MLS: CF Montreal vs. New York City FC Preview, Betting Tips, Predictions, Picks

CF Montreal and New York City FC square off in Canada this weekend. The guests from the Big Apple are coming to town in terrible shape, not posting a victory for a long time. However, they still have chances to reach the postseason, and a win here would drastically improve everything. Montreal is in a difficult position, sitting in the play-in zone but pressured from behind. Three points for them are important as well because Canadians can hope to move up and seize a playoff spot. 

Preview

CF Montreal (+115) is in a stressful situation right now. They can easily go up and be in the playoffs directly, without the need to go through the play-in tournament, but on the other side, they could fall down in the standings and miss the postseason.

They didn’t lose for three straight, winning two events (against Minnesota United, 4-0, and Nashville SC, 1-0), before a goalless tie against Charlotte in North Caroline. As you can see, the foundation for these good results has been a rock-solid defense, which provided three straight clean sheets. 

Saputo Stadium is a stronghold for this unit, and they have six consecutive victories in the MLS competition there. Believe it or not, they haven’t conceded a single goal there, netting twice in the majority of cases during this period. In eight appearances at home this year, CF has seven wins and a loss and a goal difference of 15-3.

New York City FC (+200) has five consecutive draws. They haven’t won for almost two months and are on a streak that saw them failing to record a victory in 13 straight games. So seeing them sitting 13th of 15 teams in the East isn’t that odd.

But even so, they are still alive when it comes to the playoff race. Sure, they have five points fewer than the rivals in the play-in zone and seven than those in the playoffs, but the hops still exist.

This team is very bad on the road, not having a single victory away from New York. In 11 outings, City recorded five draws and six defeats, netting just eight goals while allowing 14.

Latest News

Rommel Quioto is out due to his hamstring problems, while Samuel Piette has a groin injury. 

Thiago Martins is the only one who won’t play for New York City FC.

Head to Head Games

This is the first clash this year between CF and the City. Last year, they met three times, twice during the regular part of the season, 4-1 in New York for the hosts and 0-0 on the road, and once in the MLS Cup quarterfinals, where New York City FC eliminated Montreal in Canada, 1-3. 

Prediction

The boys from Canada are in excellent shape at home, and we expect to see them beat the pale Citizens. Simply, CF Montreal has a near-perfect record in front of its own fans, while on the other side, New York is terrible on the road. Even though they come to defend, we still don’t believe there is a chance for them to withstand the hosts’ pressure. That’s why we find the odds on CF’s triumph very generous. 

Pick: CF Montreal +115

 

More MLS previews:

• Minnesota United vs. Portland Timbers
• San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy
• St. Louis City vs. Colorado Rapids
• Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls
• Inter Miami vs. Austin FC