Inter Miami vs Nashville SC Betting Preview

Wednesday evening brings a jam-packed slate of MLS action across the country but one game in particular will be taking center stage — Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC. Ever since Lionel Messi arrived in America, all eyes have been on David Beckham’s club, and for good reason. They’ve yet to lose a game with the World Cup winner. The kick-off for Messi’s second MLS appearance is 7:30 PM ET at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Below, we’ll preview dive into some head-to-head history and preview the fixture.

H2H Between Miami, Nashville

Nashville actually won their first two meetings against Inter Miami, but the last two have gone Miami’s way. They beat them in the US Open Cup and the Leagues Cup. Of course, the latter was earlier this month, with Messi and Co. winning on penalties to win their first trophy in club history. There’s been no shortage of excitement in recent matches between the two and we can expect the same Wednesday.

Miami is Flying High

Everyone in the football world knew that Messi’s arrival in the MLS would change everything. Needless to say, he’s single-handedly turned around Inter Miami’s season. Since he landed in Florida, the club has won nine games in a row. The most impressive part? He’s scored in all but one game and in that lone appearance, the Argentine supplied two assists. Miami are Leagues Cup champs and has a legitimate chance of beating Houston in the US Open Cup in late September, but the primary goal will be making the MLS playoffs. 

The first-ever Leagues Cup champions: Inter Miami 🥳

(via @MLS) pic.twitter.com/B8ntYgb0bY

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 20, 2023

Miami returned to league action with a bang on Saturday, running out 1-0 winners against the New York Red Bulls in the Big Apple. And by no surprise, Lionel Messi bagged their only goal in what was a brilliant build-up of play from the visitors. At the moment, Miami is second-last in the Eastern Conference and still trails the final playoff club by 11 points. Thankfully, they have 11 games left to gain ground and by the looks of it, they may never lose again this season if Messi continues to light it up. The reality is this squad is extremely confident because of their talisman, along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, too. There is a belief they can accomplish truly anything. That’s exactly why Inter Miami is a heavy -190 favorite at 888sport for this mid-week affair.

Nashville Needs a Win

After such a breathtaking campaign in 2022, this season has been a different story for Nashville. They’re barely clinging onto a playoff spot, currently sitting in seventh with an 11-9-5 record. And while this is only their second MLS game since the Leagues Cup break, their domestic form is very, very poor. Following a deflating 4-0 defeat to Atlanta United on Saturday, that’s now four straight losses for Gary Smith’s men. That’s not including the defeat to Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup, either.

In fact, the Boys in Gold have only hit the back of the net once in their last four MLS matches. Reigning MVP Hany Mukhtar, who is typically clinical, hasn’t scored in league play since bagging a hat-trick on June 17th. If Nashville is going to have any chance of finding three points Wednesday, Mukhtar must produce the goods.

Sam Surridge comments on his relationship with Hany Mukhtar:

"What I like about him is he always tries to make something happen, if things arent going our way he tries to get on the ball still...

We are both competitive players, we both want to score goals, we both want to… pic.twitter.com/m6E29kK3ar

— Favian Renkel (@FavianRenkel) August 28, 2023

Smith’s group also tends to struggle on the road, posting a 3-7-3 record as opposed to an 8-2-2 mark on home soil. Going into a loud, hostile environment at DRV PNK Stadium will not be easy, especially with how much momentum the hosts have right now. That’s exactly why Nashville is a pretty steep +450 underdog at most soccer betting sites.