FC Cincinnati (1 win, 1 loss, 0 draws) faces the New York Red Bulls (1-1-0) in a pivotal final Group E matchup of the MLS is Back Tournament Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. The Red Bulls currently hold the second spot in the group with Cincinnati trailing by a minus-2 in goal differential. Below, we look at the odds and lines and make our best MLS picks and bets for the FC Cincinnati-New York Red Bulls matchup.
FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls: Key injuries
FC Cincinnati
- M Jimmy McLaughlin (ankle) out
- F Jurgen Locadia (quad) questionable
- D Greg Garza (hamstring) questionable
- M Allan Cruz (ankle) questionable
New York Red Bulls
- M Mathias Jorgensen (hamstring) questionable
Place legal sports bets on MLS action in CO, IN, NJ and WV through BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!
FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls: MLS odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. ET.
Prediction
New York Red Bulls 1, FC Cincinnati 0
Moneyline (ML)
Back NEW YORK (-115) as the favorites to join Columbus Crew SC in advancing out of Group E to the knockout stage.
Both teams have negative goal differentials in losses to Columbus and wins over the depleted Atlanta United SC. The Red Bulls are minus-1 with one goal scored and two allowed. Cincinnati is minus-3 with one goal for and four against.
Injuries have played a major role in FC Cincinnati’s struggles, while the Red Bulls have skated through the tournament at full health. Expect New York’s starters to stay in this game just long enough to secure the victory and advance to the next round before being pulled out in order to preserve the perfect injury list.
Over/Under (O/U)
These two clubs played to a 3-2 Red Bulls victory when they met in a March 1 matchup early this season. Both teams were shut out by Columbus while producing a clean sheet of their own over Atlanta to start the MLS is Back Tournament.
Look for the Red Bulls to get on the board early before dialing it back with the reserves on the pitch. Take UNDER 2.5 (+115) as a great value bet at plus-money.
Want some action in this one? Place an MLS bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=3296]