Wednesday's Major League Soccer predictions including Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami

Atlanta vs. Montreal (Thursday, 12.30am)

Three massive points will be at stake Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Atlanta United host CF Montreal in the 32nd match of the MLS regular-season for both teams.

Each side are on the outside of the playoff picture, with the Five Stripes three points below that final spot after playing to a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union, while Le CFM are tied with the Union for that last place in the Eastern Conference, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0.

We say: Atlanta United 1-1 CF Montreal

Montreal have taken care of business in recent outings, but they will be facing an opponent on Wednesday far superior to their previous two, and we expect a stalemate between two sides that will be desperate to remain in the playoff race but perhaps not so keen to take a lot of risks going forward.

Charlotte FC vs. Chicago Fire (Thursday, 12.30am)

Charlotte FC could seal a playoff spot when they host Chicago Fire at Bank of America Stadium in Wednesday night's Major League Soccer action.

Dean Smith's men sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with three games remaining and could confirm a top-seven spot with success against a side with little or nothing left to fight for this term.

We say: Charlotte FC 2-1 Chicago Fire

Charlotte have dominated recent match-ups against the Fire, notching four consecutive victories entering Wednesday's fixture, and they should seal another success against an opponent that has nothing riding on the outcome in Illinois.

NY City vs. Cincinnati (Thursday, 12.30am)

Needing a win and some help to have any hope of retaining their Supporters' Shield crown, FC Cincinnati head to Harrison on Wednesday for a midweek fixture with New York City FC at Red Bull Arena.

An emphatic 5-1 victory against the Red Bulls over the weekend officially secured a playoff spot for the Pigeons, while Cincy are nine points behind Inter Miami for the best record in MLS after suffering a 2-1 defeat versus Los Angeles FC.

We say: New York City FC 3-1 FC Cincinnati

Injuries and inconsistencies have taken a toll on Cincinnati, and we expect to see NYCFC to take advantage of their vulnerabilities and make another statement before the playoffs begin.

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia (Thursday, 12.30am)

Nine points are left on offer for Orlando City and Philadelphia Union heading into Wednesday night's Major League Soccer match-up at Euphoria Stadium.

Oscar Pareja's side are already assured of a place in the post-season playoffs, but the Union's involvement remains in the air with three matches remaining.

We say: Orlando City 2-1 Philadelphia Union

Although Philadelphia have secured six points from their last three road matches, facing an in-form Orlando could scupper the playoff-chasing side's prospects.

While their goalscoring proficiency away from home could see them score for the eighth road match in succession, the home side will back themselves to notch a fourth consecutive victory at Euphoria Stadium.

Toronto vs. NY Red Bulls (Thursday, 12.30am)

Needing a win to ensure they remain above the Eastern Conference playoff line, Toronto host the New York Red Bulls at BMO Field on Wednesday in the 32nd match of the MLS campaign for the Canadians.

A 1-1 draw versus the Chicago Fire this past weekend has the Reds in a three-way tie for that final playoff position in the East, while the Red Bulls officially booked a place in the post-season despite being thumped 5-1 by New York City FC on Saturday.

We say: Toronto 2-1 New York Red Bulls

With only two matches remaining, Toronto have to pull out all the stops, and we expect their urgency will propel them to a victory against a team that have played rather conservatively for weeks.

Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami (Thursday, 12.45am)

Columbus Crew will be out to prolong the race for the MLS Supporters' Shield in midweek when they face Inter Miami at Lower.com Field in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The hosts are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with 57 points, trailing their upcoming opponents by eight, though they do have a game in hand on the Herons.

We say: Columbus Crew 2-2 Inter Miami

Inter Miami have been the best team in the MLS this season, and their away record has been excellent, with only two defeats conceded in 15 matches on the road.

However, Columbus will not give up this race without a fight, and while the Herons are likely to go on to lift the Supporters' Shield this year, we feel that the Crew will force them to wait at least another couple of days until they face Toronto to do so.

Houston vs. New England (Thursday, 1.30am)

Houston Dynamo will look to bounce back to winning ways in the MLS this week when they take on the New England Revolution at Shell Energy Stadium on Thursday morning.

The hosts enter this match in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with 48 points, while the visitors are second bottom in the Eastern Conference with 31 points.

We say: Houston Dynamo 2-1 New England Revolution

While New England have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, their away form in particular this season has been well below the norm, and we feel they will struggle to contain the Dynamos on their home patch in this one.

Nashville vs. DC United (Thursday, 1.30am)

Two sides seeking a late push for a playoff berth in the MLS Eastern Conference will clash when Nashville SC host DC United at Geodis Park on Thursday.

The hosts will aim to extend their 100 percent home record in this fixture, while the visitors will hope to avoid consecutive away defeats.

We say: Nashville SC 2-1 DC United

Nashville and DC United find themselves in identical predicaments, both sides desperately seeking a late playoff berth and enduring a recent drought of victories.

Nevertheless, given the hosts' historical dominance in this fixture on home turf, we are inclined to predict a win for them on Thursday.

Colorado vs. LA Galaxy (Thursday, 2.30am)

Colorado Rapids will be hoping to close the gap on MLS Western Conference leaders Los Angeles Galaxy when they meet at Dick's Sporting Goods Park Field 20 on Thursday.

The hosts are currently fourth with 50 points after 31 matches, eight behind the visitors who top the Conference table after playing the same number of games.

We say: Colorado Rapids 2-1 Los Angeles Galaxy

Colorado Rapids have been formidable at home in recent months, while LA Galaxy have struggled on the road in the last few weeks, and as a result, we are predicting a victory for the home side on Thursday.

Los Angeles vs. St Louis City (Thursday, 3.30am)

Los Angeles FC will be aiming to heap pressure on Los Angeles Galaxy at the top of the MLS Western Conference when they welcome St Louis City to the BMO Stadium on Thursday.

Following their US Open Cup triumph, the home side resumed league duty with a hard-fought victory over Cincinnati, while the away side cruised to a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City.

We say: Los Angeles FC 3-1 St Louis City

Despite their recent resurgence, St Louis City have remained defensively fragile and are set for a tough test in Los Angeles.

We can see the home side coming out victorious at the end of the 90 minutes.

Portland vs. Austin (Thursday, 3.30am)

Portland Timbers will be looking to climb into the automatic playoff qualifying places in the West when they play host to Austin FC at Providence Park on Wednesday.

While Los Verdes' playoff dreams can be considered effectively over, they will head into the weekend looking to end their six-game winless run against the home side and secure their first victory since late August.

We say: Portland Timbers 2-0 Austin FC

Portland Timbers return to the Q2 Stadium for the first of their final two home games of the campaign and will fancy themselves against a deflated Austin side who have run out of steam at the business end of the season.

Neville's men have enjoyed the better of this fixture and we are backing them to extend their dominance over Los Verdes with a comfortable victory.

Earthquakes vs. Dallas (Thursday, 3.30am)

Now in the last chance saloon to secure a place in the 2024 MLS playoffs, Dallas head to PayPal Park on Thursday to face off against San Jose Earthquakes.

Both teams came away empty-handed last time out as the hosts fell to a 3-0 defeat against CF Montreal, while their visitors were on the receiving end of a 3-1 loss at the hands of Orlando City.

We say: San Jose Earthquakes 1-2 Dallas

The onus will be on Dallas to get the job done and keep their already slim chances of making it through to the playoffs alive.

We are backing the visitors to rise up to expectations by claiming all three points.

Vancouver vs. Seattle (Thursday, 3.30am)

After officially booking a place in the MLS Cup playoffs this weekend, the Vancouver Whitecaps can clinch a record eighth Cascadia Cup with a victory on Wednesday against the Seattle Sounders at BC Place Stadium.

A 1-1 draw versus the Portland Timbers earned the Caps a spot in the post-season, as they currently sit seventh in the Western Conference, three points below Seattle in fifth, with the latter defeating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 the last time out.

We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Seattle Sounders

With both sides guaranteed a post-season berth and some key pieces for each currently on the mend, we do not expect the same intensity we are used to seeing from these arch-rivals, who will not want to risk losing another player so close to the post-season.