Inter Miami vs. Orlando City preview: Lionel Messi odds, best Messi bets, up to $3,750 in sportsbook promo codes

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Lionel Messi is at it again on Wednesday as his Inter Miami looks to win three on the bounce and oust Orlando City in the Leagues Cup Round-of-32 tilt.

The Argentine World Cup winner gets to play his third consecutive match in front of Inter Miami’s sold-out DRV PNK Stadium, where 21,000 vociferous supporters should provide the energy to mirror Messi’s on-field dynamism.

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Orlando City SC makes the short 200-mile journey south to Miami for a mouthwatering Round of 32 Leagues Cup contest. The visitors will attempt to be the first team to beat Inter Miami since Messi’s stateside arrival. They will also try and prevent Messi from scoring in three straight contests. Good luck with that one.

Messi has three goals and an assist in just 114 minutes of footy. That’s a goal contribution every 28.5 minutes, a jaw-dropping rate of offensive production, but it’s not like anyone is surprised.

Messi dominated the best players in the world during his time at Camp Nou, so continuing, even bettering, his exploits for Inter Miami is expected, especially considering the palpably inferior quality of his opponents. No offense intended, MLS and Liga MX.

Saying that, Orlando City’s defense is more organized, stout, and far less porous than Atlanta’s or Cruz Azul’s, Inter’s two previous opponents who Messi dominated. Orlando has the joint-ninth-best defensive record in MLS, conceding 28 goals in 23 matches.

However, Orlando’s rearguard has floundered recently, a foreboding omen for anyone supporting the visitors. They’ve conceded eight goals in their previous four encounters, four of which on the road against Real Salt Lake’s middling offense less than a month ago.

The anytime goalscorer market for Messi is always a go-to option.

He’s playing at home against a side whose defense has faltered in the last month. He’s officially warmed up, fully assimilated to the environment and conditions at DRV PNK Stadium and the feel of North American footy.

Oh, and he’s got former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets distributing to him. Messi has also built, in extremely short succession, a solid one-two punch with Robert Taylor, who scored on one of Messi’s assists and vice versa, with Messi providing the finishing touch on a Taylor feed against Atlanta.

The piece de resistance sees Jordi Alba making his debut tonight, albeit most likely from the bench.

You’d be mad to disregard such a significant potential return.

Messi can score in bunches, as demonstrated throughout his accomplished career. He doesn’t need many sniffs on goal to score at least a brace, one of the primary differentiating factors compared to others.

His expected goals were .28 against Cruz Azul and 1.46 versus Atlanta. So, yeah, he has an uncanny ability to score wonder goals, as if you didn’t already know. And he takes the team’s penalties, providing another avenue to pad the goal-scoring stats.

Messi’s scoring exploits are mirrored by his ability to set up teammates. Taylor benefits from Messi’s incisive passing, finishing the diminutive maestro’s seeing-eye passes clinically. In addition, Alba is expected to be introduced, probably early in the second half.

Getting one shot on target for the world’s best footballer is about as challenging as breaking a sweat in the Miami heat, while notching one assist should be relatively rudimentary as long as the benefactors are clinical in front of goal.

Who will stop the Messi-led Inter Miami, particularly on home soil? I could see Orlando squeezing out a victory at home, but not at the frenzied DRV PNK Stadium.

And when Inter Miami wins, Messi is destined to get on the scoresheet.

He’s about three levels better than even the most elite players on the pitch, which should result in him bulging the old onion bag at least once.

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