Minnesota v Cincinnati: MLS betting preview and tip

9pm Saturday

Minnesota's hopes of a top-six finish in the Western Conference have been weakened by three successive league defeats but they should receive a boost this weekend because Adrian Heath's side are hot favourites for a home victory over Cincinnati, who are bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Colombian attackers Carlos Quintero and Angelo Rodriguez top the scoring charts for Minnesota with league tallies of five and four, and both are available having missed out on national squad selection for the Copa America.

The home side have to make do without regular right-back Romain Metanire, who is playing for Madagascar at the Africa Cup of Nations, but look in reasonable shape for their first league game in three weeks.

They have kept clean sheets in four of seven home league games this season and another shutout looks likely against Cincinnati, who are having a difficult time in their debut MLS campaign.

Cincinnati started well enough, taking seven points from the first four games, but soon slumped and head coach Alan Koch was dismissed in early May with the team second-bottom in the Eastern Conference.

Under interim head coach Yoann Damet they have continued to struggle, losing five of six league games and slipping six points adrift at the foot of the table.

Damet will be hoping for a swift change of fortune but is without Costa Rica defender Kendall Watson and defensive midfielder Allan Cruz, who are on international duty at the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Those two would have made them tougher to beat and there are obvious problems in attack for a side who have netted just six times in their last 11 league games.

Recommendation
Minnesota win to nil
1pt 13-8 Ladbrokes

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