At 3 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this MLS match on Sunday, August 21, 2016, at RFK Stadium.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
D.C. United +175
New York Red Bulls +140
Draw +220
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
The Red Bulls are clearly the better of these two teams, but are they really deserving of being road favorites against a middling team from the Eastern Conference? After all, New York is only nine points clear of D.C. at this point, and it has played two additional games already and only has nine left to go in the regular season.
Furthermore, RBNY is just 1-5-7 on the road this year, while D.C. United has managed at least a point in eight of its 12 home games thus far.
Still, it's the Red Bulls who are the slight +140 choices of the oddsmakers at this point. D.C. United is only just behind at +175, but the margin feels substantial given the general nature of home field advantage in the MLS.
Key Injuries
The Red Bulls definitely have compounding problems at the back right now on the injury front. Over the course of the last six weeks, they've lost Gideon Baah, Connor Lade and Damien Perrinelle, all of which are out for at least most of the rest of the regular season, if not the entire campaign. That's leaving a huge set of holes which have to be filled the likes of which any team would struggle mightily to overcome.
D.C. United is playing without Chris Korb, Collin Martin and Chris Rolfe for sure, while Lamar Neagle is up in the air with a hamstring injury. This list is actually a bit longer than the injury list for New York, and this is part of the reason why the Black and Reds have had a real problem keeping up in the East.
Recent Form
United did lock down a big 2-0 win over Portland last weekend to end a string of six straight matches without a triumph. This game ends a four-game home stand for D.C., and there's going to be a big difference between getting three points and ending with eight of a possible 12 points in this home stand and not winning and ending with just one win in four games.
Games have been flying over the total for the Red Bulls of late, and that's not really all that surprising considering how many defensive injuries they've had to endure. New York beat Montreal 3-1 in its last MLS match last weekend, raising its over streak to five straight regular season games.
If there is a concern here for New York, it's that the team has played a ton of soccer of late. On Tuesday, the Red Bulls had to play out in El Salvador in the CONCACAF Champions League, a 1-1 draw against Alianza FC. This is already the sixth match for the Red Bulls since the start of August.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The Red Bulls haven't won a match here at RFK Stadium in a couple years, and we think that's going to be extended on Sunday afternoon.
The biggest thing New York has going for it is that Bradley Wright-Phillips is having a masterful season, one which has included a league-best five braces and a total of 14 goals. When BWP isn't putting balls in the back of the net though, the Red Bulls are awfully ordinary, and we aren't sure they actually have the better of these two teams at that point. Given the options and the favorable odds on D.C. United, we must go with the hosts.
MLS Odds: D.C. United 3, New York 1
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