FC Cincinnati and New York City FC are set to ignite the 2024 Major League Soccer campaign with their best-of-three playoff series, kicking off on Monday night at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati, who finished third in the Eastern Conference, is gearing up for a showdown after a season of ups and downs. Despite a promising mid-season run of seven consecutive wins, they faltered, managing only four points in their last five matches.
On the other hand, New York City FC, who ended the regular season in sixth place, is a team that has shown resilience. They recovered from a slow start and had a mixed performance recently, winning three games before a disappointing 2-0 loss to CF Montreal. Historically, Cincinnati has dominated this matchup, losing only once in their last eight encounters with NYCFC, including a recent 3-2 victory earlier this month.
Cincinnati will be without key players like Matt Miazga and Nick Hagglund due to injuries, a significant blow to their lineup. Similarly, NYCFC will miss Justin Haak due to suspension. Given Cincinnati’s home advantage and strong track record against NYCFC, they are favored to win this opening match of the playoffs. Bet on FC Cincinnati to win.