FC Cincinnati (6 wins, 7 losses, 2 draws) hosts Orlando City SC (7-5-4) at TQL Stadium Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we preview the FC Cincinnati vs. Orlando City SC odds and lines, and make our best MLS bets, picks and predictions.
Led by F Brandon Vazquez, who has 8 goals in 14 matches and is being eyed by USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, FC Cincinnati will return home following a 1-1 draw with Philadelphia.
Cincinnati had 17 shots against the Union, who are tied for the best defense in the MLS. FCC has won 4 of their last 7.
Orlando City suffered a 2-1 home loss to FCC earlier in the season and are the only team in the East’s top-six with a negative goal differential.
Orlando City is led by F Ercan Kara, who has 6 goals on the season. They currently sit in 4th place and actually have averaged more points per game on the road this season.
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FC Cincinnati vs. Orlando City SC odds, lines, picks and predictions
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 12:53 p.m. ET.
- Money line: FC Cincinnati +127 (bet $100 to win $127) | Orlando City SC +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Draw +260
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -135 | U: +110)
[tipico]
Prediction
FC Cincinnati 2, Orlando City 1
Money line (ML)
LEAN FC CINCINNATI +127.
Against teams in the Eastern Conference with a negative goal differential, FC Cincinnati is 5-2-0. They haven’t had much success at home this season, but typically home-field advantage does apply to soccer.
With 1 of the best game managers in M Luciano Acosta (7 combined goals and assists) having subbed on against Philadelphia last weekend, he should be primed for a full 90-minute load.
Orlando City is a playoff-caliber side, but they have either had as many or fewer expected goals than their opponents in 4 of their last 6 matches. That is true for 9 of their 16 games this season.
Considering they’ve yet to play against F Brenner as he was out in the first matchup, FCC should have a better roster than their early-season matchup. Combine it all, and I like the home side here.
Over/Under (O/U)
BET OVER 2.5 (-135).
FC Cincinnati has gone over this total in 3 of their last 4 games, and the only one which missed was against Philadelphia, one of the top defenses in MLS.
FCC has gone over this total in 9 of their 15 games. Orlando City has been a similar story, going over in 3 of their last 4 games and in 8 of their 16 on the season.
FCC ranks in the top half of the league in shots on target yet sits tied for the 3rd-most goals allowed in the East. Similarly, Orlando City is in the bottom half in save rate and interceptions.
The pace of the home side coupled with their lacking poor defense and disappointing defensive performances from Orlando City this season should allow for several goals in this battle.
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