MLS betting tip: New England Revolution- FC Dallas
MLS: New England Revolution- FC Dallas
Having long windedly said all that, the big difference in MLS football is that swing from the powerhouse being in the West to the East. It has been slowly coming, in interconference games the West were 11 wins better in 2015, down to 6 last year, this season it has gathered apace and the East are already 11 games up , on the road they have won 10 which is two more than the whole of last season and they have avoided defeat in 54% of those (after losing 58% in 2016). As a host, they are 30-6-8 , losing just 13.64% and winning over 68% (up from 48% last season).
Revolution will be hungry in their home debut after starting with two away and fruitless trips to Colorado and Dallas. They will be pleased to be back home, where they won their final four home starts last season, with an 11-2 goal difference, all by 2 +. Despite that run, they missed out on the playoffs on a tiebreaker, which was painful, Kei Kamara, Lee Nguyen , Kelyn Rowe, Diego Fagundez and Juan Agudelo , give them as much offensive potential as almost anyone in MLS and they made upgrading the defense in the off season their priority and the signings of Benjamin Angoua and Antonio Delamea Mlinar, plus the return from injury of defensive midfielder Xavier Kouassi who made his debut last week eight months after his signing, should really (eventually) strengthen their central defensive spine . Huge game for them, as they are back on the road next week with a long and always difficult trip to Portland and I am expecting a big showing.
They won 5-2 that day and are their best when they kind of throw caution to the wind, when they look to tighten up it only comes at a cost at the other end of the pitch and it will be back to the off season drawing board in that regard. They are now nine points off playoff pace, albeit with a game in hand on most, two on some, but have no choice now but to gamble and IMO, they will be better off for it.
LA Galaxy have fallen off their pedestal big time and are a lowly eighth in the West, their home form has been terrible and they have collected a whopping 16 of 22 points on the road. They played at home in midweek and this is a long journey East on such a quick turnaround , but they will still be happier to be away from LA at present. Two teams who can only look for three points, the home team better when they gamble, the visitor far stronger on the road, the pair having shipped 64 goals, scoring 57 between them and this has to develop into a shootout at some stage.
Revolution missed out on the post season by one place and if I tell you they were 12-3-2 at home, 1-3-13 on the road, you can probably work out where that shortfall come about. They have already equalled that away win record of last season, but more important is that it is starting to look like they have worked how how to protect the backline without it coming at too much cost offensively. In those last two wins they have had 37 attempts, 23 inside the box, 14 on target and also hit the woodwork twice. I also liked the 2-2 draw with a good NYCFC team prior to that, where again they were denied by the woodwork and restricted NYC to very few attempts on goal and these are all good signs. Revolution are 18-4-2 at home since August 2017, averaging 2.375 goals per game which is a fearsome record and 75% win rate and if they have solved some if not all those issues at the back, they are going to be even harder to beat from here on in.
FCD are amongst the best in the West, but "lost" 14 points last season from 2016 and missed out on the post season and only won 3 on the road, they have yet to play an away game this season and this is a big ask first time away from Texas. Dallas have won just 6/27 (22.22%) after taking maximum points from 36/68 (52.94%) prior to that and this feels like two teams and two Conferences heading in different directions.