Pick the Draw in New York

NYCFC v FC Dallas
Saturday, April 22, 19:30 EST
Yankee Stadium

There is little to choose between NYCFC and FC Dallas and that makes the draw the best pick when the two teams meet this weekend.

Who do Bettors Favor?

Checking out the top-rated online sportsbooks it is clear that bettors favor NYCFC but there is some uncertainty about the extent of the home team’s advantage. Some bookmakers rate NYCFC as a -105 favorite, but others have the game closer, with NYCFC at +103. Prices on FC Dallas also vary, ranging from +275 to +310, while the draw is available at around +245.

NYCFC v FC Dallas
NYCFC	-102	+103	-105
Draw	+250	+244	+240
FC Dallas	+310	+275	+300

NYCFC Has Made a Strong Start

Last season, NYCFC finished third in the East and reached the Conference finals, and the 2021 MLS Cup champion is off to a strong start in 2023.

The opening-day loss to Nashville was disappointing, but the next seven games generated three wins as well as three draws, including consecutive victories against DC United along with Inter Miami in mid-March. Nick Cushing's squad has since gone on another mini-unbeaten streak, with draws against Atlanta United and New England Revolution and a convincing victory over Nashville last weekend.

Keaton Parks gave City the advantage in the first fifteen minutes of that game, and Maxime Chanot doubled it in the second quarter. Despite Hany Mukhtar's late goal for Nashville, City managed to hang on and earn a crucial victory against strong opponents.

This victory also moved NYCFC up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, only two points back from Atlanta and three points behind Columbus. With plenty of time remaining in the regular season, fans are hopeful for another deep postseason run.

Dallas Finding its Form

After a shaky start to the season, FC Dallas has found its form and enters this match in the fourth spot in the Western Conference with 14 points after eight games.

The improvement from the start of the season is notable. After a run of seven points from five games, Nico Estevez's team has picked up well. First was a 1-1 draw against Portland Timbers, during which Dallas was minutes away from securing a 1-0 victory before Franck Boli scored a late goal for Portland.

Jesus Ferreira scored the game's lone goal in the next match against Inter Miami, to earn Dallas the victory and that was followed by a late goal from Bernard Kamungo in last weekend's match against Real Salt Lake to earn back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Fans have high expectations after their team finished third in the West last season and advanced to the Conference semifinals so this start has been ideal, and, contingent upon other results, Dallas could end this weekend in second position in the West.

OSB MLS Betting Head-to-Head

NYCFC has been a member of MLS since 2015, but due to the fact that these two teams play in separate Conferences, there have not been many head-to-head meetings. In fact, they have met only once per season over the past eight years, excluding the pandemic-affected 2020 season.

NYCFC has maintained the upper hand in these seven contests, winning twice compared to Dallas's lone victory, which came in the September 2015 matchup.

The next two meetings ended in draws, but NYCFC finally defeated these opponents in 2018 with a 3-1 victory at home. More draws came in 2019 and 2021, but NYCFC defeated its Western Conference rivals with a 1-0 victory in Dallas last season.

MLS Betting Team News

Nick Cushing is able to pick from the full roster, and as a result, NYCFC may enter this match with the same starting lineup as last week's win. In midfield, James Sands, Keaton Parks, and Richard Ledezma will once again start while Gabriel Segal, Gabriel Pereira, and Talles Magno will provide the attacking impetus.

Dallas's team news is also relatively positive. Despite the absences of Tarik Scott and Alan Velasco due to injury, Estevez could be able to field an unaltered lineup. Jesus Ferreira, who has scored five goals this season, will lead the Dallas attack, while Facundo Quignon along with Paxton Pomykal will control the midfield. Bernard Kamungo, who scored the game-winning goal against Salt Lake, is the most likely new face if there is to be a change.

OSBMLS Betting Picks

Dallas has a slightly better record than NYCFC, with a +3 goal difference, but there is little to choose between these teams, and the most notable fact about their games so far is the lack of goalscoring. NYCFC has been scoring at a rate of 1.12 while Dallas is registering 1.38 goals per game. NYCFC’s home advantage will effectively cancel out that difference and the result could be a very tight game, making the draw the best pick in this one.

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