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New York Red Bulls vs Sporting Kansas City Bet Builder Stats & Predictions

September 6, 2024
Tactical Preview, MLS Analysis

NYRB v SKC

Kick Off: Sunday 8th September, 00:30

Competition: MLS

Watch Live: Apple TV

 

For Bet Builder stats at your fingertips, head over to Andy’s Opta-powered Bet Builder stats tool, free to use on his website. Expert insight on the Premier League, SPFL, EFL, and major European leagues can be found in the football predictions section.

 

Match stats: SKC good value to avoid defeat

 

This match pits the New York Red Bulls, comfortable in the playoff zone in the Eastern Conference, up against Sporting Kansas City, who need a huge end to the season if they are going to be competing in the postseason. 

 

This is a bigger game for the visitors than the home side, although it isn’t the be all and end all for Kansas City as they have a chance of silverware on the season regardless of how they go in MLS because they have made the US Open Cup final. Nevertheless, sides are judged on MLS performance and this is a good chance for SKC to avoid defeat here against a New York Red Bulls side who will be without goalkeeper Carlos Carmona and forward Lewis Morgan who are on international duty, while Emil Forsberg is still out injured. 

 

 

Kansas City have largely avoided international call ups with the exception of Stephen Afrifa but they have forwards Willy Agada and Johnny Russell suspended. That isn’t ideal but there is enough depth in the SKC attack to cope against a side who have only won one of their last seven in MLS. That means the draw/opposition double chance has landed in six of the last seven Red Bulls matches and with SKC having lost just one of their last five it looks good to land again. 

 

Prediction:

SKC double chance

 

Goals stats: Under is the pick

 

We shouldn’t expect to see goals in this match. The Red Bulls are missing some key forward players and have the third best defence in the Eastern Conference while two of the regular front three are missing for Sporting Kansas City which isn’t going to be ideal for a goal fest. Red Bulls tend to like to control possession but SKC are quite capable of sitting in and restricting the chances of their opposition. 

 

Just one of the last seven Sporting Kansas City matches have had more than 3.5 goals while four of the last six Red Bulls matches have gone under that line and when you consider the missing attacking players combined with the tidy defence of the New York outfit and their defensive record it is hard to see a goal fest coming here. The last three meetings between the two have stayed under 3.5 goals and that looks like the likely outcome in this battle too. 

 

We’ll finish our bet builder for the match with an anytime goalscorer. Goals are likely to be at a premium in this contest so we need someone who will have a lot of advantages and that is the Kansas City striker Alan Pulido, their best finisher and a player who will have an extended role in this clash given that the regular attacker though the middle, Willy Agada, is suspended after his red card last time out. 

 

 

That means the Mexican will play through the middle which will be a help when it comes to finding the back of the net. With Johnny Russell also missing, Pulido will be on penalties should any come the way of Kansas City. A couple of seasons ago Pulido was one of the best attackers in MLS and while his star has waned a little, he still has four goals on the season even though he has spent most of it playing behind the striker. He should be in the central attacking role for this match and looks a more than acceptable third leg of the bet builder to bump it up over the 8/1 mark. 

 

Predictions:

Under 3.5 goals

Alan Pulido to score anytime

 

By: @AndysBetClubUK

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Isosport / MB Media / Getty Images

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