May 18th USL Odds
It feels like the month of May has absolutely flown by. It's nearly Memorial Day.
A shorter slate of USLC matches for this weekend with some midweek games having taken up those fixtures, but a full weekend of USL1 action with a return to league play after round two of the Jagermeiester Cup last weekend. The Premier League season reaches a conclusion on Sunday and soon, USL, the biggest league in the world, will have the full attention of it all summer long.
As always, all bets are to be made at your own risk. View the options below as potential options to bet on, rather than ironclad guarantees. Make any wagers with amounts you are only comfortable with.
All odds from Bet365 as of Friday, May 17th, 2024.
Previous Week Recap:
Here are the bets that paid off from last week’s article:
Louisville to win and score over 2 goals (3.60), Tulsa v Pittsburgh BTTS and over 2 total goals (2.30), New Mexico v Oakland over 2.5 goals (1.72), Monterey Bay over 1 goal and BTTS (2.80), Indy Eleven to win, under 3 total goals (5.50), Madison to win and score exactly 3 goals (11.00), Lexington v Central Valley Fuego over 3 goals (3.10), Chattanooga to win or tie (1.44).
Elo Ratings for USL Championship and USL1
USL Championship
Colorado Springs v Rhode Island
1.95 - 3.40 - 3.60
Don’t look now, but Colorado Springs have won three matches in a row for the first time since the tail end of the 2023 season, and have done show with clean sheets in each of those three games (a feat they also accomplished during their last three game winning streak last year). Rhode Island a very spirited display to get a draw against Sacramento last week as they hover outside the playoff picture in the East right now. Do not sleep on this Friday night clash, but do pay attention to Colorado Springs in this one, who have scored first in their last four games.
Bet: Colorado Springs to score first (1.61)
El Paso v Memphis
2.55 - 3.30 - 2.45
El Paso finally picked up their first win of the season last week, a much needed 2-0 victory over Loudoun United. Memphis meanwhile is also on a three match unbeaten run where they have scored nine combined goals in that time—with each of those matches being over 2.5 goals scored and two of them being BTTS. As Memphis finds their form, they face an El Paso team they beat 4-0 last season in the regular season.
Bet: Over 2.5 goals (1.80)
Indy Eleven v Hartford
1.57 - 4.00 - 4.75
Indy Eleven have scored in every match played this season, a streak of ten consecutive games. In those matches, Indy have scored multiple goals in half of them. Hartford meanwhile still have yet to recover from their 6-0 loss to Louisville, having lost two consecutive games since then also getting shutout in those matches. Hartford have gone 332 total minutes since they last scored a goal—you could watch the first 8.5 episodes of Season One of the critically acclaimed series, Andor, in that time.
Bet: Indy Eleven to win, over 2 total goals (2.25)
Loudoun v Monterey Bay
2.35 - 3.10 - 2.80
One of the longest road trips in the league resulted in a Monterey Bay 4-1 win last season when these two sides faced off. Both teams have been searching for answers as of late, with Monterey Bay winless in three and Loudoun winless in four. Loudoun have been shutout in three of those four winless matches but the cross-country trip has been challenging for Monterey Bay in the past, as they won just one road match away at Eastern Conference teams last season. Oddly, the same stat from above about watching 8.5 episodes of Andor can apply here too (exactly as well), since the last time Loudoun last scored as well.
Bet: Monterey Bay to win or tie, BTTS (2.30)
Pittsburgh v North Carolina
1.90 - 3.20 - 4.00
It may be safe to say that after their promotion to the Championship this season, North Carolina has not had the start that they had hoped for. Just one win on the board and having scored multiple goals in a match only twice this season—one of which was the aforementioned win. Pittsburgh meanwhile is slowly climbing up the Eastern Conference standings now and can go as high as 4th this week if results go their way. Unbeaten in their last six, four clean sheets in that time, Riverhounds should look to extend that run this week.
Bet: Pittsburgh to win to nil (3.25)
Tampa Bay v Tulsa
1.48 - 4.50 - 5.00
Tampa Bay enters this match riding a two match losing skid and will want to avoid their first three match losing streak since the start of the 2023 season. Tulsa have just one loss in their last five games, but also just one win in that time as well (they have scored in each of those five games though). A tough one to predict this match, although Tampa Bay won both meetings between these sides last year.
Bet: Over 1.5 goals (1.16)
Oakland v Orange County
2.60 - 3.50 - 2.40
This fixture was strangely high-scoring last season, as both games saw over 2.5 goals scored in them (with each team splitting results, taking a win each). Oakland are winless in their last four while Orange County have just one win in their last four games played. Each team would be desperate to find a result in this one, Oakland to jumpstart a stagnating season, and Orange County to get back into distance of the top two teams in the West.
Bet: BTTS (1.83)
Las Vegas v Louisville
3.60 - 3.60 - 1.80
If you bet one match this week, hammer goals being scored in this one. Louisville has the league’s best goal difference in the league (+19), while Las Vegas has the second worst goal difference in the league (-8). Louisville are riding the back of three consecutive clean sheet wins in the league, outscoring opponents 10-0 in that time. Las Vegas oddly, has scored in every home game they have played in the league this season. But Louisville should make it four wins in a row this week.
Bet: Louisville to win by 2 or more goals, score in both halves (3.60)
Phoenix v Miami
1.50 - 4.00 - 5.00
Weirdly last season, Miami was able to get a 2-1 win against Phoenix in the middle of the summer, but then the clubs felt like they went in opposite directions as Rising would go on to be crowned league champs vs Miami just barely missing the playoffs. Miami games this year have been characterized by lots of goals, six of their games have seen BTTS, all of which were over 2.5 goals. Phoenix have scored in each of their last six games, but only more than one goal on two occasions (scoring three goals each time).
Bet: Phoenix to win 2-0 (7.00)
USL1
Some odds were not available as of time of writing.
Charlotte v Omaha
2.62 - 3.50 - 2.25
Low key, this might be the match of the weekend in USL1. Us at the USL Show have been rather down on Charlotte as of late, mostly attributed to Austin Pack saving results for the club, however, both Charlotte and Omaha enter this match unbeaten in their last four games (with Omaha one of two remaining unbeaten sides in the league). I expect a close affair in this match, potentially due to more Austin Pack heroics, but it really just depends on which Omaha team decides to show up, the one that stuck four past Tormenta last match out in the league, or the one that drew 0-0 v Charlotte when last these teams faced.
Bet: Omaha to tie win, under 3 total goals (2.50)
Fuego FC v Knoxville
3.00 - 3.80 - 1.95
One Knoxville will surely still be reeling from their 5-1 battering against Northern Colorado in the Jagermeiester Cup last week, as they attempt to refocus on the league against a Fuego side that could not beat them in three matches last season in the league. Fuego is the only USL side without a clean sheet this season and they have conceded 16 goals this year. One Knoxville should win this match, but if you nervous to bet outcomes of a team who just lost by four goals, bet for goals scored.
Bet: Over 2.5 goals (1.80)
Richmond v Greenville
2.70 - 3.20 - 2.30
Richmond won on penalties in the Jagermeister Cup the last time these two sides faced, back in April. In the league last season, the series was split one win each and a tie across their three meetings in 2023. Greenville’s form away from home this season has been inconsistent, two wins and two defeats. This could be a closer than expected match, but one Greenville should still have the advantage in.
Bet: Greenville win or tie, (1.36)
Tormenta FC v Chattanooga
This fixture saw a combined 16 goals scored in their three games last season, where Chattanooga was unable to get a win against Tormenta all season. Chattanooga’s goals have been few and far between, having one of the lowest goal tallies in the league, while Tormenta sit at the other end of the table in terms of goals scored with ten. Chattanooga also just seem out of form from having played just three league matches this season, expect Tormenta to take advantage.
Bet: Tormenta to win
Spokane v Madison
Not to be forgotten in the league, Madison and Spokane have had very close starts to the league, nearly even on points halfway through April. Madison has picked up more draws than wins in the league this season but have the league’s second best goal differential, and just got a massive 2-1 win in the cup against Charlotte last week. Spokane themselves also notched a 3-2 victory over Omaha in the Cup as well. This could very well be a match Madison might see their unbeaten streak reach an end.
Bet: Spokane to win
Parlays
Three Legs:
Louisville, Pittsburgh and Indy Eleven all to win (5.37)
Omaha, Knoxville, Greenville all to win (10.53)
Four Leg Round Robin x2:
Over 2.5 goals on each match: Las Vegas v Louisville, Indy Eleven v Hartford, Tampa Bay v Tulsa, Phoenix v Miami (bet $6 to win $16.20)
Indy Eleven, Monterey Bay, Pittsburgh and Orange County all to win (Bet $6 to win $27.42)
Four legs or more parlay:
Louisville, Phoenix, Indy Eleven, Omaha all to win (8.23)
Orange County, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Greenville all to win (14.89)
Non-USL Bets for the Weekend:
Bet 1: Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all to win on the Premier League final day (6.28)
Bet 2: Bolton Wanderers to win in 90’ in the League One final and Crawley Town to win in 90’ in the League Two playoff final (3.79)
Final Thoughts:
Follow me on Twitter at @ILM_Ryan and follow the USL Show, @theUSLshow.
NCFC has 2 wins. Won Tuesday vs Loudon, but true that they have multiple goals in their wins