Orlando City FC vs. Atlanta United Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 9/10/21
Atlanta will be trying to climb into the Eastern Conference playoff picture when it hosts Orlando City on Friday night. Orlando comes into this match tied for second place in the conference standings. Atlanta dropped a 2-0 final to Nashville in its last contest, but it was unbeaten in its previous five matches.
Orlando City is playing well
Orlando City is going to be hoping to maintain its position in the Eastern Conference standings on Friday night. It picked up a 3-2 win over Columbus last Saturday. Orlando has not lost a match since July 25, when NYCFC was dominant at home in a 5-0 final. It has been all gas for Orlando since then, as it has picked up three wins and four draws. Daryl Dike and Silvester van der Water scored a pair of first-half goals against Columbus last Saturday, but the Crew responded with two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Orlando was able to grab the game-winning goal 15 minutes later when Junior Urso found the back of the net. The Lions are still 14 points back of New England at the top of the table, but they are more worried about Nashville, who is tied for second place at the 38-point mark. Orlando has not picked up a road win in its last five tries. The Lions are expected to go with the same starting lineup in this match. They are still without Jhegson Mendez and Alexandre Pato, but the rest of their players are healthy. Nani was involved in his 16th goal of the season against Columbus.
Atlanta United finally loses a match
Atlanta needs to quickly put its last match in the rear-view mirror. It went into that contest on a five-match unbeaten streak, but Nashville ended the streak with a 2-0 road win. Atlanta had picked up wins over Columbus, LAFC, Toronto and DC United in its previous four matches. Nashville got on the scoreboard right before halftime, scoring in the second minute of stoppage time. It added another goal at the very end of the match, netting one in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. All four of Atlanta’s previous wins had come by exactly one goal.
The Five Stripes faced Orlando on the road at the end of July, dropping a 3-2 final. They had a chance to tie DC United for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference in their last match, but the 2-0 loss means they are three points back. Columbus is also three points behind DC United, so keeping pace is important. Atlanta has not picked up a win over Orlando City in its last six tries, which comes after it had won the previous four meetings in the series. The Five Stripes have only totaled 15 points in their last 10 matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Pick: (Orlando City +0.5)
This is an excellent chance to back Orlando City as a road underdog. Bettors can grab the visitors at -105 to win or draw on Friday night. Atlanta United has been in good form, but they have only tallied 15 points in their last 10 home matches. Orlando has been one of the best teams in the conference throughout the season and is riding a seven-match unbeaten streak. It already has one win over Atlanta under its belt this year and has not lost in its last six contests against the Five Stripes. Orlando is healthy and hungry for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Total (Over 2.5)
These teams are as in-form as any teams in the MLS right now. Atlanta finally had its winning streak come to an end, but it has been playing excellent soccer. Orlando has not lost in its last seven matches and has a chance to be in solo second place in the conference standings. There is star power in both lineups and the top players are healthy. Nani has been a force for Orlando this season, while Josef Martinez has scored four times in his last six matches for Atlanta. This is not a match where I want to fade the form of these teams—I expect something like a 2-2 final in this match.