Orlando City vs FC Cincinnati Prediction, Picks and Odds | MLS Betting Preview March 4
Orlando City vs FC Cincinnati Betting Preview
Both Orlando City and FC Cincinnati won their first match of the 2023 MLS regular season with Sportsmemo soccer handicapper Nick Borrman breaking down this Orlando City vs FC Cincinnati match before start time at 7:30pm ET from Exploria Stadium in Orlando, FL.
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Orlando City vs FC Cincinnati Betting Odds
| Saturday, March 4 | MLS Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Orlando City: | +105 |
| FC Cincinnati: | +260 |
| Draw: | +250 |
| Total: | 2.5 Goals (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings) |
| Game Time: | 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT |
Orlando City vs FC Cincinnati Betting Analysis
FC Cincinnati is a team I am high on this year. They scored the 2nd most goals in the Eastern Conference, netting 64 goals with the trio of Acosta, Vazquez and Brenner bagging 46 goals and 33 assists.
All three of them have returned for 2023. Their issue was on defense as they allowed a whopping 56 goals which was the 3rd most in the conference and well off from a true contender like Philadelphia who allowed only 26.
FC Cincinnati was better down the stretch after the additions of Nwobodo and Miazga but they still had plenty of room for improvement and that is what they targeted this offseason.
They signed center back Yerson Mosquera on loan from the Wolverhampton Wolves who didn’t quite crack the first team but has a ton of potential.
They also brought in experience with Colombian right wingback Santiago Arias who has played in two World Cups and three Copa Americas.
He spent his time with both Atletico Madrid and PSV. Finally, they added defensive midfielder Marco Angulo from Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle.
Big Offseason Changes for Orlando City
Orlando ranked in the bottom seven of the league last season in xG differential at -0.24 per game as they struggled to create chances.
Their 1.20 xG average per match ranked as the 4th lowest in the league. What did we see from Matchday 1 from Orlando? More of the same as they generated 1.0 xG which included a PK worth 0.77.
Without the penalty, Orlando created a league low five shots and zero on target. Uh oh. Somehow, they managed to still win the game as NYRB dominated the match but just couldn’t find the net.
Add in some key roster departures over the offseason which hurts them on the other side of the ball. Junior Urso left for Brazil and leaves a hole in central defense for the Lions.
He appeared in 87 matches over the last three seasons. Next was Ruan, their right wing back who made 101 appearances over the last four years furthering their depletion at the back.
Finally, former No. 1 MLS SuperDraft pick Joao Moutinho left for Italian Serie A side Spezia. He started 28 games last season.
Orlando City vs FC Cincinnati Expert Prediction
They have tried to plug those losses with the additions of Martin Ojeda as a winger from Argentina and Rafael Santos from Brazil to try and tighten up their defense. Still, it feels like the lost much more than they gained.
Orlando looked like a non-playoff team last week and I have to grab the head start on one of my favorite buy teams.
Prediction: FC Cincinnati +0.25 -105 and sprinkle some on Cincinnati Moneyline +260 as well
Soccer Betting Tips
New to betting on soccer? Not familiar with all the wagering options, such as three-way betting and the Asian handicap? What stats should a novice soccer bettor focus on? What are some basic soccer betting tips and strategies? Carmine Bianco and Nick Borrman joined Kelly Stewart to share some tips to novice soccer bettors.
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First time at WagerTalk? Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code NEWS1 when checking out! Click here to select your picks and then apply the best bargain of 2023 with coupon code NEWS1.
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About The Author
Nick Borrman fell in love with professional ‘football’ (as anyone outside of the United States would refer to it) the first time he attended an MLS game seven years ago.
Now, he uses statistical analysis as well as current trends to successfully find value on soccer matches across the globe.
Borrman focuses much of his attention on the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A, as well as the most prestigious tournament of them all, the Champions League.
Of course, you can’t forget the fast-growing MLS which finishes the year-round soccer schedule through the summer months in North America.
Borrman derives many of his plays from his model forecasts and releases plays several days ahead of time to consistently beat line moves.
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