St Louis FC and LAFC are at the top of the betting for the MLS Western Conference title this year, but Seattle Sounders could be the value pick to win in the West.
Who do Bettors Favor?
According to the best bookmakers (and you can check out our top sportsbook reviews here) we can see that bettors favor the reigning MLS Cup holder LAFC to win the Western Conference at around +150. St Louis City is not far behind on +250 while both Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake are also in contention, ahead of Austin at +800.
| Western Conference Winner |  |
|---|---|
| LAFC | +150 |
| St Louis | +250 |
| Real Salt Lake | +450 |
| Seattle | +450 |
| Austin | +800 |
| San Jose | +1600 |
| Dallas | +2000 |
| Vancouver | +2500 |
LAFC Looking Good in the West
The reigning MLS champions, LAFC has been the best in the West for some time now, and although it went into the midseason break a full four points off the pace behind leaders St Louis, this is an experienced team and will not be panicking.
Having won the title already, LAFC is a team that will be confident about its ability to hit top form in the closing weeks of the regular season and are looking good in the West.
Despite the team's quality and experience, it has exhibited some symptoms of weakness this summer, and there is not much juice left in its price on the Western Conference futures market. The problems started shortly after LAFC's CONCACAF Champions League final defeat and it has only won three of its last eleven games and one of its last five away from home since the end of May, so at these odds, it isn't particularly appealing.
St Louis Not a Strong Pick
Despite having an excellent first MLS season, St Louis City doesn't appear to be a strong pick when compared to some of its primary competitors in the West.
It enjoyed a great start to its MLS career with five straight victories, but since then, it has gone on two losing streaks, the most recent of which was a four-game skid in June. Although LAFC will be optimistic of overtaking the current leaders, it still has a healthy advantage at the top of the West with a four-point gap that is unlikely to put any pressure on the trailing pack.
The strain of the final weeks of the regular season have not yet put St. Louis to the test, and it is noteworthy that head coach Bradley Carnell has had to rotate the squad frequently so far, putting out 21 different lineups in 23 MLS games to date. At its current odds, St Louis doesn’t look a good pick.
Seattle a Reliable Contender
Seattle, which is currently in fourth place in the Western Conference, is still a strong competitor and offers good value as a reliable contender in the Western Conference Futures market.
The squad has not been consistent thus far in the season, and since the middle of April, it has just once been able to win back-to-back games, while the team's current position in the table is explained by its eight defeats in 24 games. It has also been particularly unproductive at home, where it has won just two of its past eight games.
Even so, it is just five points behind St. Louis, who is leading the Western Conference, and still has plenty of opportunity to bridge the gap and take the West. Additionally, no MLS franchise is more successful than Seattle at delivering in the closing weeks of the season.
MLS Western Conference Contenders
Seventh and first place in the Western Conference are separated by just 10 points, and several clubs have a chance to narrow that gap and challenge for the conference title.
Real Salt Lake is presently third in the table and has been on a spectacular run of form, going nine games without losing since the beginning of June. However, it is questionable whether this record can continue and Austin FC, which entered the break in fifth place and was nine points behind St Louis, would be a better choice.
Josh Wolff's club has been erratic this season, at least on paper, but overall, it has been getting better, having won seven and drawn one of its previous twelve MLS games. It has the required expertise to create a credible challenge once more this season after coming in second in the West last year.
Vancouver Whitecaps is the other intriguing possibility in the West. Although now ranked eighth in the West, the Canadian squad has shown to be extremely difficult to defeat at home. The fact that Vanni Sartini's team has only lost twice this season and only one of its previous twelve games at BC Place makes it a potential value pick in this market.
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