NYCFC vs. New England Revolution Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 8/28/21
There will be much more on the line for the home team when New York City FC hosts New England on Saturday night. The Revolution have been the best team in the Eastern Conference this season and there is a sizeable gap between them and second place in the table. NYCFC is currently in fifth place, but there is a narrow margin between them and the surrounding clubs.
New England looks to continue its dominance
New England has been dominant in 2021, bringing a 15-4-3 record into this match. It has tallied 49 points, which puts a 15-point gap between it and Orlando City for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Revolution have not lost since July 7, when Toronto tallied a 3-2 upset on the road. Since then, New England has one draw and eight victories. Its most recent win came last Saturday, when it notched a 4-1 blowout against Cincinnati. Tajon Buchanan got the scoring started with a goal seven minutes into the match.
Emmanuel Boateng scored in the 21st minute, while Adam Buksa added a brace. Cincinnati’s lone goal came in the second half, where it was too little, too late. Coach Bruce Arena is just eight wins away from tying the all-time lead for regular-season wins among MLS coaches. Seven different players have scored during New England’s last four matches. The Revolution are currently without Carles Gil, who is arguably their best player. They have a chance to set the single-season record for points, which currently belongs to LAFC’s 2019 team (72).
NYCFC finally loses a match
NYCFC will be looking to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia. It has been rock solid prior to that contest, having not lost in its previous six matches. The streak came to an end when the Union netted the lone goal 67 minutes into the contest. Philadelphia only had 41 percent of the possession and was out-shot 15-7, but it was able to find the winner regardless. NYCFC has already had one stab at New England this year, dropping a 3-2 final at home in mid-June. The Revolution were out-shot 18-9 (9-5 SOG) and had less possession, but they scored two goals in the final 15 minutes.
NYCFC has been on its feet for most of the month, playing five matches with no more than four days of rest between matches. It has collected five points in league play during that span. The club now has a 10-day break between contests, so it will be hoping to use that rest to its advantage. NYCFC has scored six first-half goals in its last five MLS matches—it will be wanting to get off to a hot start on Saturday. It is trailing Philadelphia and Nashville by one point in the Eastern Conference standings and is just three points behind second-place Orlando City.
Spread (NYCFC -125)
It’s hard to question a team that has dominated the MLS like New England has this season, but I think there might be some value on the other side here. New York City is in a position where it needs to pick up points to move up the standings. It should be confident after its meeting with the Revolution earlier this summer. NYCFC was the better team in that match, but it got unlucky with a few chances. The Revolution should not have a ton of motivation and they will be facing a rested club that is playing at home.
Total (Under 3.5)
NYCFC has not been playing high-scoring matches lately. It has not scored more than two goals in a single match during its last four contests. One of those results was 0-0, while two of the other matches featured a scoreless final from one of the teams. It has been a common theme throughout the year—New York City generally plays under a total of 3.5. If New England is lacking motivation like I suspect it might, that will probably show up in its shot total. When one team needs a win more badly than its opponent, the under can be a good bet.
