Eastern Conference Top Spot at Stake
New York City FC had a very rocky start to the season. Nevertheless, once they were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League, things started to change. Now, the reigning MLS champs sit atop the Eastern Conference with a one-point advantage over the New York Red Bulls and he Philadelphia Union.
Sunday’s night game between New York City FC and the Union at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa., is for first place in the conference. The Red Bulls will face Los Angeles FC on the road, so there’s a big chance for them to lose. Regarding the soccer odds for the Zolos vs. the Citizens, Philly’s slightly favored.
Let’s check the latest soccer picks news, stats, injury reports, and MLS odds for Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Philadelphia Union: Undefeated at Home
Last week, the Philadelphia Union didn’t meet expectations against CF Cincinnati. The Zolos were the betting online favorites thanks to a -195 price, but the game ended 1-1. Alejandro Bedoya was the scorer for the home side.
That wasn’t the best result, but at least they managed to remain undefeated at home. Philly owns a 3-5-0 record at Subaru Park. They scored in all games but one and finished with a clean sheet four times.
It was the seventh time in their last eight matches that they’ve split the points. Only one team in MLS history has drawn eight times in a nine-match span — the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2019. In other words, the Union need a victory as soon as possible.
Daniel Gazdag is the team’s top scorer with seven goals, but he has two straight games without scoring. If Philadelphia wants to stand a chance, he needs to step up. That also applies for goalkeeper Andre Blake, who many considered the best in the league. After all, the Zolos have allowed only 11 goals in 15 games. Plus, they’re one of four teams yet to allow a goal from outside the box.
All of the above makes Philly control the odds board at +155. Very tempting, right?
New York City FC Determined to Bounce Back
Yes, New York City sits atop the Eastern Conference, but they just suffered a humiliating defeat courtesy of the New York Red Bulls. The two collided in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup and the Red Bulls won 3-0.
Yes, as MLS Cup reigning champs, the Citizens are bound to win every tournament in which they play, but on the other hand, now they can fully focus on defending the title. That has always been their top priority.
Regarding MLS, the Citizens are unbeaten in nine straight games. Most recently, they drew 1-1 to the Colorado Rapids thanks to a goal from Talles Magno. Their last road game was against Minnesota United and they won 1-0.
Besides being the defending champions, Valentin Castellanos is the main reason for you to consider including the Citizens in your soccer picks. He finished last season with 19 goals. This season, he has scored seven.
NYCFC isn’t used to being the underdog, but that could end up being an extra dose of motivation. The Citizens are offering a +170 price. Wagering $100 could make you win $270 in total. Considering they’re 2-1-2 when playing on the road, that’s not bad.
“Jim Curtin has prepared and created a team that is really good at the way they play. It will be a difficult game, and we’ll have to be at the top of our game in finding and using the spaces and opportunities that we get to play our style of football,” head coach Nick Cushing said during an interview.
Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 18
- Philadelphia Union Victories: 6 (22 goals)
- New York City FC Victories: 10 (28 goals)
- Draws: 2
The first meeting of the season between the two was at Yankee Stadium. The Philadelphia Union, who were offering a +375 price in the sportsbook, pulled off the stunner with a 2-0 victory. Alejandro Bedoya and Daniel Gazdag were the scorers.
Last season, they collided four times. The last one was in the Conference Finals, which the Citizens ended up winning 2-1. Therefore, the City of Brotherly Love doesn’t have much love for the reigning champs.
Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC Game Information
- Date: Sunday
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Location: Subaru Park, Chester, Pa.
- Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC Live Stream: fubo.tv
Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC Betting Lines
Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC Prediction
This will be the sixth meeting in MLS history between two teams on unbeaten runs of at least eight games. Plus, like Philadelphia, New York has only allowed 11 goals. Therefore, don’t expect the total (2½) to go over. That doesn’t mean that there will be no goals. What it means is that you can expect a very close match.
Score Prediction: Philadelphia Union 1, New York City FC 1
