Football Bet of the Day: Orlando out to inflict more misery on Montreal

Saturday's football bet of the day comes in the early hours - at least for those in the UK - as Orlando City and CF Montreal face off at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida (01:00).

The pair meet in Group 10 of the Leagues Cup - an annual competition between clubs from MLS and Liga MX - with Mexican side Atletico San Luis the other team in the group.

Football Odds

After a shaky start to the 2024 MLS season that saw them win just four of their opening 18 games, Orlando look to have turned the corner since mid-June, winning five of their last seven matches to climb up to seventh in the 15-team Eastern Conference.

The Lions have also made themselves an entertaining outfit to watch with an average of 3.08 goals per game (1.56 for, 1.52 against) in their MLS matches, and before being held to a 1-1 draw by New York City last Sunday, Orlando had been involved in eight-straight contests where there had been at least three goals scored - six of them ending in over 3.5 goals.

Orlando's last five wins have seen at least three strikes, and three of them also saw the opposition net at least once.

Montreal, on the other hand, began the campaign with a three-game unbeaten run, winning twice, but have triumphed just four times in their subsequent 22 MLS outings and now sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind Orlando who they drew 0-0 with on the opening weekend.

The Canadian side's away form has been particularly brutal as they have picked up just 10 points from a possible 39 on offer - only Nashville SC and the New England Revolution (both nine) have claimed fewer points on their travels.

Montreal haven't won away from home since March 10 when they beat Inter Miami 3-2 to record back-to-back away victories, and have lost three of their last five on the road.

To their credit, they did manage to score in four of those matches, even netting twice against the New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union in 2-2 draws, and are averaging 1.15 goals scored away from home in MLS.

Orlando City vs CF Montreal Odds

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Montreal have already visited Inter&Co Stadium this term, holding Orlando to a goalless draw there on February 25, but that was the opening weekend of the season, and the Lions have made huge strides since, particularly over the past month.

The two sides also met in Montreal on April 21, playing out a 2-2 draw at Saputo Stadium.

I'm inclined to back more goals in Saturday's meeting, particularly as it should act as some form of respite for Montreal amid their struggles in MLS. They can afford to be a bit more adventurous and experimental in this competition and play with a degree of freedom that isn't possible in domestic action.

However, while I think the visitors will get on the scoresheet against a side that has kept just two clean sheets in their last 12 games, the hosts should have too much firepower for the opponents with Argentine forward Ramiro Enrique in particularly red-hot form.

The 23-year-old has struck in his last four matches and will pose a significant threat to Montreal's defence alongside Uruguay international Facundo Torres, who has scored three goals already this month, and compatriot Martin Ojeda.

Take Orlando to win and both teams to score at 13/8 ahead of their second and final group fixture against Atletico San Luis on August 5.

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