The Los Angeles Galaxy will take on Los Angeles FC in a battle for the city between two of the Western Conference’s three best teams this weekend.
Most sports betting guides have this match as too close to call, with nearly identical odds on either team.
Recent performances
The LA Galaxy broke a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers last weekend; this brought them to nine points on the season, which is third in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference. LAFC, meanwhile, is unbeaten and has won three straight games in the new campaign, most recently earning a 4-2 result against Orlando City SC.
Match details
The match will kick off inside Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
LA Galaxy vs LAFC Betting Analysis
Both of the Galaxy’s losses this season have come against current mid-table opponents; granted, the sample size is still fairly small, but it shows that there is already some variability in their results.
LAFC, meanwhile, is still unbeaten five games into the new league campaign. Both LA squads missed the playoffs last season (in which the top seven seeds from each conference participate), but LAFC was among the oddsmakers’ favorites in futures MLS odds to win the title during the offseason.
Updates
LA Galaxy has a striker, Javier Hernandez, who is a familiar face to those who pay attention to MLS stats; the Mexican international is a notorious goalscorer who has already found the back of the next four times in this campaign. His influence on the game can be paramount if he is on his game.
On the other side, LAFC has lived up to early MLS predictions by going on a nice unbeaten streak to start the year; this has largely been behind the efforts of Carlos Vela, another Mexican international with a long history of goalscoring.
Traditional stats in betting previews will reveal that LAFC has scored 13 goals and only conceded four thus far, whereas the Galaxy has scored seven and conceded five. Clearly, the on-paper advantage resides with LAFC, although it is not as cut-and-dry as that would make it seem.
LA Galaxy vs LAFC Betting Preview
MLS picks is expected to run through LAFC for a majority of the season, both regular and post— but if there is one early-season match that could cause trouble for the title favorites, it is this one.
The oddsmakers are giving the Los Angeles Galaxy a slight advantage heading into the matchup. For what it’s worth, the two inner-city opponents faced off three times last season: two ended in draws, and the Galaxy won the one standout. Their last duel was on October 3, 2021, and ended 1-1.
LA Galaxy vs LAFC Betting Prediction
If the question was which team is going to be the better long-term prospect for bettors, the answer would be much simpler: LAFC. However, the nature of the rivalry and talent of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will ensure edge-of-the-seat action for the entire 90 minutes and extra time this weekend.
One area that LA Galaxy bettors can cling to is that even in their losses, they were dominant with their possession of the ball and shot creation. This means that they always play an attractive style of soccer and have not been dominated, even if they were beaten.
On the flip side, LAFC has been a model of consistency thus far. Their 4-3-3 system has allowed them to press high up the field and force turnovers as they too have dominated possession and chance creation figures.
The winner of the match will come down to which team executes the best on the day, and as boring as this answer may be, the best bet is probably going to be for a draw. Both teams have the ability to attack the game late if they are trailing and the defensive solidarity to hold off opponents, but if push comes to shove, LAFC gets the betting nod because of their better defensive record.
How to bet on LA Galaxy vs LAFC
The oddsmakers have given the LA Galaxy +145 odds on winning to LAFC’s +150; there are +250 odds on a draw.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.