Predictions and Best Bets for MLS Games on Saturday, July 31, 2021

Following three Friday night clashes, we have eight MLS games to bet on this Saturday, July 31, as we approach the midway point in the 2021 regular season.

The Revs currently find themselves atop the Eastern Conference, while the Sounders lead the way in West. Both conference leaders are in action on Saturday, with Seattle hosting San Jose and New England visiting the Red Bulls.

Here is the full MLS schedule for Saturday, July 31.

Inter Miami finally snapped a six-match losing streak with a draw against Philadelphia last time out. Phil Neville’s men now search for their first win since May 16 when Montreal comes to town this weekend.

Elsewhere, Cincinnati and Houston will be looking to end winless runs of their own, while Sporting KC could extend their unbeaten streak to six games with a positive result against Dallas.

Let’s get stuck into my MLS predictions for Saturday, July 31, before checking out the best Major League Soccer bets this weekend.

After going 13 games without defeat at the start of the season, the Sounders suddenly find themselves on a run of two losses in three matches. After falling to Minnesota, Seattle beat Austin before going down 3-1 to SKC last weekend.

But if San Jose’s recent results are anything to go by, Brian Schmetzer’s side should return to winning ways without any issues on Saturday.

The Earthquakes are currently enduring a woeful 11-game winless run and head to Washington on the back of four straight draws. They are also missing key midfielder Jackson Yueill, who is away on Gold Cup duty.

Ultimately, the matchup provides Seattle with the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

It feels like New England is starting to run away from the chasing pack in the East. Following three consecutive victories, the Revs find themselves seven points clear at the summit – boasting an unrivaled record of 10-3-3.

Bruce Arena’s men are the top scorers, too, with Gustavo Bou (nine goals, two assists) and Adam Buksa (seven goals, one assist) on fire right now. Spanish DP Carles Gil also has a whopping eight assists to his name.

The Red Bulls, on the other hand, can’t stop sliding down the standings. They have only managed to win one of their previous six outings and have slumped to ninth as a result – 15 points shy of New England.

The Revs beat RBNY 3-2 last month. Considering the contrasting form of the teams, the winning margin could be even bigger this time around.

Don’t get me wrong; I like what Hernan Losada is doing at DC United. The Argentine has transformed the Black-and-Red into a competitive team again, and they have been difficult to beat this year.

Although Cincinnati heads into Saturday’s clash on a five-match winless run, they have managed to hold both Columbus and Atlanta to a draw at TQL Stadium in recent weeks. Jaap Stam’s men can take confidence from that.

I expect DC to control large spells of this game, but I can see Cincy holding out for a draw here.

Inter Miami FINALLY ended a damaging six-match losing run last weekend, scraping a 1-1 draw with Philly. Still, the Herons remain rock bottom of the Eastern Conference after winning just two of their 13 outings this term.

Montreal pieced together a six-game unbeaten streak between late May and mid-July but has since suffered back-to-back defeats. After losing to New York City, the Quebec club was beaten 2-1 by New England last time out.

It is no secret that Neville’s men are in a real mess at the moment, but last weekend’s draw with the Union could spark a revival. With the Canadians going through a rough patch of their own, I’m backing the Herons to snatch a draw on Saturday.

Across the past ten games, no team in Major League Soccer has picked up more points than Sporting KC. The Wizards have taken 23 points from a possible 30, losing just a single game in the process.

With nine goals and four assists under his belt, it’s safe to say that Daniel Salloi has been key to SKC’s rise up the standings. The Hungarian forward netted in the statement victory over Seattle last weekend and will be confident of adding to his tally against struggling Dallas.

They have picked up a measly three wins in 15 games this year, leaving them 16 points shy of SKC.

When you consider what Peter Vermes’ side did to the Sounders, Dallas is destined for defeat this weekend.

After making a strong start to the season, Real Salt Lake hit a rough patch a while back. However, Freddy Juarez’s men crushed Vancouver 4-0 earlier in the month before dispatching Colorado 3-0 last time out. Crisis over? I think so.

Meanwhile, Houston has been nothing short of terrible over the past couple of months. The Texans head into Saturday’s encounter on an eight-match winless run and have drawn six of their previous seven outings.

The Dynamo has to win again at some point, but I don’t think it will be this weekend. I’m backing RSL to inflict another defeat on the Western Conference strugglers.

As I just mentioned, the Rapids were comprehensively beaten by RSL last weekend. However, that was their first defeat in six games. When you look at the bigger picture, Colorado is actually enjoying a really solid campaign.

At the other end of the standings, Austin is right at the bottom of the pile. But that is hardly a surprise when you consider that Josh Wolff’s men have scored ten goals in 14 games.

Having picked up just a single win from their previous 11 outings, Austin is likely to feel the full force of Colorado on Saturday.

Minnesota came from behind on two occasions to snatch a dramatic late draw with LAFC on Wednesday. Emanuel Reynoso canceled out Carlos Vela’s opener before Hassani Dotson netted in the 95th minute.

Following wins over Seattle and Portland, the Loons extended their unbeaten run to three games in midweek. Oh, and they have only lost one of their last 11 matches – sealing six wins and four draws in that time.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Whitecaps. They have won just one of their previous 11 encounters and have suffered six defeats during that period.

With these teams sitting at opposite ends of the form table, all the signs point towards a comfortable away win here.

That’s it for Saturday’s MLS predictions. If you’re betting on Major League Soccer this weekend, make sure you check out my best MLS bets for July 31 below.

There is nothing complicated about my first MLS bet for Saturday, July 31. Considering the mammoth 18-point gulf between these two sides, odds of 1.62 for the Seattle win are definitely worth taking advantage of.

The Sounders have only lost two of their 16 games this year, while the Quakes have won just three of their 15. Oh, and did I mention that Matias Almeyda’s team is currently on an 11-match winless run?

The betting sites have priced Sporting KC at 1.50 to win this one, with Dallas at 5.50. While the price for the home victory isn’t too bad, I recommend adding the over 2.5 goals market onto the SKC win to enhance the odds.

Ten of the Wizard’s 15 games have dished up at least three goals this year. Having just crushed Seattle 3-1, they will fancy their chances of sealing another high-scoring win over struggling Dallas.

Yes, the Rapids suffered a heavy loss in the previous round. But there is no way they should be the underdogs here. The bookies view Austin (2.15) as the favorite to win this one, leaving Colorado (3.30) as the outsider.

In my eyes, the giant price for the away win is just too good to miss. Fourth-place Colorado sits 11 points clear of last-place Austin – and Los Verdes have only picked up one win in their past 11 outings.