New York City FC will be looking to strengthen their lead at the top of the East as they host Colorado Rapids in a cross-conference MLS fixture on Sunday. The hosts have looked almost unstoppable lately and should be too strong for an erratic Colorado side.
It has been a fine campaign so far for New York City FC who are top of the Western Conference.
New York City have looked almost unstoppable in recent weeks, winning seven of their last eight MLS matches, including a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United in their previous fixture. However, they must now attempt to maintain that form under new manager Nick Cushing following Ronny Deila’s departure for Belgian side Standard Liege.
While New York City have shown plenty of attacking quality this season with Valentin Castellanos scoring seven goals, their back line has played a pivotal role in their recent run. They last conceded a goal in the league in April and have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight matches.
Colorado Rapids are facing a much different battle in the Western Conference where they are 10th on the standings. However, it is not all doom and gloom as they sit just one point behind Seattle Sounders in the final playoff spot.
While Colorado Rapids are still holding on to their hopes of a playoff finish, they must also attempt to find some consistency. Robin Fraser’s men have claimed just two wins from their last six matches across all competitions and were beaten 3-1 by Nashville in their last fixture.
Among the many problems for Colorado Rapids this season is a dodgy record on their travels. They are yet to win away from home this term and have lost their last five matches on the road across all competitions.
How the bookies view it
New York City are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and priced at 5/9 by SBK to claim the win. An unlikely victory for Colorado Rapids is valued at 6/1 by bet365, while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
New York City FC have never lost to Colorado Rapids, claiming three wins and two draws from five previous matches. They claimed a 2-1 victory in the last meeting between both teams back in 2019.
Players to watch
Valentin Castellanos has been the focal point of a prolific New York City attack, scoring seven goals this season. The Argentine striker will be the one to watch and is priced at evens with BetVictor to get on the score sheet on Sunday.
New York City's defence has been just as pivotal to their campaign and have looked nigh-impenetrable in recent weeks with seven clean sheets in their last eight matches. Alexander Callens and Thiago Martins often partner in central defence and can lead the hosts to a clean sheet at 11/8 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given New York City’s recent defensive record, BTTS NO could be on the cards at 17/16 with SBK. The solid defence also means a win to nil could also be considered at 7/4 with BetVictor while a -1 handicap is priced at 6/4 by Betfred.
New York City have been the only team to score in their five of their last six matches and Sunday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 7/4 with bet365.
This MLS match between New York City FC and Colorado Rapids will be played on Jun 19, 2022 and kick off at 22:00. Check below for our tipsters best New York City FC vs Colorado Rapids prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
