- CF Montreal is third in the Eastern Conference
- LA Galaxy is seventh in the Western Conference
- Montreal has won two straight, while LA has lost two straight
CF Montreal will hit the road for a MLS matchups against cross-conference rival LA Galaxy on the Fourth of July Monday.
Montreal has quietly been one of the better teams in the league, while the highly-touted Galaxy has stumbled as of late and is at risk of falling out of the playoff picture, increasing the importance of the upcoming result.
Montreal vs. Galaxy odds
| Home Team | Draw | Away Team |
| -145 | +300 | +300 |
MLS odds have the LA Galaxy as the heavy favorite to win the match at -145, while Montreal has +300 odds of winning; there are also +300 odds on a draw occurring.
These odds come in spite of the teams’ overall standing, as that metric alone would suggest that Montreal is more likely to win the matchup. The teams do have a nearly identical home and away records, with LA boasting a 4-1-4 record at home and Montreal 4-2-3 on the road.
Montreal vs. Galaxy Information
The match will kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, where it will be streamed via ESPN+.
CF Montreal
CF Montreal has already defied many MLS predictions and is third in the East with a 9-2-6 record, giving them 29 points on the season; this has been a surprise, given the competition within the conference, as teams such as New York City FC and the New England Revolution currently trail the Canadian competitors.
They head into the matchup on a decent run of form, having won each of their last two matches 2-1 and taken victories in three of their last four outings.
Djordje Mihailovic leads the team with seven goals in 14 matches, a very productive return for an attacker, much less a midfielder. Romell Quioto is next in line with six goals to his account, while the team as a whole has scored the second-most goals (32) in the East and joint-third-most in the entire league.
They have struggled on defense, however, conceding 29 times, the third-most in the East and joint-fifth-most in the MLS. If they want to continue to move up the MLS standings, they will need to buckle down and increase their focus and discipline when under fire.
Montreal typically sets out in a 3-4-2-1 but can also go for a 3-4-1-2, depending on the manager’s inclination. They create a decent amount of chances and are good at limiting their opponents’ goal-scoring opportunities, though they often allow them to find the back of the net when presented with the opportunity.
The team also does a decent job in possession but is not dominant, and the moments where they are caught in transition between attack and defense are often their worst.
Here is how the team lined up in its last match: Sebastian Breza, Rudy Camacho, Joel Waterman, Alistair Johnston, Victor Wanyama, Ismael Kone, Matko Miljevic, Lassi Lappalainen, Mathieu Choiniere, Mason Toye, Kei Kamara.
Tomas Giraldo, Bjorn Johnsen, Mihailovic, and Kamal Miller will all miss the action with various lower-body injuries. The absence of Mihailovic, the team’s leading goal-scorer, will almost certainly have the biggest impact.
LA Galaxy
LA has a ton of name-brand value and recognizable players, but their performances have been less than optimal. The team sits seventh in the West with a 7-3-6 record and has lost its last two matches, the most recent of which was to a Minnesota United FC squad that has since drawn level with them in points and is one dropped result away from usurping them in the table.
The Galaxy is led by Javier Hernandez, whose six goals in 16 matches are a team-high, though he has been off the mark as of late and largely caused the team to miss out on key points.
Thankfully for the Mexican international, as well as loyalists of the team, LA’s defense has been outstanding, conceding just 19 times in an effort only matched in the West by the Seattle Sounders.
They could do with an uptick in goals, but if they continue with their defensive prowess, they will at least be somewhere around the postseason bubble throughout the rest of the campaign.
LA likes to set up in a 4-2-3-1 to give itself the most possible balance, which it has used to dominate ball possession and reduce opponents’ chances on goal, thereby leading to their excellent defensive record.
They create more chances than many would expect for a team that struggles to produce goals, but once they find their shooting boots, they will have the opportunity to fly up not only MLS stats but also the league table.
This is the team that started LA’s last match: Jonathan Bond, Derrick Williams, Nick Depuy, Raheem Williams, Julian Araujo, Victor Vazquez, Marky Delgado, Daniel Aguirre, Javier Hernandez, Samuel Grandsir, Kevin Cabral.
Adam Saldana and Jorge Villafana will miss the tie with lower-body issues.
CF Montreal vs. LA Galaxy Pick and Predictions
Montreal is missing its top goal-scorer due to injury, but their recent form combined with LA’s struggles and the essential nullification of home-field advantage feeds into the road team picking up three points Monday night.
Bettors will also get a boost because of the profitability of their odds, which do not fairly represent the teams’ billing.
LA is still a threat to make a run to and through the postseason, but until they show some consistency and improve in front of goal, they will be relegated to second fiddle against capable opponents.
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