Weekend Soccer Betting Odds, Picks, Predictions: Our Staff’s Favorite Underdog Bets Across the Sport (May 15-16)
Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Portland Timbers star Diego Valeri.
- Union Berlin (+300)? Portland Timbers (+205)? Let's go.
- Check out the latest top underdog picks below from soccer analysts BJ Cunningham and Jeremy Pond on this weekend's global card.
It finally happened.
After weeks of attempting to hit all of their live underdogs, our Action Network soccer analysts came through with an impressive 3-for-3 showing that resulted in a huge payout if you played the winners in a three-leg parlay.
Jeremy Pond got things started with the Lilywhites of Preston North End (+215) delivering a 2-1 upset win over Nottingham Forest in Championship action. Anthony Dabbundo followed that with Chelsea (+330) pulling off its stunning 2-1 win over Manchester City.
The squad closed out its trifecta — or natural hat trick — when BJ Cunningham cashed with Ligue 1 outfit Saint-Étienne (+220) via a 1-0 shutout triumph over Marseille. If you played those winners at those odds in a three-team parlay, a $10 bet would have brought $433.44 your way. A $100 wager would have resulted in a whopping $4,334.40 in your bank account.
Moving ahead, we have another big slate of matches on the weekend card, with several top leagues winding down their regular seasons.
If you're new to this preview, our experts search for live underdogs at +200 odds or longer playing on the weekend across the planet. Whether it's a showdown in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 or even Major League Soccer, the goal is simple: Find a team that could deliver a winner.
That said, let's take a peak at picks from two members of our crew.
| GAME | PICK | ODDS | DAY | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen vs. Union Berlin (Bundesliga) | Union Berlin | +300 | Saturday | 9:30 a.m. ET |
| San Jose vs. Portland (Major League Soccer) | Portland | +205 | Saturday | 10 p.m. ET |
Odds as of Friday night via DraftKings.
BJ Cunningham: Union Berlin ML (+300) vs. Bayer Leverkusen
- Odds available at DraftKings
- Day | Time: Saturday | 9:30 a.m. ET
This is one of those late-season European matches where one team clearly has more to play for than the other.
Bayer Leverkusen is sitting five points above Borussia Mönchengladbach and Union Berlin for sixth place in the Bundesliga, but is seven points behind Borussia Dortmund for the final Champions League spot. Suffice it to say, the club is pretty much stuck in the spot it was in with two matches to go.
On the other hand, Union Berlin is fighting for its Europa League life, as it's tied on points with Gladbach for the final berth awarded to the German top flight.
Leverkusen is going to be extremely shorthanded coming into this contest, as it will be without starters Daley Sinkgraven (LB), Kerem Demirbay (CM), Leon Bailey (RM), Lucas Alario (ST) and Lars Bender (RB). Not to mention the outfit's expected-goal differential (+6.90) is not that impressive as well.
The Company's Eleven (yes, that's Leverkusen's nickname) lost to Union Berlin by a 1-0 margin in the first meeting back in January. Leverkusen was thoroughly dominated in that match, losing the battle of xG by a 1.53-0.87 margin and created only one chance over 0.10 xG in the defeat.
Union Berlin is a very underrated team in Germany, mainly due to its solid defensive record. The Iron Ones have allowed only 1.23 xG per contest, so they're absolutely capable of pulling off the double against Leverkusen.
Jeremy Pond: Portland Timbers ML (+205) vs. San Jose Earthquakes
- Odds available at DraftKings
- Day | Time: Saturday | 10 p.m. ET
My love for Portland grew considerably when I hit the Major League Soccer club at +2800 odds in last year's MLS is Back tournament in Florida.
I've always liked the Timbers, who have been a consistent player in the league's Western Conference with Seattle, Sporting Kansas City and Los Angeles Football Club. However, Portland has gotten off to a brutal 1-3 start to its campaign and needs to get things sorted before it falls into position where it's chasing the likes of those aforementioned foes all season.
The Timbers are coming off a disappointing 2-1 setback against Seattle last time out, so getting a positive road result against upstart San Jose is a must.
The Earthquakes have gotten off to a solid beginning, currently sitting in a tie for second place with the Los Angeles Galaxy with a 3-2-0 (W-L-D) record and nine points in the conference. Youngster Cade Cowell has been great for San Jose, as has MLS all-time leading scorer Chris Wondolowski.
However, I think this is the perfect spot for a rebound performance from the Timbers — who enter this game on full rest — and a moment of regression for their host. After winning three on the bounce, the Earthquakes suffered a 1-0 midweek loss to Seattle, and this could just be the start of a potential slide.
Portland is sitting at +205 odds via DraftKings, which I think will likely dip lower prior to kickoff. That said, I'm grabbing this number now and backing the Timbers to bag all the points in this intriguing Northern California showdown.
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