Atlanta United FC vs New England Revolution Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 7/17/21
The 2021 MLS season continues over the weekend with plenty of interesting matchups around the country, and the betting action starts Saturday, July 17, with the Eastern Conference showdown between Atlanta United and New England Revolution.
The Five Stripes host the Revs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with the kick-off at 5:00 PM ET. These two foes already met once in May and New England outlasted Atlanta as a firm -215 home fave, 2-1. This time, the Revs are slight road favorites at +137, so let’s see what’s the best Atlanta United vs. New England Revolution betting pick for Saturday afternoon.
Atlanta is winless in seven straight outings
The Five Stripes have been awful since a 3-1 home win over Chicago Fire on April 24, recording only one victory in 12 games in all competitions along with four losses and seven draws. Furthermore, Atlanta is winless in seven straight MLS contests, tallying five draws and a couple of defeats in the process.
Last weekend, the Five Stripes earned a 2-2 stalemate at Nashville SC, as the 19-year-old forward Jackson Conway netted his first goal of the season. Atlanta’s strikers have combined for just four goals so far this season, while Erick Torres is still scoreless in eight outings and 442 minutes on the pitch.
The Five Stripes are sitting at the tenth spot of the Eastern Conference standings with 13 points (W2, D7, L3) and a 13:15 goal difference. They are undefeated in five showings at home, recording three ties and a pair of wins over Montreal and Chicago while posting an 8:5 goal difference.
New England hopes to snap a three-game winless streak
The Revs are winless in three straight outings, earning a 2-2 draw at Columbus and suffering a couple of defeats at Dallas 2-1 and to Toronto 3-2. They are still topping the Eastern Conference with 24 points (W7, D3, L3) and a 22:18 goal difference, but Orlando City is only three points behind the Revs which will try to get back on the winning track.
In seven showings away from home, the Revs have recorded two wins, three ties, and a pair of losses to go with a 10:11 goal difference. Last weekend, they welcomed Toronto FC and surrendered three goals for the first time since April and a 3-3 draw at LAFC in a friendly.
Striker Gustavo Bou leads the way for New England with six goals in 11 appearances, while his companion Adam Buksa has scored five goals in 13 games. Winger Tajon Buchanan has three goals and four assists on his tally, and midfielder Carles Gil is the team’s top assist-maker with seven dishes in 13 apps.
The Winner Prediction
Frankly, this clash could easily go three-way, though New England looks like a better team, at least on paper. However, the Five Stripes possess enough quality to compete with the best team in the conference. Atlanta can count on some good players, while both teams have been playing poorly over the last few weeks.
Therefore, I’m going with a draw. Atlanta has already recorded seven draws in 12 outings so far this term. Anyway, my best Atlanta vs. New England betting pick is on the totals.
The Pick: Draw
The Total Prediction
Although they have the third-lowest xG in the Eastern Conference (12.0), the Five Stripes have scored exactly two goals in three of their previous six outings at any location. Also, Atlanta has found the back of the net in eight of its last ten home games in all competitions. On the other side, the Revs lead the east in xG (22.2), so I’m backing both teams to score in this one.
Both teams have scored in each of the Revs’ last five contests, and BTTS YES has hit in four of the previous six encounters between New England and Atlanta. The odds are not attractive at -154, but BTTS YES seems like the best move. The Revs are one of the best offensive teams in the MLS, but their defense has been leaky as of late.
