New York City FC will be looking to snap out of a mini slump as they travel to FC Cincinnati for an MLS fixture on Thursday. The Eastern Conference leaders will be banking on their good record against Cincinnati, who have not been at their best in lately.
FC Cincinnati are coming off a 1-0 home victory over Orlando City in their previous MLS fixture. They were made to work hard for the win with Brenner’s effort midway through the second half proving to be the difference.
That was a vital result for Cincinnati as it ended a run of three matches across all competitions without a win. It also kept them in the mix for a playoff finish as they remain sixth on the table, two points clear of Inter Miami, who are just outside the top seven.
Cincinnati have a generally poor record at the TQL Stadium, their win over Orlando City was just their third win in the last 14 home matches in the MLS, stretching back to last season. There have also been 11 defeats for Pat Noonan’s men in that run.
New York City FC travel to Cincinnati off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Philadelphia Union last time out in the MLS. They looked to be heading for a draw following Valentin Castellanos’ 89th minute equaliser but conceded the winner deep into injury time.
That was the second straight defeat for New York City, who were also beaten 3-0 by bitter rivals New York Red Bulls. Nick Cushing’s men are winless in their last three matches across all competitions and have lost top spot in the Eastern Conference to Philadelphia Union.
The good news for New York City is that their general form in the MLS remains solid and they will be confident of a return to winning ways on Thursday. They have lost just once in their last 10 league matches, claiming seven wins in that run.
How the bookies view it
New York City FC are still considered favourites among the bookies with an away win priced at 20/21 by BetVictor. FC Cincinnati are considered outsiders at home and set at 13/5 by William Hill while a draw is pegged at odds of 14/5 by Unibet.
Head to head
New York City have never lost to FC Cincinnati, winning all six previous fixtures. They claimed a 2-1 victory on their last visit to TQL Stadium with Valentin Castellanos netting the winner.
Players to watch
Despite having a quiet outing last time out against Orlando City, Brandon Vazquez remains the biggest attacking threat for Cincinnati and will be the one to watch. The striker is looking to add to his eight MLS goals this season and is priced at 21/10 by bet365 to find the net on Thursday.
Valentin Castellanos continues to show his quality for New York City with his effort last time out at Philadelphia Union his seventh MLS goal of the season. The striker also netted the winner on his last visit to Cincinnati and is priced at 10/11 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the attacking quality on both sides, goals can be expected on Thursday. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 8/11 by William Hill while over 3.5 goals could also be considered at 31/18 with SBK.
Cincinnati and New York City have seen a number of late goals in their fixtures in recent weeks which means both teams could be backed to score in the second half at 39/19 with SBK.
This MLS match between FC Cincinnati and New York City FC will be played on Jun 30, 2022 and kick off at 00:30. Check below for our tipsters best FC Cincinnati vs New York City FC prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.