Now is a great time to start making 2022 Liga MX picks. With match play entering Week 8, all the best online soccer betting sites are offering odds on every single contest. That's the benefit of reaching the halfway point in the schedule: complete and utter access.
It also just so happens to be the time when Liga MX picks get to be even more interesting. Head-to-head battles are filled with massive implications. And this week's action, which begins on Thursday, August 11 and runs through Saturday, August 13, is no different. Chief among the most interesting developments: First-place Toluca entering as the underdog against Cruz Azul during Saturday's loaded slate.
Is this a mistake and, by extension, a fantastic betting opportunity for soccer enthusiasts? Or is it time for us to start asking questions about Toluca? We'll get into this, and more, with our latest batch of picks for Liga MX. But first, here are the latest odds for soccer betting on all of the matches this weekend, courtesy of the linemakers over at BetOnline:
| Match Date | Favorite |  | Draw | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/11/22 | Queretaro FC | +130 | +230 | +200 | Atletico San Luis |
| 8/12/22 | Monterrey | +125 | +220 | +225 | Necaxa |
| 8/12/22 | Tijuana Caliente | +120 | +225 | +225 | Puebla |
| 8/12/22 | Pachuca | +110 | +215 | +250 | Juarez |
| 8/13/22 | Club Leon | -155 | +290 | +380 | Mazatlan FC |
| 8/13/22 | Guadalajara Chivas | +115 | +205 | +255 | Atlas Gdj |
| 8/13/22 | Cruz Azul | +105 | +230 | +250 | Toluca |
| 8/13/22 | Tigres UANL | -160 | +285 | +400 | Santos Laguna |
Like always, please remember to recheck all of these Liga MX betting lines until you actually play your wager. All odds on Liga MX are liable to shift prior to the opening whistle, and our lines are accurate entering Wednesday, August 10. Though there shouldn't be much movement ahead of games on Thursday and Friday, you might see significant changes to matches scheduled for Saturday.
Finally, because Liga MX betting is among the more niche forms of soccer wagering, it's important you find the right home for all of your business. That's where our reviews of the top online sportsbooks come in. Every site that makes this list is reputable and fit to rank among the best soccer betting sites in 2022.
Without further ado, let's get to our best Liga MX bets ahead of the action scheduled for Week 8!
Will Toluca Fall to Cruz Azul?
It genuinely puzzles us to see Toluca (+250) listed as such a heavy underdog. They have not lost a match since Week 3, and only one other team has tallied more goals on offense for the season.
Sure, playing away from home can absolutely have an impact on the team dynamic. But it's not like Toluca has been a pushover in hostile territory. They're a respectable 2-1-1 on the road.
Really, this line says a great deal about how people envision the potential for a draw. Maybe that's worth working at +230. Frankly, though, we're more pulled to Toluca winning outright. They don't have any major injuries or absences to report, and Cruz Azul (+110) enters with one of Liga MX's absolute worst defenses to date.
OSB Prediction: Toluca (+250)
Club Leon is the Easiest Liga MX Pick You'll Make All Week
It is rare that you see a team as ostensibly vulnerable as Club Leon (-155) enter as such a heavy favorite. But their overall stock has been deflated by the beatdown they suffered at the hands of Monterrey in Week 7, when they fell 5-1. Prior to that match, Leon actually propped up a positive goal differential to go along with one of Liga MX's most solid defenses.
Perhaps that loss to Monterrey is indeed telltale of Leon's long-term future. But there still isn't much to worry about in a match vs. Mazatlan FC (+380), which has yet to pick up a victory on the road this season.
OSB Prediction: Club Leon (-155)
Santa Laguna Doesn't Have a Prayer vs. Tigres UANL
Many have started to make the case that Tigres UANL (-160) is the best club in Liga MX rather than Monterrey or Toluca. While we're not ready to go that far, we certainly see the appeal to them when making Liga MX picks.
Tigres is the only Liga MX club that doesn't yet have a loss on their record. They enter this date with Santa Laguna (+400) at a dominant 5-0-2.
Any concerns about Tigres lie on the offensive side of the pitch, where they have struggled to generate downhill opportunities from the point of attack. Fortunately for them, their defense has been transcendent, both between the posts and across the middle of the field. Only one team has allowed fewer goals than them all season, and it wouldn't surprise us to see Tigres shut out Santa Laguna's own struggling offense.
OSB Prediction: Tigres UANL (-160)
Monterrey Should Make Quick Work of Necaxa
There is almost no decision to make here.
Monterrey (+125) has been a little touch-and-go when playing away from home, but it's legitimately tough to bet against their offense right now. Not only are they working off a five-goal detonation over Club Leon in Week 7, but their 17 scores on the season are by far and away leading Liga MX.
To the credit of Necaxa (+225), they do have one of the more bankable defenses in the game today. But their inability to piece together any offensive traction week-to-week has us doubting their capacity to do more than steal a draw.
OSB Prediction: Monterrey (+125)
Pachuca Poised to Shutout Juarez
Good luck finding a defense better suited to squeak out tough-as-nails victories than the one being fielded by Pachuca (+110). Across seven matches so far, they have allowed just four total goals. That is not a typo.
Of course, you might be wondering why Pachuca hasn't been able to do more than flirt with .500 when deploying a defense such as theirs. And that's a fair inquiry. Their offense has struggled to keep pace with the rest of the clubs, particularly when it comes to fast-break opportunities.
Still, that shouldn't impact them against Juarez (+250). Their offense is just as slow and prone to dry spells. This match will be a battle of defensive attrition—which bodes incredibly well for Pachuca.
OSB Prediction: Pachuca (+110)
Take a look at this list of all the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your Liga MX betting:
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