Chicago Fire (2-4-4) welcome FC Cincinnati (5 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw) to Soldier Field Saturday for a 8 p.m. ET kickoff. Below, we preview the Chicago Fire vs. FC Cincinnati odds and lines, and make our best MLS bets, picks and predictions.
FC Cincinnati already has more wins than it did all of last season, and sitting in 5th place, it finally looks like the club, welcomed into the MLS in 2019, that fans expected it to be.
FCC is on a club-long 3-game winning streak, having down Minnesota and Toronto on the road during it. They’re led in scoring by 23-year-old F Brandon Vazquez, who has 6 on the season.
As for Chicago, it has been disappointing so far this season. While it has been slightly better at home, the Fire have only been able to garner 6 points in 5 home matches.
The Fire are led by M Xherdan Shaqiri, who was once a Swiss star. Their issue comes offensively, having only scored 7 in 10 games.
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Chicago Fire vs. FC Cincinnati 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 at 10:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Chicago Fire -107 (bet $107 to win $100) | FC Cincinnati +295 (bet $100 to win $295) | Draw +255
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
[tipico]
Prediction
FC Cincinnati 1, Chicago Fire 1
Money line (ML)
LEAN DRAW +255.
While the draw is a strong play here, I also wouldn’t mind FC Cincinnati or the Draw, which can be taken at -127. Mainly because the Fire have struggled recently, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll turn it around now.
They’ve lost 3 straight games and have only won 1 of 5 at home. They’ve drawn 3 at home, which is why I lean toward the value on the draw. The Fire have lost or drawn their last 6 matches.
On the other side of the pitch, FCC has the league leader in total attacking assists, M Lucho Acosta. He should be able to control the pace and break down a formidable Fire defense.
FC Cincinnati has won or drawn 6 of its last 9 and 4 of its last 5. I’d bet on them to get some points on the road.
Over/Under (O/U)
BET the UNDER 2.5 (-105).
Basically put, the Fire’s offense is awful while their defense has consistently held up. They’ve scored 7 and allowed 10 through 10 games. The Fire would’ve gone under this total in 6 of their 10.
While FCC hasn’t typically been known for defensive strength, they’ve pitched two straight shutouts and have gone under this total in 3 of their last 5.
Also, the more lethal attack, FC Cincinnati, is coming off a midweek loss to Minnesota, so there couldn’t be different combinations of players taking the field for the road side.
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