To Keep Hope Alive
Prior to the start of the season, Sporting Kansas City was considered among the favorites to dethrone New York City FC as MLS kings. Well, now the Wizards need some very powerful magic called a winning streak to keep hope alive. Otherwise, they’ll be condemned to last place in the Western Conference.
A streak should begin on Saturday when they play host to the Los Angeles Galaxy, but the soccer odds aren’t on Sporting KC’s side. Javier Chicharito Hernandez and visiting Los Angeles are the slight favorites thanks to a +145 price.
Let’s check the latest MLS news, stats, injury reports and MLS odds for Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy. We’ve plenty of MLS picks and predictions for you to consider.
Sporting KC: Could not be Worse
Last season, Sporting Kansas City finished third in the Western Conference with to a 17-7-10 record, 58 goals for and 40 against. This season, the Wizards have already lost 14 games and conceded 42 goals. They still have 10 games to go.
Most recently, they lost 2-0 to Austin FC, also at Children’s Mercy Park. That was their fourth straight MLS game without winning and the third in a row without scoring. They also didn’t score in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals against the Sacramento Republic, which they ended up losing 5-4 on penalties. As if that wasn’t enough, Cameron Duke won’t be available after being sent off against Austin. Summing up, they already hit rock bottom.
“We had chances to tie the game, possibly win the game, down at the end. Everyone put extra effort in and that’s what it takes in games like this. We just haven’t had the roll of the dice this year, and that’s just football. We have got to learn from our mistakes, and we have to play for something this year and it’s just one game at a time and getting results while we have all these home games this last part of the season,” said defender Ben Sweat to the press.
He’s not wrong. Kansas City’s roster is very talented. We’re talking about Graham Zusi, Daniel Salloi, Johnny Russell and Andreu Fontas, to name a few. Russell, for example, has scored five goals in six career games against the Galaxy. He currently sits atop the team’s scoring chart with six goals. Needless to say, he’s the main reason for you to consider including the Wizards in your soccer picks, especially at +175.
LA Galaxy: More Downs than Ups
The Los Angeles Galaxy are ninth in the Western Conference, but they’re one victory away from returning to the playoff zone.
Most recently, they lost 1-0 to FC Dallas. They won possession with 63 percent but couldn’t find the key to open Dallas’ lock. That was only the second time that they didn’t score over their last 11 games in all competitions. Midweek, they defeated Guadalajara 2-0. It was a friendly match, but still allowed them to regain some confidence.
After losing only two of their first seven road games, the Galaxy have dropped the last three. They haven’t had a longer road losing streak since dropping their last five away games of the 2020 season. If that doesn’t motivate them, nothing will.
Like Kansas City’s, LA’s roster is very talented, especially on offense. Dejan Joveljic is the team’s top scorer with nine goals. He’s followed by Chicharito with seven and Rayan Raveloson with three. There’s also Raheem Edwards, who leads the team in assists with six.
As if that wasn’t enough, more help’s on the way. The Galaxy recently announced that they’ve acquired midfielder Riqui Puig, who was supposed to be Lionel Messi’s heir in Barcelona. He could be the missing piece for the team to be more constant.
So, do they deserve to come in as the betting online favorites at +145? Yes, they do. The Galaxy is a much more experienced team and they simply can’t afford to lose. Plus, they’re used to the pressure.
Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 72
- Sporting Kansas City Victories: 26 (93 goals)
- Los Angeles Galaxy Victories: 30 (109 goals)
- Draws: 16
Last season, they met twice and Sporting Kansas City won both. In fact, the Galaxy have won only two of their last 12 matches against Kansas City dating back to October 2015 and have just one win in their last 13 visits to Kansas City.
Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 6
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS
- Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy Live Stream: fubo.tv
Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Sporting Kansas City | pk Ev | +175 | 2½ -135o | 1½ +135o
1½ -165u |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | pk -130 | +145 | 2½ +105u | 1½ +115o
1½ -145u |
| Draw | +255 |
Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy Prediction
Let’s see. Sporting Kansas City has lost five straight home games in regulation for the first time in club history. Since 2012, only Cincinnati has suffered a home losing streak of at least six games. If that doesn’t motivate them, nothing will. The thing is the Galaxy simply can’t afford to lose. Therefore, our online gambling prediction is a draw.
We also expect the total to go under 2½ goals. We’re talking about the worst two teams when it comes to scoring goals in the first half. The visitors have scored nine while the home side has only seven.
Score Prediction: Sporting Kansas City 1, Los Angeles Galaxy 1
