Leagues Cup Picks and Predictions for August 4, 2026

Nate Hornung

Written by: Nate Hornung

Published: Tue Aug 04, 2026, 11:45 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

BettingsNews Default Image

soccer

The 2026 Leagues Cup begins with the first stage of Group 1 matches tonight. This tournament has long been dominated by the MLS sides, as the past two years have produced eight different semifinalists, all from the American league. Sure, Cruz Azul and León won the first two iterations of this competition in 2019 and 2021, but now we've seen three straight MLS Champions. Will that trend continue this season? Find out how these first matches will play out with our favorite Leagues Cup picks for Tuesday!

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

Leagues Cup: Tuesday's Predictions August 4

These are the opening matches of this tournament. Games will go into a PK shootout immediately following regulation time to decide a winner. Teams are playing three matches against teams from the opposing league (MLS vs. Liga MX), earning three points for a regulation win, two for a shootout win, one for a shootout loss, and none for a regulation loss. After three matches, teams are placed on a table within their own leagues. The top nine advance to Phase Two of the tournament.

FC Cincinnati vs. Pachuca Leagues Cup Picks

Evander is playing out of this world for FC Cincinnati in recent matches. Can they find some goals tonight at home? Leagues Cup Picks

Evander is playing out of this world for FC Cincinnati in recent matches. Can they find some goals tonight at home?

Best Bet: FC Cincinnati Team Total Over 1.5 (-140) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

Tonight we head to Cincinnati and back the hosts to score plenty for some expensive juice. However, I don't mind paying it in this scenario. FC Cincinnati are netting over 2.40 goals per match, while conceding the same number. Expect plenty of action in this match. But with Cincy being at home, I do lean with them to get the job done.

Their moneyline is priced at +105, but I'll pay the dollar 40 for some cushion. Two goals may or may not be enough to win this match, but I have enough confidence in them finding the back of the net twice. They have scored at least two in 10 of their last 11 contests in the MLS. Pachuca has struggled defensively since the return from break, allowing three goals in their last two overall. Give me Cincinnati to give them a warm welcome to the Rust Belt tonight.

Prediction: FC Cincinnati Wins 3-1 (+1200)

Click for more Soccer Picks

Tigres UANL vs. Real Salt Lake MLS Picks

Ozziel Herrera has taken 10 shots for Tigres in three starts this season - Leagues Cup Picks

Ozziel Herrera has taken 10 shots for Tigres in three starts this season

Best Bet: Tigres UANL Draw No Bet (+117) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

I was originally looking at the double chance line for Tigres, but with it being priced at -168, I'll opt for some push potential for plus money. Tigres UANL are listed as the home team tonight, but this match is being played at American First Field, outside of Salt Lake City. This Mexican side have not won a match since beating Nashville in the Concacaf Champions Cup Semifinals. Since the start of this Liga MX season, they are 0-1-2, allowing eight total goals and scoring just five of their own.

However, I think they are better than Real Salt Lake. They are also 0-1-2 since the MLS returned to play following the World Cup, allowing six goals and netting just three. Despite there being potential for a shootout, this is only a 90 minute wager. A draw and a Tigres win in a shootout is still just a push for us. Real Salt Lake has not netted more than one goal in a match in four straight MLS contests, dating back to May. I do not see that changing tonight, as Tigres needs to turn things on after a slow start in Liga MX.

Prediction: Tigres UANL Win 2-1 (+900)

Still Want More Soccer Content?

Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well. Be sure to follow my personal X account as well, @Shaggy_Bets for my full daily card.

Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly

Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER

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.

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.