Major League Soccer Predictions and Picks – Friday, July 8 (2022)

We have three Major League Soccer games to bet on this Friday, July 8. However, the El Tráfico showdown between LAFC and LA Galaxy is undoubtedly the pick of the bunch.

Elsewhere, it’s second against second-bottom in the Eastern Conference, as Philadelphia hosts DC United. We also have a tasty clash between Vancouver and Minnesota to get our teeth into.

You can find my MLS predictions for Friday below, along with a handful of free betting picks. First, though, we need to examine Friday’s Major League Soccer odds.

BetOnline favors all three home teams to win on Friday. Still, the Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Minnesota United odds suggest that we could see a close-fought battle in Canada.

Philly is expected to dispatch DC United without any real problems, while LAFC is favored to see off the Galaxy. That said, it is always difficult to predict what will happen when the El Tráfico rivals go head-to-head.

Can United frustrate Philly? Who will claim the Los Angeles bragging rights? Could Minnesota end Vancouver’s hot streak on home soil? Let’s get stuck into Friday’s Major League Soccer predictions.

Let’s get one thing straight – Philadelphia should win this game.

The Union sits second in the Eastern Conference after suffering just two defeats in 18 games. At the opposite end of the standings, DC United sits second from bottom – 13 points behind Philly.

As for Chad Aston’s boys, they head into Friday’s clash on the back of a hugely impressive 5-3 victory over Orlando City. Taxiarchis Fountas netted a hat-trick on Monday, while Kimarni Smith and Nigel Robertha completed the rout.

There is no hiding the fact that DC trails Philadelphia by 13 points, but Ashton’s boys proved that they can compete with the league’s top teams last time out. Given the U’s recent record, I can see DC holding Philly to a draw on Friday.

The Los Angeles rivals are separated by nine points in the Western Conference as they prepare to do battle at Banc of California Stadium. The Galaxy may be happy with fourth place, but LAFC is sitting pretty atop the standings.

LAFC has suffered only four losses in 18 MLS outings this season, picking up 11 wins and three draws along the way. No team has claimed more victories in 2022, while just one side has recorded fewer defeats.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy has registered eight wins, three draws, and six losses this year. Although Greg Vanney’s boys have conceded the same number of goals as LAFC, they have scored 11 fewer.

I expect the Galaxy to give Cherundolo’s men a run for their money on Friday, but I’m confident that LAFC will secure the El Tráfico bragging rights. Ultimately, the conference leaders are in a league of their own right now.

Eighth-place Minnesota and ninth-place Vancouver are locked on 24 points in the Western Conference. Funnily enough, both teams have recorded seven wins, three draws, and eight defeats this season.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that BetOnline struggles to separate these two sides.

The Loons suffered three straight losses across May and June. However, they have turned things around of late – securing a 3-2 away victory over the Galaxy before beating Real Salt Lake by the same score on home soil.

The Canadians have been especially strong on home soil this year, losing just one of their nine MLS clashes at BC Place. For that reason, I’m backing them to secure their fifth victory in seven home games on Friday.

Here are my recommended MLS picks for Friday, July 8. If you like the look of my picks, why not head over to the best Major League Soccer betting sites to lay down some wagers?

14 of the Union’s 18 MLS games have produced under 2.5 goals this season. That’s why I expect Philadelphia’s clash with DC United to be a low-scoring encounter.

El Tráfico always dishes up plenty of goals. Since 2018, 11 of the 15 meetings between LAFC and LA Galaxy have produced over 2.5 goals. With that in mind, I’m backing LAFC to notch a high-scoring victory on Friday.

Since the Whitecaps have won four of their previous six home games, I’m confident that they will get the better of Minnesota at BC Place. Plus, the odds for the Vancouver win are seriously attractive!