Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC MLS Betting Odds, Picks: Top two teams in Eastern Conference clash

The Eastern Conference’s top two teams collide Saturday when Nashville SC visit Nu Stadium to face Inter Miami, and both arrive off results that left them wanting more.

Nashville still sit first with 53 points, but a 2-1 loss at Toronto on Wednesday snapped their six-game unbeaten run and trimmed some breathing room off their lead. Miami, unbeaten in three but held to back-to-back draws themselves, are nine points back in second after a 1-1 result at Chicago in which Casemiro cancelled out Robert Lewandowski’s opener in front of a record crowd at Soldier Field.

There’s also a score to settle here. Nashville beat Miami 4-1 at GEODIS Park last month and eliminated the Herons from the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this year, so let’s get into my Inter Miami vs Nashville SC preview.

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC MLS Odds and Betting Trends

Home advantage and Miami’s attacking depth have the market leaning heavily one way. As of now, Inter Miami are -130 favourites on the three-way moneyline, the draw sits at +320, and Nashville are +260 underdogs. The Over/Under is set at 3.5; both sides carry -110 odds.

It may seem like a high total, but Miami own the league’s best offence at 59 goals this season, while these two combined for five goals the last time they met.

Inter Miami

Lionel Messi remains the best player in the league by a mile, with a league-leading 31 goal contributions (18 goals, 13 assists) as he chases a third straight MVP award. Luis Suárez has chipped in 12 goals and eight assists of his own, and Casemiro, deployed unconventionally at centre-back, has scored in three straight matches, including Wednesday’s equalizer off a Messi corner. The concern for Miami is finishing points off rather than just goals: back-to-back draws against Atlanta and Chicago have let a real chance to cut into Nashville’s lead slip by, even with the league’s most potent attack on the field.

Motivation shouldn’t be an issue here. Beyond the standings implications, Miami have last month’s 4-1 defeat to avenge, and a home crowd that’s watched this rivalry intensify over the past year won’t need much encouragement.

Nashville SC

Nashville’s business-like march toward a Supporters’ Shield hit its first real speed bump in weeks on Wednesday, as an early Niklas Dorsch own goal put Toronto in front before BJ Callaghan’s side could never quite wrestle the game back, eventually losing to a stoppage-time Emilio Aristizábal winner. It ended a run that had Nashville looking like the best team in MLS, and they’ll need a response against a Miami side they know can score in bunches.

Sam Surridge leads the club with 13 goals and remains in the thick of the Golden Boot race, Hany Mukhtar has 10 goals and seven assists, and Cristian Espinoza is tied for the second-most assists in MLS with 11 in his debut Nashville campaign. Even with Wednesday’s loss, Nashville remain on a record-breaking points pace and could become the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season. A win in Miami would go a long way toward putting Nashville’s chase of the single-season points record back on track.

MLS Prediction: Who Will Win Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC?

Best bet: Hany Mukhtar 4+ Shots (+110)

These two just played a five-goal game, and nothing about either side’s current form suggests defence is winning out on Saturday. Mukhtar is the engine for this Nashville attack, and the German scored twice in their 4-1 win against Miami earlier this season. Additionally, he’s recorded 24 shots over his last six games and should test Miami early and often on Saturday.

Final score prediction: Inter Miami CF 2 | Nashville SC 2