Noelle Matthews
- NYCFC v FC Dallas
- Saturday, April 22, 19:30 EST
- Yankee Stadium
Dallas heads to New York in good form and can earn a useful point against the 2021 MLS Cup champions.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks it is clear that while bettors favor NYCFC to win this game, there is some disagreement over what price the home team should be. Some bookmakers are rating City as short as -105 while others have them at +103. There is also considerable variation in the odds available for Dallas, which range from +275 to +310, while the draw is around the +245 mark.
| NYCFC v FC Dallas |  |  |  |
| NYCFC | -102 | +103 | -105 |
| Draw | +250 | +244 | +240 |
| FC Dallas | +310 | +275 | +300 |
NYCFC Starting Strong
NYCFC ended up third in the Eastern Conference and made it to the Conference finals last season and the 2021 MLS Cup champion has made a strong start to the 2023 season.
The opening-day defeat to Nashville was a disappointment but the next seven games have produced three wins and three draws, including back-to-back wins against DC United and Inter Miami in the middle of March. A narrow defeat to Houston followed those successes, but Nick Cushing’s team has since established another mini-unbeaten run, with draws against Atlanta United and New England Revolution, and a good win against Nashville last weekend.
That game saw City lead in the first 15 minutes thanks to a goal by Keaton Parks and Maxime Chanot then doubled that lead on 25 minutes. Despite a late goal from Hany Mukhtar for Nashville, City was able to hold on and earn an important win against tough opponents.
That victory also took the team up to fifth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Atlanta and three behind Columbus, and with plenty of time still to run in the regular season, NYCFC has a solid foundation for what fans hope will be another deep post-season run.
Dallas Hitting Form
After a mixed start to its season, FC Dallas has also found its form and heads into this game in fourth place in the West, having accumulated 14 points from their first eight games.
The turnaround has been impressive. After earning seven from its first five, Nico Estevez’s team has improved steadily. First came a draw against Portland Timbers, in which Dallas was within minutes of securing a 1-0 win, only for a late goal from Franck Boli to earn a draw for Portland.
The good form continued in the next game against Inter Miami, with Jesus Ferreira scoring the game’s only goal, and that victory was backed up by a late winner from Bernard Kamungo against Real Salt Lake that gave Dallas back-to-back wins for the first time this year.
Having finished third in the West last season, and made it all the way to the Conference semi-finals, expectations are high among FC Dallas fans, so this good start to the campaign has been ideal for Estevez and, depending on other results, his team could theoretically move into second this weekend.
MTS MLS Betting Head-to-Head
NYCFC has been part of MLS since 2015, but with these two teams playing in separate Conferences, this is a head-to-head rivalry that has not had many installments. In fact, the two teams have played one another just once a season over the last eight years, with the exception of the pandemic-hit 2020 season.
NYCFC has had the edge over those seven games, winning twice, while Dallas has won only one: the first-ever meeting between the two teams in September 2015.
The next two meetings were draws, but NYCFC finally recorded a win against these opponents in 2018, with a 3-1 home victory. Two more draws followed in 2019 and 2021, but NYCFC edged out its Western Conference rivals last year, with a close-fought 1-0 win in Dallas.
MLS Betting Team News
NYCFC has the rare luxury of a fully available squad and as a result, it may go into this game with an unchanged starting lineup, after last weekend’s victory. That would see James Sands, Keaton Parks and Richard Ledezma in midfield, with Gabriel Segal, Gabriel Pereira and Talles Magno representing the New York attack. Maxime Chanot and Thiago Martins could once again line up in the defense.
The team news for Dallas is also relatively good. Although Tarik Scott and Alan Velasco are both out with injuries, Estevez may be able to field an unchanged line-up. Jesus Ferreira has already scored five goals this season and will lead the line, while Facundo Quignon and Paxton Pomykal will be controlling the heart of the Dallas midfield. If there is to be a chance, it may be in the forward ranks, where Bernard Kamungo could start after scoring the winning goal against Salt Lake.
MTS MLS Betting Picks
While both teams have made good starts to their campaign, neither has been tearing it up in front of goal. NYCFC has scored nine goals in eight games, while Dallas has eleven. The Western Conference team has a slightly better defensive record, but New York’s home advantage also has to be added to the mix. There is very little to separate the teams and the draw looks the best pick here.
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