Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution, Prediction, Preview and Odds- 4/17/21
Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution
The new MLS season is kicking off this weekend, and we have a tight duel between the Eastern Conference foes Chicago Fire and New England Revolution. The game starts at 8:30 PM EST at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago hopes to return to the playoffs
Chicago Fire failed to make it to the playoffs last season after finishing with 23 points, just one point behind Inter Miami, and a playoff spot. Still, it’s not going to be easy to be in the playoffs this time around, mainly because owner Joe Mansueto and head coach Raphaël Wicky didn’t splash the cash in the offseason.
https://twitter.com/ChicagoFire/status/1382358265196085250
Chicago didn’t bring any mention-worthy players, but they also kept the team from last year by not selling any of the stars. The Slovenian forward Robert Beric is going to be the team’s first star this year as he was the last one with 12 goals, while Álvaro Medrán will be his main support from the midfield. Last season, Medran led the team with six assists.
New England is aiming for the MLS Cup this year
New England Revolution managed to get to the Eastern Conference final last season even though they finished in 8th position in the regular season. The Revs beat Montreal, Philadelphia Union, and Orlando City, but Columbus Crew prevented them from making their first MLS Cup final since 2014 with a 1-0 victory.
https://twitter.com/NERevolution/status/1382363023541682176
New England is hoping for their first title and sixth appearance in the MLS Cup final, and they have a plan to complete that achievement this year. They brought the Icelandic midfielder Arnór Ingvi Traustason from Malmo and a former LA Galaxy star Emmanuel Boateng. Left-back Alexander Buttner joined Apollon Limassol.
Teal Bunbury and Gustavo Bou led the team with eight goals last season, while Adam Buksa was right behind with seven. Carles Gil is the most creative player in the squad, and he will be looking to record more than his five assists from last year.
The Winner Prediction
Chicago Fire won five of the previous ten H2H encounters (D3, L2), but they have just one in the last six (D3, L2). The rivals met twice in 2020, and New England won one, while the other tilt ended without a winner. Chicago is struggling in the past few years, while New England is on the rise, and I am backing the Revolution to kick off the campaign with three points, although it’s not going to be easy.
The Pick: New England Revolution (+154)
The Total
Even nine of the last 11 H2H duels produced goals on both ends, including all three last season. New England was very efficient in the pre-season, but they regularly allowed goals, so I expect to see goals on both sides in this one as well.
The Pick: BTTS YES (-156)