Leagues Cup Expert Picks for 8/13: Phase 1 Ends Tonight, Who Will Move On?
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Thu Aug 13, 2026, 10:12 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
soccer
Clubs competing in the Leagues Cup have one more shot to earn points and climb the table. Phase 1 ends tonight with five matches to wrap things up. Our soccer experts dug into the slate and found three picks worth betting on, all of them for plus money. Hopefully we can go 2-1 for a nice profit! Keep reading for our Leagues Cup expert picks for Thursday.
Head over to our MLS Picks Page for our expert's soccer analysis, or read my best bets below.
Leagues Cup: Thursday's Predictions August 13
Philadelphia Union vs. Santos Leagues Cup Picks
Cavan Sullivan has a goal and an assist for the Union in this tournament
Best Bet: Philadelphia Union -1.5 (+120) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Santos have already been knocked out of this tournament. I have a feeling they have already packed their bags to head back south for the rest of the Liga MX season. The Philadelphia Union haven't advanced yet, and they need a BIG win tonight in order to make the top four.
The hosts have all the reason to run up the score tonight at home. Philly opened up against a tough Cruz Azul team, conceding three minutes in and never finding the back of the net despite four shots on goal and seven corner kicks. However, they bounced back against Necaxa, scoring two in the first 12 minutes, eventually winning 3-1.
Santos has held shutouts in the first half against NYCFC and the Chicago Fire, but with this being the final match and the hosts knowing they need a big win, I think they are aggressive very early on, resulting in at least a two goal win.
Prediction: Philadelphia Union Wins 3-0 (+1000)
New York City FC vs. Necaxa Leagues Cup Picks
Nicolas Fernandez and New York City FC need a big win tonight to move on in the Leagues Cup
Best Bet: New York City FC ML/Under 4.5 (+110) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Once again, we are going back to this cheeky same game parlay for New York City at home. If you have more faith in this being low scoring, you can take the total down to 3.5 for +187, but this is fine with me. This MLS side beat Santos 2-0 to open up the tournament, but lost to Cruz Azul. Like Philly, they do need a big win to move on, so I expect some extra aggression. However, I don't see them netting four goals, and Necaxa shouldn't score more than one (if they even get that).
They gave up a goal in each half to the Chicago Fire, and only netted one late against Philly after being down 3-0 already. Much like Santos, Necaxa is already being sent home. So while I think New York City wins by at least two goals, I don't see Necaxa contributing to the total or letting themselves get embarrassed once again in this competition.
Prediction: New York City FC Wins 2-0 (+900)
Cruz Azul vs. Chicago Fire Leagues Cup Picks
José Paradela has two goals for Cruz Azul in this tournament
Best Bet: Cruz Azul/Chicago Fire 1H Draw (+128) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Both of these teams need some sort of positive result to move on. Chicago punches their ticket with a win in regulation or a shootout, or even a shootout loss. On the other side, Cruz Azul will be safe if they make it to PKs, regardless of the result. They may even be safe with a regulation loss depending on the score.
The point of all that is… both of these teams will be cautious. They certainly respect one another at this point, and with the unfamiliarity between the two, I think they spend the first 45 minutes or so feeling each other out, refusing to make a mistake. Cruz Azul has scored in the first half in both of their contests, but they haven't see a defense as good as Chicago. I see this being a scoreless 45 minutes, so I also endorse the 1H Under 1 (+110), or the Under 0.5 for (+230).
The Fire will be looking for a positive result in front of their home town fans, but ultimately, they do not want to play from behind. Both teams should be fine taking this into a PK shootout, which is likely enough for both to advance to the quarterfinals. Look for a boring first half with things opening up more after the break.
Prediction: 1H Draw 0-0 (+230)
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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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