The 2023 MLS season is finally upon us as the opening weekend takes place this week and teams look to get off to a good start to be crowned champions.
Los Angeles FC claimed the title last time around, with Gareth Bale's final goal of his club career sending the tie to penalties where they were victorious in claiming their first ever title. But this year as they look to go back-to-back they will have plenty of competition.
We'll take a look at some of the biggest games of the weekend and provide you with our best free soccer picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash for the weekend.
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Nashville SC vs New York City FC - 25 February 2023, 16:30 ET
The first game of the weekend is one of the best, with two strong teams going head-to-head at GEODIS Park.
When the sides last met on this ground, it was a memorable one as we saw two red cards and four goals in a 3-1 win for Nashville. Hany Mukhtar scored twice in that game, and after ending the 2022 season with 26 goals he'll be keen to continue as he left off.
New York are one of the countries top sides though, having won the 2021 MLS Cup and then won the Campeones Cup in 2022.
Both of these sides made it through to the playoffs last season, but ultimately fell short. After strengthening their squads in the off-season, expect a high-paced game with lots of goals and that man Mukhtar to get on the scoresheet once again in a Nashville win.
Check out our review for MyBookie sports betting here.
Philadelphia Union vs Columbus Crew - 25 February 2023, 19:30 ET
It's the 2022 runners-up who are the hosts in this one, and they come up against the 2020 champions in a big game.
Philadelphia had a fantastic season last year and were arguably the best team in the country despite their defeat in the MLS Cup final, with the best defensive record and best offensive record across the league.
On the other hand though Columbus Crew has had a long period of turbulence. The team haven't qualified for the playoffs since winning the title in 2020, and this led to the club firing Caleb Porter and hiring Wilfried Nancy.
There are a lot of questions around this game because of that, and they should all be answered at the end of this game. But with home advantage and the razor close failure of last season still lingering in the back of their minds, expect Philadelphia to get the win.
LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC - 25 February 2023, 21:30 ET
El Trafico takes place on week 1 of the season, and that makes it an incredibly tough pick.
The game will take place in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the first time ever, but it's surely going to live up to expectations with goals and entertainment galore in this local derby game.
Their last meeting was obviously memorable with LA FC winning 3-2 in the playoff semi-finals last year, and then going on to win the title just to further rub it in the noses of the Galaxy.
As two of the stronger teams in MLS, very few additions have been needed. Aaron Long did, however, join LAFC from the Red Bulls in one of the bigger deals of the off-season.
The Galaxy have got the historical edge in the fixture with seven wins to LA FC's five, but there's no doubting now that LA FC are the stronger team and with their squad at the strongest that it's been in a long time, I expect them to get the result once again.
DC United vs Toronto FC - 25 February 2023, 19:30 ET
Wayne Rooney's DC United were nothing short of a shambles in 2022, but they'll be keen to make amends this year.
Toronto FC by all accounts weren’t much better last season. Bob Bradley remains in charge of the club going into this season, with the former USMNT manager being given the chance to work with the Italian influx as Lorenzo Insigne, Federico Bernardeschi, and Raoul Petretta all part of the squad.
This is the type of game that can show who is likely to suffer a similar fate to last season or who has kicked on to greater things. It could go either way in reality, but the likelihood is neither team will shine too brightly, so back the unders for this with both teams keen not to lose.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls - 25 February 2023, 19:30 ET
It took Orlando City six seasons to make the playoffs and even longer to get their hands on silverware. Yet, 2022 saw them lift the US Open Cup with the help of their talisman Facundo Torres.
But despite not getting past the first-round of the playoffs, they managed to keep hold of Torres which shows they mean business for the 2023 campaign.
Somehow the New York Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, despite having the likes of Thierry Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips among their alumni.
Last year New York won 3-0 away from home, yet on the same ground lost 5-1 in the US Open competition. The Scotsman Lewis Morgan notably scored in both fixtures, but the best bet here will be for both teams to score in an entertaining affair.
