After opening week wins for both the Seattle Seawolves and Rugby ATL, the two sides clash at the Starfire Sports Complex in Washington on Friday night, as they get Week 2 of the 2023 MLR season underway. Who will still have their 100% record still intact at the end of the night? Read on, as weâre about to tell you in our free MLR betting picks.
- What; MLR
- Who; Seattle Seawolves vs Rugby ATL
- Where; Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Washington
- When; Friday, February 24th, 2023
- Time; 10.30 pm ET
Seattle and Rugby ATL both off to winning starts
Yes, it's not just the Six Nations that are playing rugby at the moment. On the other side of the pond, the new MLR season started last weekend. And it's fair to say it got off to a flying start for both these teams.
Both franchises got their respective seasons going with wins, Seattle defeated the New York Ironworkers 25-11 at Starfield. While Rugby ATL saw off the challenge of the Toronto Arrows, defeating them by 17 points to 11 at Silverbacks Park.
Seattle takes bragging rights over defending champs New York #MLR2023 https://t.co/iWV8bmn9p4 pic.twitter.com/30uhKnivBy
— Americas Rugby News (@americasrugby) February 19, 2023
This weekend the Seawolves again have the home advantage, with Rugby ATL having to hit the road. The Seawolves will be looking to cash in on their home comforts, and make it two from two with a second win. And the best rugby betting online sites seem to think they will do it.
| MLR Betting Seattle vs Rugby ATL |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seawolves | -240 | -300 | -250 |
| Rugby ATL | +190 | +220 | +200 |
| Seattle (-6.5) | -110 | N/A | -110 |
| Rugby ATL (+6.5) | -110 | N/A | -110 |
The Seawolves go into the match as the betting favorites. On the moneyline they are -240, Rugby ATL is +190. The -240 available on a Seattle win is good value with BetOnline, as elsewhere they are as short as -300 to win the match.
On the handicap line, the Seawolves are giving away 6.5 points. Seattle (-6.5) are -115, with Rugby ATL (+6.5) also at -115. This is with BetOnline. Donât forget, you can learn more about this top online sports betting site at our BetOnline review.
Seattle vs Rugby ATL betting pick
If youâre looking at backing Seattle on the moneyline, then get over to BetOnline for the -240 that is available. But for us, weâre focusing on the handicap market. Seattle started the season on absolute fire last weekend, defeating the 2022 champions, the New York Ironworkers 25-11.
There may have been a whiff of revenge in the air, and maybe the Seawolves were out for revenge after losing to New York in the final last season. But nevertheless, it was an impressive win by the Seawolves.
As for their opponents, Rugby ATL defeated the Toronto Arrows 17-11 last weekend. The Arrows are not regarded as one of the better sides in the MLR. They are +450 to defeat the Ironworkers in their second match, suggesting theyâre not expected to trouble the favorites this season.
Thereâs not much form to go by. But from what we saw in Week 1, our betting pick has to be on the Seattle Seawolves (-6.5) to win on the handicap.
New York vs Toronto Arrows - Saturday, February 25th - 3pm ET
Elsewhere, the New York Ironworkers are hosting the aforementioned Toronto Arrows on Saturday at 3 pm ET. The Ironworkers need a win after their defeat to the Seawolves last weekend. The Ironworkers are -550 on the moneyline, with the Arrows at +350.
Moving on, and on the handicap line, the Ironworkers are giving away 12.5 points. New York is -110 from a -12.5 points start, with the Arrows (+12.5) at -125.
The New York Ironworkers are the defending champions. Last season, when they were known as Rugby New York, they won the title by defeating the Seattle Seawolves 30-15 in the final at the Red Bull Arena.
RUGBY NEW YORK. 2022 MLR CHAMPIONS. pic.twitter.com/GVkJSDNI7v
— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) June 25, 2022
Even though they are the defending champions, the Ironworkers only managed to finish third in the Eastern Conference regular-season.
Plenty might debate who the strongest team in the MLR is. Just because the Ironworkers won the final last season, doesnât mean they were the best team in the competition. The fact they finished third in the Eastern Conference, goes some way to backing this theory up.
New York Ironworkers vs Toronto Arrows betting picks
Having said all that, the Ironworkers are still likely to be too strong for the Arrows. We can see them bouncing back with a win. They are too short to back on the moneyline, so itâs looking like a bet on the handicap is going to be better value.
The fact the Arrows have been backed into -125 on the handicap line, shows that punters already believe the handicap spread of 12.5 points is wrong.
And we tend to agree. We do think it will be close, but at 12.5 it probably just favors Toronto. So as things stand, if the handicap spread remains at 12.5 points, then a bet on the Toronto Arrows could be the way to go.
But, if the spread gets reduced down to 10.5 or lower, then take the Ironworkers to win.
