We’re less than 10 games away from the MLS regular season ending. Only the New England Revolution have secured a spot in the Playoffs. That’s why all matches are like a Final, including this one.
Mathematically, FC Cincinnati still have a chance, but they need more than a miracle. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Union are sitting in third place. However, losing could make them fall out of the Playoffs zone. At the end of the day, neither can’t afford to lose.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and soccer odds for Cincinnati vs Philadelphia. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider!
Game: FC Cincinnati vs Philadelphia Union
Location: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
Time: Saturday, Oct. 9 8 p.m. ET
TV: Star64, PHL17
Live Stream: MLS Live on DAZN
Major League Soccer Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
| FC Cincinnati | +½ -155 | +220 | 2½ -135o | 1½ +155o/-185u |
| Philadelphia Union | -½ +125 | +125 | 2½ +105u | 1½ +105o/-135u |
| Draw | +250 |
Head to Head
- Previous Matches: 4
- FC Cincinnati Victories: 0 (0 goals)
- Philadelphia Union Victories: 3 (7 goals)
- Draws: 1
If you were thinking that FC Cincinnati have no reason at all to compete, think again. Beating the Philadelphia Union for the first time would be huge for the organization. Since joining the league in 2019, they haven’t beaten 14 organizations. Narrowing down that list will always be among their priorities.
The last time these two met, Philadelphia won 3-0 with goals from Ilson Pereira, Alejandro Bedoya, and Jack Elliott. That was the only time that the total went over 2½ goals when facing each other. Believe it or not, Cincinnati haven’t even scored a single goal to Philly.
Hope Dies Last
You can’t expect to be the betting online favorite after losing your last five games in a row. You can’t expect that either when your record at home is 1-5-6.
Precisely, that’s FC Cincinnati’s current situation, however, they still have a chance. To advance to the postseason, they need to start winning now and win them all. They would also need DC United, New York City FC, and Montreal to not win any.
Most recently, they lost 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls. Believe it or not, losing 1-0 was an improvement. Prior to that they allowed two or more goals in four consecutive games. Even so, that wasn’t enough for Jaap Stam to keep his job as their head coach. Tyrone Marshall will be leading the way for the rest of the season.
Stam wasn’t doing a good job but having an inexperienced head coach made them go from +200 to +220. Marshall’s advantage is that he played in the MLS during his entire career. Players should be more receptive to him.
Recently, they also named Chris Albright as their General Manager. Albright worked for the Philadelphia Union front office the last seven years. He must have valuable information to help his new team, right?
Cincinnati also are 1-9-2 against the spread and 2-9-1 over/under when playing at home. Yes, they might be thinking about next season already. Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity for Marshall, who’s eager to prove he deserves more than an interim job. Players should also be eager to show off in front of the new GM.
Not Yet
The Philadelphia Union have had a great season, but they’re not safe yet. They currently sit in third place with 42 points thanks to an 11-9-7 record, 36 goals for, and 26 against. No other team in the Eastern Conference has allowed fewer goals than them.
The thing is that they’re only three points above Atlanta United (eighth place), which means they’ve no time to relax. They’re aware of that as they haven’t lost in their last four games. Most recently, they crushed the reigning champions Columbus Crew 3-0.
One of the things about being a successful team is that the international window will hit you harder. The Union will be without seven players and most of them are starters. On the bright side, this is the opportunity the rest were waiting for. All available players will be eager to prove they belong to the elite.
You might be thinking that Cincinnati is the ideal rival to face without several starters, but not so fast.
“The guys in Cincinnati are going to want to impress their interim coach and are fighting for contracts next year. They are able to play a little more free whereas we are fighting for every point. They’ve played a lot better soccer than their record shows,” said the Union’s head coach Jim Curtin in an interview.
Curtin understands they need to start winning on the road, otherwise they could miss the postseason. They’re 2-6-4 when playing on the road (9-3-3 at home), 7-3-2 against the spread and 4-7-1 over/under.
Despite not having several players, the need to win is why you should consider including them in your soccer picks.
Final Analysis, Predictions
Of all the players on international duty, Philadelphia will miss goalkeeper Andre Blake a little more. He has had a great season, and he’s a leader on and off the field. Nevertheless, they should still be able to put up a fight. It will be a hostile environment, the perfect scenario to start feeling those postseason shivers. Both will score, but the total will go under.
Don’t forget to check the props our sportsbook is offering for this and other games to increase
your winning chances. Take a shot on the correct score, half-time/full-time
winner, and more!
