New York City FC vs. Atlanta United Betting Odds, Preview, Picks: Expect Offenses to Find Goals in ‘Big Apple’ Battle

NYCFC vs. Atlanta Odds

New York City FC returns home in search of interim manager Nick Cushing's first Major League Soccer victory Sunday when it faces an Atlanta United side that has been poor on the road this season.

The hosts have only earned two points from three matches since Ronny Deila departed for Standard Liege. However, that includes a rousing comeback from three goals down in Wednesday's 4-4 draw at FC Cincinnati.

Atlanta has earned only four points away and are winless in six road outings. Most recently, the outfit suffered a 2-1 loss at the New York Red Bulls on Thursday just on the other side of the Hudson River.

The Cityzens took four points from these teams' regular season meetings in 2021, then captured a 2-0 home win in their playoff meeting.

New York City FC

Deila's predecessors Patrick Vieira (now at Crystal Palace) and Domenec Torrent (now at Galatasaray) moved on to greener pastures after strong reviews in the Bronx.

Yet, Deila outperformed both in guiding City to its first major, which was the 2021 MLS Cup. That NYCFC would need an adjustment period after his exit is no shock to anyone.

On the plus side, striker Héber had his first multi-goal performance since 2019 in Cincinnati. He might be called on more often if Valentín Castellanos makes a widely expected move to Europe this summer.

City might need more goals than usual in the short term, though. Center back Thiago Marins remains sidelined and his back-line mate, Maxime Chanot, is questionable after leaving Wednesday's match.

By The Numbers

• 2.67 — Goals scored by NYCFC per game in 15 matches at Yankee Stadium since start of 2021 season.
• 1-0-2 — The Cityzens' 2022 MLS record (W-L-D) without Castellanos. He's questionable for this fixture with an illness.

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Atlanta United

Perhaps anticipating his team would have a day less to recover, manager Gonzalo Pineda rotated several of his attackers at Red Bull Arena, with Josef Martinez, Emerson Hyndman and Marcelino Moreno coming off the bench.

It nearly worked when Martinez put Atlanta ahead 12 minutes after entering the game in the 63rd minute. However, RBNY leveled from the penalty spot and then won the match following a bad Atlanta turnover on 16-year-old Serge Ngoma's first career MLS goal.

That marked the fifth consecutive away game in which Atlanta conceded twice. The club scored six goals in that stretch, but earned only one point while managing several season-long injuries in the back.

By The Numbers

• 0.55 — Martinez's goals per 90 minutes in 2022. His career MLS average is 0.90, with most of that damage done before a 2020 ACL tear.
• 36 — Number of days since winger Thiago Almada played his last game. He returns from a three-game suspension for this meeting.

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Betting Analysis & Pick

At -145 moneyline odds on Friday, New York City FC might have been a slight bargain. That's no longer the case, though. However, there's an appealing line still out there: a "yes" wager on both teams to score.

Yes, NYCFC has kept five clean sheets at home, but those five foes generally haven't traveled well and failed to score in 23 of their combined 45 away tilts.

Add the loss of Martins and possibly Chanot, plus the likelihood of Atlanta's attackers being more fresh than NYCFC's after Thursday's rotation, and there's value at -155 odds even if the season trends say otherwise. The visitors are just too talented, as is this NYCFC side.

For what it's worth, -155 odds imply a 60.8% probability. These have met eight times in the regular season and only once has a "yes" wager on this bet not hit.

The Pick: Both Teams To Score — Yes (-155)