- Toronto v NY Red Bulls
- Wednesday May 17, 2023, 19:30 ET
- At BMO Field
NY Red Bulls could be turning a corner after a nightmare run of form and it is a good pick to prevail in the bottom-of-the-table clash in Toronto this Wednesday.
Who do Bettors Favor?
According to the top-rated online sportsbooks bettors make Toronto the favorite to win on Wednesday, but not by a significant margin. The home team is rated at around +150, while NT Red Bulls is considered a +186 chance and the draw is priced at around +235.
| Toronto v NY Red Bulls |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | +153 | +150 | +150 |
| Draw | +245 | +232 | +235 |
| NY Red Bulls | +186 | +187 | +180 |
Toronto In Trouble
So far in 2023 Toronto's season has been a huge disappointment. There was some hope that a forward line featuring Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi could help the team maintain a challenge for the middle of the table later in the season.
Intead, Toronto is in trouble at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, tied with Wednesday's opponents on points. The Toronto forward line is performing at a slightly higher level than the overall league position would suggest, as evidenced by the 13 goals scored in 12 games, but the defense has been abysmal. In fact, only two teams in the Conference have worse defensive records.
Six of the team's 12 matches to date have ended in a tie, with only two victories, against Inter Miami and NYCFC, and four losses. That suggests there is plenty to work on for this team, but if it has playoff hopes, there is a limit to how far it can fall behind.
New Start for New York
As is often the case, a new head coach has resulted in a dramatic turnaround in fortunes, and NY Red Bulls climbed off the bottom of the Eastern Conference table with a 1-0 home victory in the Hudson River derby over the weekend, though it is only ahead of Toronto on goal differential.
A Red Bulls revival could not come soon enough for the team that had lost its way under Gerhard Struber. Following the controversy caused by Dante Vanzeir's racist remarks, which resulted in a seven-match ban for the player and caused the team's own fans to walk out in disgust, Troy Lesesne inherited a team with low morale and confidence, which had won only one of its eleven games.
So far this season, the team’s renowned high press has ceased to function, and the goals have dried up as a result. The team has scored only eight goals in its first eight games, which is tied for the fewest in all of Major League Soccer, something that has to change if Lesesne is to salvage anything from this season. The win against NYCFC promised a new start but now the players must deliver.
MLS Match Betting Head-to-Head
This is the 34th edition of a fixture that dates back to 2009 and is the first meeting of the year between these two Eastern Conference rivals. The head-to-head record indicates that NY Red Bulls has dominated this rivalry. Toronto may have won the first two games against these opponents, but NY Red Bulls has won the majority of the series.
Overall, the New York team has a record of 18 wins in 34 matches, while Toronto has won eight and there have been eight draws. Recent seasons have highlighted this dominance. Toronto has not won any of the last seven games, and NY Red Bulls won both games last season, 2-0 and 4-1.
MLS Match Betting Team News
Christian Gutierrez missed the weekend game against Montreal due to illness, so it is uncertain whether he will be available for this one, and overall the team news for Toronto remains a concern. Matt Hedges is also a questionable starter for Toronto, along with regular starters Jonathan Osorio, Michael Bradley, Jordan Perruzza, Raoul Petretta, and Victor Vazquez.
Aime Mabika, who has started the last two games against Montreal, is likely to make his third appearance for Toronto at the heart of the defense.
Dante Vanzeir is still suspended for New York, though this will be his final game of the seven-match suspension, while Kyle Duncan, Frankie Amaya, Matt Nocita, Steven Sswwadda, Luquinhas, Lewis Morgan, and Serge Ngoma, are questionable for this match.
MLS Match Betting Pick
Toronto's two victories this season have been at home, so that at least gives the team something to build on. Still, it is difficult to overlook its recent results, which have included consecutive losses to Montreal. Although the resurgence of the New York Red Bulls is fragile, a new head coach can often have a positive effect simply by altering the dressing room dynamic and that may be the case here, so the visiting team looks the best match betting pick for this game.
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