DC United v Chicago Fire Bet Builder Stats & Predictions
DC United v Chicago Fire
Kick Off: 7:30, Sunday 8th June
Competition: MLS
Watch Live: Apple TV
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Both of these sides will be looking to improve on their inconsistent starts to the seasonto make a more sustained push for the play-off places in the Eastern Conference. Chicago are in a better position than DC United having picked up 22 points across their 15 games so far, their league position isn’t truly reflective of their ability, seeing as they have two games in hand on the majority of sides in the division.
DC United have had a tough time of late, winning just one of their last five matches. This win did come last time out against a high-flying Cincinnati side who sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference, and Troy Lesesne will hope that this can kickstart his team’s season. The most recent head-to-head meeting between these sides took place back in March and finished in a 2-2 draw.
Match Stats: Chicago strong on the road
One of the most notable aspects of Chicago’s campaign so far is how strong they’ve been on the road. Only New England (16) and Philadelphia (16) have picked up more points on the road than Chicago in the Eastern Conference this season (15). They’ve won five of their nine games away from home this season, remarkably seeing 42 goals across these fixtures (4.66 per game).
Although this home record is promising, DC United will take confidence from the fact that Chicago’s results on the road tend to be quite black and white, they are yet to draw a game on the road so far this season. No side has scored and conceded more goals on the road than Chicago in the Eastern Conference this season, a perplexing record which indicates that this could be quite an entertaining encounter.
DC United have only managed to win two of their nine games at home this season. Four of these games have ended in draws, with their main problem being in front of goal, they’ve only managed to score eight goals across these home games, which is a record that will encourage Chicago, given how prolific they have been on the road this season.
Predictions –
- BTTS @ 1.66
- Over 2.5 goals @ 1.72
- BTTS and Chicago to win @ 4.75
Shots Stats: Hugo Cuypers the danger man
Hugo Cuypers has scored 10 goals across his 15 appearances in the MLS this season for Chicago Fire, already matching the tally he managed across 31 MLS games last season, which suggests that Cuypers could be on the cusp of an inspired campaign.
He scored a brace against Orlando last time out and has found the back of the net in four of his last five appearances for Chicago Fire across all competitions. He’s had 26 shots on target across three appearances (1.89 per 90), which indicates that he’s getting plenty of service from his team-mates. This is also true when looking at Chicago’s goalscoring record, especially on the road – the 21 goals they’ve scored in their away games this season is a record that is unmatched in the Eastern Conference.
Cuypers notched a brace and had three shots on target in the most recent head-to-head meeting between these sides back in March, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Cuypers was responsible for three of the four total shots on target that Chicago had in the game, underscoring his importance to the side. Chicago posted an xG of 2.50 in the recent meeting, which further suggests that they can create chances for their star striker here.
Predictions –
- Hugo Cuypers 2+ shots on target @ 2.62
- Hugo Cuypers to score anytime @ 2.50
Cards stats: DC United the more likely to become frustrated
DC United top the entire MLS rankings across both the Western and Eastern conferences when it comes to fouls committed per game (15.6) and yellow cards (49). They’re very aggressive without the ball, with their main strategy in keeping games as cagey as possible, especially against a side as free-scoring as Chicago.
They lived up to these numbers in the most recent head-to-head meeting between the sides, which ended in a 2-2 draw. They committed 17 fouls in the game and picked up three yellow cards, exceeding their averages for both metrics this season, which are already quite high when compared to the rest of the MLS sides.
When looking for specific players in the DC United side to pick up a caution, Kye Rowles really stands out. He’s picked up seven yellow cards already in the MLS this season, which is the 2nd most in the entire league, with only LA Galaxy’s Edwin Carrillo picking up more cautions in the MLS so far (8).
By: @AndysBetClubUK
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Brad Smith/ISI Photos / Getty Images
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