FC Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia Union August 6 Betting Odds & Analysis

After another wild game last weekend in Miami, FC Cincinnati returns home to face the top team in the Eastern Conference.

FC Cincinnati heads into Saturday’s game tied for the last playoff spot with 29 points, with 11 games to play on the season. This weekend’s contest is the last before the MLS All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars.

The Philadelphia Union are in first place in the East with 45 points, and they have just two losses on the season. Saturday’s kickoff at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+ and airing in Cincinnati on STAR 64.

Cincinnati has never won against the Union in seven games but did earn a 1-1 draw on the road on June 18.

FC Cincinnati Keep On Scoring

The Orange and Blue trailed in Miami last weekend 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 in the first half. After Brenner scored both goals in the first half, Brandon Vazquez tied the game in the 81st minute and put FCC on top in the 86th. Inter Miami tied the game in the seventh minute of stoppage time as both teams settled for the 4-4 draw.

Captain Luciano Acosta returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing three games through suspension. He assisted on the second goal of the game and helped direct the offense all night long as FCC put seven shots on goal and completed 85% of their passes. Acosta will represent FCC at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

FC Cincinnati have tied six of their last seven games and don’t have a win since they beat Orlando City at home on June 24. They have scored in 15 of their last 16 games but only have one shutout in their last 12 games. On the season, they are 3-4-4 at home with more points on the road in 2022.

With his two goals in Miami, Vazquez is now tied for second in MLS with 13 goals on the season. Brenner has seven goals, and Acosta has six while leading the team with seven assists.

With Acosta back and FCC healthy, manager Pat Noonan can play a full squad against the conference leaders on Saturday. Brenner, Vazquez, and Acosta lead the attack with Obinna Nwobodo and Junior Moreno, Alvaro Barreal, and Alvas Powell midfield options. Noonan can also turn to Allan Cruz, Yuya Kubo, and Haris Medunjanin in his front seven.

The defense has allowed four goals in three of the last ten games and at least two goals in 11 games this season. Ian Murphy, Tyler Blackett, and Geoff Cameron started in Miami in front of Roman Celentano. Nick Hagglund and John Nelson subbed on in Miami for most of the second half, replacing Blackett and Cameron.

Celentano has started 16 games since taking over the No. 1 goalkeeper role. He has allowed 28 goals and made 45 saves as FCC allows nearly 13 shots per game. The 21-year-old has three clean sheets on the season and has a win or draw in 12 of 16 starts.

Union Flying High

When talking about Jim Curtin and his Philadelphia Union, it all starts with defense. They have allowed just 15 goals in 23 games on the season and have ten shutouts overall.

They haven’t allowed more than two goals in any game this season, and that’s only happened twice, a 2-1 loss to Toronto FC and a 2-2 draw with LAFC.

The Union have also posted two of the best offensive games in the MLS this season. They beat D.C. United 7-0 on July 8 and beat Houston Dynamo 6-0 last Saturday. Mikael Uhre scored twice against Houston, while Julian Carranza, Daniel Gazdag, Jack McGlynn, and Quinn Sullivan also scored.

Philadelphia’s lineup is the most consistent in the league. Five players have started all 23 games, and ten players have started at least 17 games. Gazdag leads the team with 11 goals, while Carranza and Uhre have eight each. Alejandro Bedoya and Kai Wagner lead the team with five assists. 

Goalkeeper Andre Blake has played all 2,070 minutes on the season. The All-Star has allowed 15 goals on the season while making 68 saves. He has a shutout in four of the last six games overall and two of the last three road games.

Betting Analysis

Bet on the MLS today FOR FREE using betJACK Training Camp! You'll get 100 free tokens to bet every day you log in.

FC Cincinnati (+180) moneyline

Philadelphia Union (+135) moneyline

Draw (+240)

Total Goals: 2.5. Over (-130). Under (+105).

First Goal: FC Cincinnati (+105). Philadelphia Union (-125). No Goals (+1100).

This is a tough matchup for FC Cincinnati. They got a 1-1 draw in June but have just two goals in their eight games against Philadelphia’s defense.

The way the Union are playing defense right, it is imperative that the Orange and Blue match their intensity because if they fall behind by more than one, there’s no catching up.