Go Big or Go Home
Prior to the start of the season, the New York Red Bulls weren’t among the betting online favorites to win the MLS Cup. After 22 games, that has changed as the Red Bulls sit in third place in the Eastern Conference.
New York goes up against Orlando City on Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Context is important as Gerhard Struber’s Red Bulls come in as the underdog. Orlando City playing at home has a lot to with that. After all, the Lions remain unbeaten at Exploria Stadium.
Unlike other tournaments, the U.S. Open Semifinals are just one game. In other words, both must go all-in right from the start.
Let’s check the latest U.S Open Cup picks, stats, injury reports and U.S Open Cup semifinal odds for Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls. We’ve plenty of U.S Open Cup picks and predictions for you to consider.
Orlando City’s Best Shot
Unlike the New York Red Bulls, Orlando City isn’t among the favorites to win the MLS Cup. They are fifth in the Eastern Conference abd are one defeat away from falling out of the playoff zone. Therefore, winning the U.S. Open Cup is the Lions’ best chance to win something.
When it comes to the U.S. Open Cup, they haven’t lost at home. In fact, they’ve played at Exploria Stadium since the third round and own a 2-2-0 record with six goals for and four against.
The Lions have eliminated the Tampa Bay Rowdies (2-1), Philadelphia Union (2-1), Inter Miami (1-1, 4-2 in penalty shootout) and Nashville SC (1-1, 6-5 in penalty shootout). Last Saturday, they lost to the Union (1-0) in MLS. A disappointing result, but they could benefit from having an extra day of rest.
Back into the U.S. Open Cup, Alexandre Pato and Pedro Gallese have been instrumental since the start of the tournament. The Brazilian has taken advantage of the tourney to recover physically and mentally. As for Gallese, El Pulpo was outstanding in regular and extra-time before becoming the hero in a tense penalty shootout against Nashville.
For the Lions, who are offering a +145 price in the sportsbook, it will be their second consecutive semifinal, as they lost to eventual champion Atlanta United in 2019. The tournament was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
New York Red Bulls on Fire
Winning the MLS Cup is the New York Red Bulls’ top priority, but they’ve enough talent to win both titles. Last Sunday, they defeated Austin FC 4-3. We told you it was going to be a goal-fest. Serge Ngoma, Dru Yearwood, Cameron Harper and Tom Barlow were the scorers.
That’s what we meant by enough talent to win both tournaments. None of those players is the team’s top scorer. That title belongs to Lewis Morgan, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions.
Regarding the U.S. Open Cup, the Red Bulls have eliminated Hartford Athletic (2-1), DC United (3-0), Charlotte FC (3-1) and New York City FC (3-0). Two of those games were on the road, so there’s no pressure for being the visitors. Overall, they’ve won eight games away from home this year.
Besides Morgan, Cristian Casseres Jr. is having a great season as well. Plus, the Venezuelan international has scored in three straight games against Orlando City. Two of his three career goals against the Lions were scored at Exploria Stadium.
One player missing is Tom Edwards, who was sent off during the quarterfinals against the Citizens. The rest of the team is ready to go, which also makes the Red Bulls a very tempting soccer betting underdog, especially at +165.
Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 16
- Orlando City Victories: 5 (21 goals)
- New York Red Bulls Victories: 9 (27 goals)
- Draws: 2
This will be the second meeting between the Lions and the Red Bulls this season. New York crushed Orlando 3-0 on April 24 at Exploria Stadium. Luquinhas, Casseres and Morgan were the scorers. Referee Alex Chilowicz showed five yellow cards in total, four to the visitors.
The Lions defeated the Red Bulls for the last time in 2020, 3-1 at home. This will be the first Open Cup meeting between the two.
Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls Game Information
- Date: Wednesday, July 27
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
- Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls Live Stream: fubo.tv
Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Orlando City | pk -125 | +145 | 2½ -115o | |
| New York RB | pk -105 | +165 | 2½ -115u | |
| Draw | +225 |
Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls Prediction
Besides being on fire, four of the New York Red Bulls’ nine victories over Orlando City were on the road. Therefore, if you were looking for an underdog to include in your soccer picks, congratulations, because you found it. Plus, you can expect the total to go over 2½ goals (-115) as it happened in four of their last five encounters. These two have never drawn 0-0.
Score Prediction: New York Red Bulls 2, Orlando City 1
