Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal MLS Preview and Prediction
Two struggling MLS sides will battle this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET when CF Montreal travel south to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on Atlanta United.
The visitors are 3-0-6 with nine points (12th in the East), while the hosts are just 2-1-7 with seven points (13th in the East). Neither squad has looked strong this season, but they’re both finding their form as we enter May, and the season is still in its opening months. With three important points on the line, let’s dive into my Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal picks for Saturday’s MLS tilt.
Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal MLS Odds and Betting Trends
Atlanta is a +100 favourite on the three-way moneyline compared to CF Montreal’s +240 price, while the draw is +255 on the MLS odds. The over/under is 3.5, and the over is slightly juiced at -135, with the under hanging around +110. Clearly, oddsmakers expect goals in this game, as Both Teams to Score – Yes has -165 odds, while five different players are +200 or shorter to find the back of the net in Atlanta.
Prince-Osei Owusu (+160 to score) leads the attack for Montreal, as the Ghanaian forward has six goals and four assists through nine matches this season. For Atlanta, Emmanuel Latte Lath (+170) and Cayman Togashi (+170) have the shortest odds to score, but Lath has just one goal and two assists in 836 minutes this season, while Togashi has no MLS goals in just 60 minutes of game time thus far. Miranchuk Aleksey (+175 to score) could be a better option for Atlanta’s attack; the Russian forward has five goals in 756 minutes this season.
Atlanta United
Atlanta United’s start to the season wasn’t what they likely imagined, and they currently have enormous 65-1 odds to win the Eastern Conference. Sadly, this has become the norm for a club that has finished 20th or worse in the MLS four of the last five seasons. For comparison, they finished fourth or better in their first three seasons, taking home the MLS Cup in 2018. I’m not sure how they can get back to this glory, but they should be able to take a step in the right direction on Saturday.
Atlanta has just two wins in the MLS this year, but one of them came last weekend on the road against Toronto FC (2-1). They followed that up with a 2-0 road win against Charlotte FC in the Open Cup, so they’ve quietly put together a two-game win streak for the first time this season. The recipe for Atlanta is simple: score at least two goals and good things happen. When the hosts have scored at least twice, they’re 4-0-1 in all competitions, and when they fail to do so, they’re 0-1-6. They can score twice against Montreal in this one.
CF Montreal
CF Montreal’s season has a very similar storyline to Atlanta’s, and they’ve also rattled off back-to-back victories against New York City FC (1-0) and New York Red Bulls (4-1). However, both of those wins came at home, and Montreal has specifically beaten up on the Red Bulls this season, scoring seven goals in two wins. Outside of Montreal’s win at Red Bulls in March, they’ve gone winless on the road and have been outscored 17-4 across five games.
Prince-Osei Owusu is the main man for Montreal’s attack, and Wikelman Carmona (3 goals, 1 assist) is the only other player with more than one goal. Unfortunately, Carmona is questionable for this game with an ankle injury after missing the last two matches. He could return against Atlanta, but that won’t be enough for the visitors to pull off an upset.
MLS Prediction: Who Will Win Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal?
Neither squad has performed well this season, but they’re both riding two-game win streaks. However, I expect Atlanta to extend their streak to three games on Saturday. If they can stop Owusu, Montreal doesn’t have too many other attacking options, and overall, the hosts are the more talented side. Take Atlanta to win an end-to-end match by a 3-1 scoreline.