soccer side – winning just six of their 34 matches to finish second from bottom in the Eastern Conference.

On the flip side, Dallas did not enjoy a successful offseason. The Texans sold their best player (Ricardo Pepi) to German Bundesliga side Augsburg after he was named the 2021 MLS Young Player of the Year.

Let’s not forget that Dallas picked up just a single win more than Toronto last season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bradley’s TFC gets the better of the Toros this weekend.

Welcome to Major League Soccer, Charlotte FC!

Of course, it is difficult to predict how the newcomers will fare in their debut MLS match. But one thing is certain: Miguel Angel Ramirez’s boys will give absolutely everything they’ve got to kick off their maiden campaign on a positive note.

I’m confident that Charlotte will give a good account of themselves on Saturday – so much so that I’m backing the debutants to hold DC to a draw.

This tasty matchup brings together the reigning Supporters’ Shield winner and the 2021 MLS Cup runner-up.

The Revs clinched the Shield in record-breaking style last season. They won 22 games and scored 65 goals on their way to registering the largest regular-season points haul in MLS history, with Carles Gil taking home the MVP award.

There is no denying that New England was the best team throughout the previous campaign. Having strengthened their roster with the signings of Sebastian Lletget and Jozy Altidore during the offseason, the Revs should be too strong for Portland.

Here are the rest of my Major League Soccer predictions for Saturday, February 26.

Last season, Philadelphia secured second place in the East after winning the 2020 Supporters’ Shield. I expect Jim Curtin’s men to make a winning start to 2022 with a victory over Minnesota.

I’m also backing Columbus to beat Vancouver, RBNY to beat San Jose, and Inter Miami to beat Chicago. Following a couple of below-par seasons, I can see Inter Miami becoming a dominant force this year – especially if Gonzalo Higuain starts firing.

Cincinnati collected a third successive Wooden Spoon last year. Given that Austin finished second-bottom in the West, the draw feels like the most probable outcome when those two sides meet.

Since this is the opening weekend of the season, I decided to keep things simple when it came to picking my best MLS bets for Saturday, February 26.

While scouring the top Major League Soccer betting sites, the following picks caught my eye.

As you can see, I have opted for three home wins here. Until the season starts to unfold and trends begin to emerge, there is no point in trying anything extravagant.

In my eyes, Philly, Columbus, and LAFC are pretty safe bets. They all have relatively favorable home fixtures on the opening weekend, so that explains why the odds are not overly exciting. Still, I’m confident that we can make some money!

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