There’s a lot at stake when Atlanta United travels north to take on the New York Red Bulls this Sunday. One of these teams is almost certain to win the Supporters’ Shield this season as they have the two best records in the MLS by a wide margin. Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs could be decided too, as Atlanta United are sitting on 63 points and the New York Red Bulls are at 59 points with every other club at least six points behind them. The good news for both clubs as they have already clinched playoff berths and are very likely to get first-round byes.
Don't miss the Major League Soccer action from Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 30, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN.
MLS Betting at BookMaker.eu
Atlanta United +163
New York Red Bulls +149
Draw +260
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
Atlanta United continue to be in prime position to win the Supporters’ Shield in just their second season in the MLS. They have been an offensive juggernaut this season, and their 65 goals are eight more than any other team. Atlanta United have won each of their last three games, scoring nine goals and securing two clean sheets in that span.
The Red Bulls have fallen a bit behind Atlanta with their performance in recent weeks. The club has looked sharp at home, blanking the Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC, but they drew on the road to DC United and lost 3-0 to the Montreal Impact away from Gotham.
This will be the second meeting between these two teams this season. The Red Bulls secured a 3-1 win in Atlanta back in May, and now the league leaders are looking to return the favor.
Key Absences
Three defenders are out for Atlanta United ahead of this match. Mikey Ambrose is out for the year after undergoing right knee surgery, but the club is hoping Greg Garza and Sal Zizzo can return to action soon.
The New York Red Bulls have been hit hard with injuries this year, but they keep chugging along. Five players are out for the year due to injury. Midfielders Florian Valot, Vincent Bezecourt, and Ben Mines are all recovering after going under the knife, and defenders Kyle Duncan and Tommy Redding are out too.
Player to Watch
Josef Martinez is a virtual lock to win the Landon Donovan MVP Award for his performance this season. Martinez smashed the record for goals in a season a while back, and he is now sitting on 30 goals through 30 games. He has been incredible for Atlanta this season, and European clubs have been hounding Atlanta to sign him at the end of the year.
Martinez scored in nine straight games at one point this year, scoring 14 goals over that stretch to put Atlanta ahead of everyone else. He has scored in just one of Atlanta United’s last four matches though, so he might finally be cooling off a bit.
MLS Prop Bet – New York Red Bulls to win to nil at +363
I’m definitely going against the grain by calling for the best offense in the league not to score, but the Red Bulls have been incredible at home this season. They are 12-2-1 in Red Bull Arena, and they have largely done it on the backs of their defense. The Red Bulls have the best defense in the Eastern Conference, and they have pitched a shutout in each of their last three home games. At this price, betting on them to make it four straight clean sheets at home is a bet I’ll take.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
It’s going to be hard to stop Atlanta’s attack, but I think the Red Bulls will do enough to get the win when the referee blows for full time.
Major League Soccer Odds: New York Red Bulls 2, Atlanta United 1
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