MLS Picks and Predictions for Saturday, April 18, 2026

Nate Hornung

Written by: Nate Hornung

Published: Fri Apr 17, 2026, 7:35 pm ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

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Major League Soccer is giving us tons of action on Saturday all throughout the afternoon. There are three matches early, beginning before 5:00 p.m. eastern, but there's still a 10 match slate happening during the night. That means we have plenty of spots to look at and dig into to find out best bets on the pitch. Let's check out our favorite MLS picks for this Saturday courtesy of our MLS betting experts.

So far so good in the MLS, let's see if we can keep it going with some more weekend winners!

  • MLS YTD
  • 9-7 (56.3%)
  • +2.18u

Head over to our MLS Picks Page for our expert's soccer analysis, or read my best bets below.

Major League Soccer: Saturday's Predictions April 18

Atlanta United vs. Nashville SC MLS Picks

Sam Surridge and Nashville SC take on Atlanta United on the road this weekend - MLS Picks

Sam Surridge and Nashville SC take on Atlanta United on the road this weekend

Best Bet: Nashville SC ML (+116) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

So far this MLS season, Nashville has been one of the most dominant teams in the league. Atlanta has not. End of handicap.

I'm kidding, but in all seriousness, that should be enough. We are getting the visitors at plus money, and I don't think that should be the price at all. I would've paid around -120 for this moneyline, so getting a plus sign next to the odds is a steal in my eyes. Nashville did not beat Atlanta in either of their meetings last season, but it's different this year. Their offense has been firing on all cylinders, scoring 15 goals in seven matches, ranking second in the MLS and first in the Eastern Conference. But their defense has been outstanding as well, leading the conference in goals allowed with just four throughout the season.

Atlanta has just one win and one draw next to fives losses on their record. They have been shutout four separate times, scoring more than one goal just twice, and I don't see them competing with one of the best teams in the MLS this early in the season. Although Nashville is statistically much better at home, I will back them on the road at this price. I also don't hate Nashville to win to nil at +280.

Prediction: Nashville SC Wins 3-0 (+2000)

FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy MLS Picks

Marco Reus and the Galaxy face FC Dallas on the road this Saturday - MLS Picks

Marco Reus and the Galaxy face FC Dallas on the road this Saturday

Best Bet: LA Galaxy +0.5 (-130) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

For -130 odds, I'll back the Galaxy to go on the road and earn a draw against FC Dallas. Neither club has been overly impressive so far this season, but I've got to argue that Los Angeles has much more talent and depth on their roster. FC Dallas has been involved in some very high scoring affairs this season, with four total goals against DC United, seven against Houston, six against San Diego and five against Toronto. But the Galaxy are equipped to hang in a shootout, and they even thrive in higher scoring matches.

They were just eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup by Toluca, so their full focus is on the MLS. On the road this year, they've beaten Austin FC, proving they can win in Texas, and drew with the Portland Timbers after equalizing with a man advantage. FC Dallas struggled to produce any offense in their last match against St. Louis, who finished at the bottom of the MLS table last year. Against a team with actual talent like LA, I see the Galaxy being able to at least earn a point to cash our bet.

Prediction: LA Galaxy Wins 2-1 (+975)

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Nate Hornung
Nate Hornung

Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.

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