Galaxy the Pick against Earthquakes

LA Galaxy are back in action this week and they are the pick against San Jose

Who do Bettors Favor?

You can check out the best online sportsbook reviews here, but according to the sportsbooks, LA Galaxy are looking good here. They are clear favorites to beat their Western Conference rivals at -150. The draw is rated around the +330 mark but if you think the visitors can spring a surprise, you can wager on San Jose at odds up to +420.

LA Galaxy v San Jose		MyBookie
Galaxy	-160	-158
Draw	+337	+300
Earthquakes	+420	+370

Galaxy Inconsistent but in Contention

Los Angeles Galaxy enjoyed a strong start to the regular season, winning their opening two games, including an impressive win against defending MLS Cup champions NYCFC. But since then, Galaxy have struggled to find any consistency.

After giving up one or zero goals in nine of their first ten games, head coach Greg Vanney seemed to have found the solution to plugging a weak defense. That, however, proved to be a mirage as they went on to let in 12 goals in their next six MLS games, a run of subpar play that also saw them knocked out of the US Open Cup by Sacramento Republic.

Despite the inconsistency, however, Galaxy remain in contention in the West. They are currently fifth in the table, with games in hand over the teams above them, and have looked in good in their last two matches. They recorded an impressive 4-0 win over Montreal and followed that up with a battling display in a narrow loss to LA rivals LAFC.

San Jose Hoping for More Improvement

Since taking over as interim head coach, Alex Corvelo has not solved the problems at San Jose, but there has been a general improvement in results. After taking only three points from their first seven games they have lost only three out of eleven, a run of form that includes a 4-3 victory against Seattle Sounders and a 3-2 defeat to league leaders LAFC.

They are still at the foot of the Western Conference but have two games in hand over Sporting Kansas City immediately above them and a run of three home games from the next four after their LA assignment gives them the chance to build some momentum.

With a new head coach expected to be announced soon, San Jose still have a chance to get into playoff contention and a good result here against Western rivals would be a major boost to their morale and their playoff hopes, giving the incoming head coach something to work with.

MLS Betting Team News

LA Galaxy have signed Gaston Brugman from Parma in Italy to add further depth to the roster at a time when the fixtures are piling up and Brugman could be in line for his first Galaxy start here. Javier Hernandez and Dejan Joveljic have been playing well together up front and are likely to continue their forward partnership here. Meanwhile, center half Nick De Puy will have to be careful in this game as he is one yellow card away from a suspension.

The team news for San Jose is less encouraging. The team is dealing with a number of ongoing injury issues. Francisco Calvo is still struggling to recover from an ankle injury, while Siad Haji, remains sidelined with a concussion and it is not clear whether he will be available.

LA Galaxy Look the Safe Pick

Although they are inconsistent, Galaxy’s strength is undoubtedly in their depth of creativity. While their goal tally is not that impressive, the number of players in the squad who have registered one or more assists is in double figures, a fairly rare statistic.

This is, however, balanced by their obvious problems. They have developed a habit of conceding the first goal in games, due to slow starts, which usually leaves them chasing the game against opponents who are able to sit on their lead. That makes it harder than it should be to break down opposing defenses and explains why 12 of their last 14 goals have come in the last thirty minutes.

That may not be such a problem in this game, however, as they are up against the weakest defense in the Western Conference. San Jose have conceded more goals than anyone else in the West, letting in more than two goals per game. If Galaxy can start the game strong, they have a good opportunity to dominate, although they will still be wary of San Jose’s ability to counter. But there is no doubt that Galaxy are the better side and they look like a safe pick for victory here.

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy v San Jose