New York City FC really believed it had a shot to send a message to its rivals, the New York Red Bulls when these two teams met back in May. Instead, not only did NYCFC fail to pick up even a point for the first time against its crosstown foes, but it was clocked by a whopping 7-0 result. Will the tide turn this time around in the Bronx?
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York City FC +190
New York Red Bulls +125
Draw +230
Over/Under 3 (under -115)
ODDS ANALYSIS
These two teams like to run up and down the pitch, and the oddsmakers aren't going to be bitten once again in this situation like it was when the Red Bulls scored seven by themselves in the first meeting. The total is high, especially for a rivalry game at 3 with -115 vig on the under.
The Red Bulls are the favorites once again at a relatively light price of +125, though NYCFC isn't far behind at +190.
KEY INJURIES
Shaun Wright-Phillips has had some key moments this year for the Red Bulls, but he isn't going to be in the fold thanks to a hamstring injury this week. He joins Tyler Adams, Kemar Lawrence and Damien Perrinelle on the shelf for RBNY.
City is playing without Federico Bravo, Connor Brandt and Steven Mendoza, though do keep a close eye in particular on Bravo heading into this match. He was originally scheduled to be out a month thanks to a quad injury, and that was back at the end of May.
LIVE BETTING
It's worth remembering that these two teams aren't separated by all that much in the standings. The Red Bulls aren't in the best of form right now, especially on the road at just 1-2-6 for the year, and that's why they're actually a point behind City. The last we saw of the Red Bulls, they were involved in a 1-1 draw against Columbus. The good news is that they've scored at least one goal in seven matches in a row. The bad news is that they've conceded three in their last two duels.
NYCFC is on a nice run right now. Forget about the loss to the Cosmos in the U.S. Open Cup. Head coach Patrick Vieira didn’t care much about that fixture, and neither should you. Take that out and what's left is a team which has scored at least twice in its last four matches, including posting a 3-2 win against Philadelphia and a 2-0 win in Seattle.
QUICK PICK
It's actually a little insulting to see City as the underdog in this match. Sure, history suggests that the Red Bulls are going to win this match, but let's be realistic. These two teams aren't separated by a heck of a lot, if anything at all. On top of that, the time is going to come when NYCFC finally gets its act together and wins a game in this MLS series.
Especially after the embarrassment that came a few weeks ago in this very building when these same two teams met, we have to think we're about to see better out of the hosts. David Villa and Frank Lampard are in good form at the moment, and if that remains the case in this fixture, we would hope to see New York City FC finally exorcize the demons of the past to get a big win over the team it hates the most.
MLS Odds: New York City FC 2, New York Red Bulls 1
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