It had been a rocky few weeks for the Seattle Sounders heading into their visit to Portland on Sunday night, but an emphatic 6-2 win over the Timbers proved the bookmakers right for keeping the Western Conference champions at the top of the betting board in the MLS Cup outright market.
Two defeats and one tie at Lumen Field for the Sounders had allowed Sporting Kansas City to usurp Seattle at the top – a feat that was helped by a 3-1 victory on July 26th.
But online betting sites have remained almost unanimous in their view that Seattle should still be the favorites for the MLS Cup, and if the performance at Providence Park is anything to go by, then they certainly look capable of putting together a run and ultimately going one better than last year in the playoffs.
Most sportsbooks have the Sounders priced at around +500 to lift the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy this fall, and closer to +250 to make it out of the West as they did in 2020.
Talismanic striker Raul Ruidiaz scored two crucial second-half goals for Seattle on Sunday after Portland had come from two down to make it 2-2, and the Peru international will be pivotal for Brian Schmetzer’s team throughout the rest of the campaign and through the postseason.
Meanwhile, Sporting KC kept up their momentum with an efficient 2-0 triumph over FC Dallas, and they are now priced at +700 on some betting sites – and even shorter than that on some sportsbooks.
Last season, KC were stunned 3-0 at home by Minnesota United in the conference semifinals, but that disappointment appears to be behind them as they continue to impress.
In the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution have a very healthy lead at the top of the table after taking 19 points from a possible 21 in their last seven outings.
It took an 83rd minute penalty for them to overcome Toronto FC – the team with the worst record in the entire MLS – on Saturday, but no club has scored more regular season goals than New England in 2021 and it’s understandable that they are into +700 to win the MLS Cup having lost five finals since 2002.
Orlando City are 13 points behind the Revs, albeit with two games in hand, and haven’t got out of second gear yet but they aren’t far behind New England in the outright markets on various betting sites.
New York City FC and Nashville Soccer Club are both ahead of Orlando in the East standings but some sportsbooks appear to have doubts over their ability to go deep in the playoffs so they can each be backed at or above +1400 depending on where you place your wagers.
Last year’s champions, the Columbus Crew, have lost four on the bounce and after starting the season among the favorites, are now out to +3300 to retain, and seemingly out of contention barring a huge turnaround in form.
