New York City FC vs Red Bull New York: Odds, Spread, and Total
Is a crosstown soccer match a derby when it wasn’t scheduled as one? New York City Football Club and Red Bull New York will square off in an “extra” rivalry…
Is a crosstown soccer match a derby when it wasn't scheduled as one? New York City Football Club and Red Bull New York will square off in an “extra” rivalry match on Wednesday due to the US Open Cup's Round-of-16 draw, pairing the Pigeons and Red Bulls in an elimination tilt in Harrison at 7 p.m. EST.
There's a clear distinction between the two sides again this season, although the jury is still out on which team will be stronger at year's end. New York City FC is the Major League Soccer postseason tycoon with a stubborn back-line and many veterans in the fold. Red Bull New York is stocked with teenagers, but unlike Barcelona's greenhorn lineups of the early 2020s, it's because Red Bull's kids can play.
NYCFC advanced to the US Open Cup's Round-of-16 with a 5-2 win over Westchester, while Red Bull scored an impressive 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the country's best team outside MLS.
New York City FC vs Red Bull New York Betting Trends
- New York City FC has only one victory in its last six league matches.
- Red Bull has just one win over NYCFC in the previous five matchups.
- Betting totals have gone over in seven of the last 10 encounters.
New York City FC vs Red Bull New York Injury Reports
New York City FC
- Forward Alonso Martinez remains in rehab following ACL surgery.
- Defender Max Murray is out with a lower-body injury.
- Defender Drew Baiera is out with a leg injury.
- Midfielder Hannes Wolf is out with a leg injury.
Red Bull New York
- Goalkeeper AJ Martucci remains in rehab following ACL surgery.
- Utility player Cameron Harper is questionable with a knee injury.
- Defender Justin Che is out with a hamstring injury.
New York City FC vs Red Bull New York Predictions and Picks
The Red Bull New York website's preview gives US Open Cup gamblers a nice angle on Wednesday's odds, which favor Red Bulls at an affordable money-line price. Red Bull has “posted a 5-0-0 mark against NYCFC in elimination matches, which includes a 3-0-0 mark in the U.S. Open Cup,” the site informs. Such a fine record for Red Bull belies the visiting Pigeons' success in the MLS rivalry.
Are the match's trending “over” total goals odds a product of the scenario, or of NYCFC's defense not performing up to its usual standards? Pigeons keeper Matt Freese allowed four goals on merely six on-target shots in New York City FC's 4-4 league draw with FC Cincinnati last Wednesday. NYC's midfielder Hannes Wolf is out of the lineup, making it harder to respond to an opposing deluge.
Red Bull's roster is tailor-made to succeed in early rounds of the US Open Cup. Starters like Julian Hall are so young, they're like rotation footballers who just happen to play all the time in league contests. Expect the Red Bulls to maintain their trend in tournaments with a home-field win over NYCFC.
