Odds, Picks and Predictions
New York City and Orlando City meet in MLS action at the Red Bull Arena this weekend. After this one, there is just one round left of the regular season before the playoffs get underway. New York will be in the playoffs, but Orlando still have work to do if they are to join them.
City are currently three points ahead of eighth, though they do have a game in hand of the teams around them. Who will come out on top in this huge fixture in New Jersey?
New York City FC vs. Orlando City Match Info
- Location: Red Bull Arena
- Date: 2nd October 2022
- Time: 01:00 EST
- TV: ESPN+
New York City FC vs. Orlando City Odds
Going by the latest odds for this intriguing MLS matchup, the bookies are siding with a New York City win at the Red Bull Arena. BetOnline are offering just -120 for a home victory, while BetUs have the Pigeons priced at -125 to get the win.
Orlando City are desperate for the points, but the visitors are the underdogs, with MyBookie offering the big odds of +320 for the Florida club to come out on top. Also, the draw is available at +280 with MyBookie.
Betting Trends
New York City are in the playoffs, but Nick Cushing’s men will want to finish as high as possible. The Boys in Blue will be gunning for all three points in New Jersey, so the smart money is on the home win.
However, Orlando will be desperate for a positive result, and they head to the Red Bull Arena, having won five of their past seven games, with two of those victories coming on the road. Do not rule out the away side just yet.
Will New York City Snatch the Points in New Jersey?
New York City have had an up-and-down kind of season in 2022. They were flying under Ronny Deila early on, but the Norwegian left for Standard Liege halfway through, and interim boss Cushing has struggled to replicate Deila’s success. Still, finishing in the top seven of the Eastern Conference table was the ultimate goal, and New York will be in the playoffs.
The Boys in Blue have been in poor form over the last couple of months, picking up just two MLS wins from their past 11 games. Since winning four in a row and putting together a superb seven-game unbeaten run, City have lost seven times since early August.
Despite their bad form, New York did alleviate some of the pressure with a hard-fought win over rivals New York Red Bulls last time out. Alexander Callens’ goal in the first minute of the match sent City on their way, and Santiago Rodriguez doubled their advantage before the break.
The 2-0 win was their first success in six. After this one at the Red Bull Arena, New York end the regular season with a trip to Georgia to face Atlanta United. Cushing will be looking for six points from a possible six.
Can Orlando City Pick Up a Huge Three Points?
Orlando City have made a late dash for the playoffs with a string of wins over the past six weeks or so. The Lions’ season looked to be ending with a whimper when they suffered three straight losses from late July to early August, but Oscar Pareja’s men have bounced back in style to get their playoff bid back on track.
After four wins on the trot, seeing off New York Red Bulls, Charlotte, New York City, and Seattle Sounders, Orlando flew up the Eastern Conference table. They then suffered back-to-back losses to Philadelphia Union and Atlanta United.
However, they responded with a stunning win over Toronto last time out, with efforts from Facundo Torres, Ercan Kara, and Tesho Akindele and an own goal helping them to a 4-0 victory at Exploria Stadium.
Orlando have been decent on the road this season, suffering just four away league losses in 2022. They were hammered at Philadelphia in their last one, but Pareja’s men beat the Red Bulls and Charlotte on the road before that. They could really do with another away win this weekend as they seek to nail down a playoff place.
After this weekend’s fixture at the Red Bull Arena, Orlando travel to Inter Miami before ending their regular season with a matchup with Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium. Maximum points will guarantee them a place in the playoffs.
New York City FC vs. Orlando City Picks and Predictions
These two teams went head-to-head just over a month ago, with Orlando City nicking a narrow win on their own patch. Junior Urso’s goal was canceled out by Maximiliano Moralez’s strike.
Nevertheless, Tesho Akindele had the last laugh, scoring at the death to give the home side an invaluable three points. However, at Yankee Stadium last July, New York thumped Orlando 5-0.
Orlando’s need for the points is greater than New York’s, but the Cityzens will be out for revenge from that gut-wrenching defeat in Florida at the end of August. On paper, there is not a lot to split the pair, and we could be in for another tight and tense tussle.
Orlando have made themselves tough to beat on their travels this season, and they could nick a draw in New Jersey on the weekend. With that in mind, take advantage of MyBookie’s solid price of +280 for this to end in a draw. It could also be another low-scoring affair, so back under 3.5 goals (-242 at MyBookie).
One of the standout bets in this game is the 1-1 draw at the whopping odds of +650 with BetOnline
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