Could we ask for a better Friday night match? The two top ranked teams in the Eastern Conference meet up in Houston. The Dynamo and Red Bulls will play each other in consecutive matches, the first of which will take place in Houston.
Currently the soccer odds have the Dynamo favored at +105,
with the Red Bulls at +215 and a draw at +215. If you shop around various
sportsbooks, you can find New York as high as +240.
Houston Dynamo
There's no team hotter than the Dynamo - theyhaven't been
beaten in seven consecutive matches.
Of those seven, five have been wins, including four straight
heading into Friday. Over the past three weeks, Houston has beaten DC United,
Kansas City, Montreal, and Toronto.
Since switching to a 4-3-3 formation, the goals have been
coming in bunches for the Dynamo. They've scored 11 goals during this four-game
winning streak.
Will Bruin's inclusion in the starting XI for this encounter
with the Red Bulls is in doubt because of a calf contusion. The Dynamo would
love to have him available considering he leads the team with 10 goals.
Either way, Houston's getting goals from other places to
soften the blow, with Brian Ching and Calen Carr scoring the goals in the most
recent win over the Reds. Midfielder Brad Davis, who has five goals and eight
assists this season, has been the heartbeat of the team, though.
New York Red Bulls
The Red Bulls have been in the headlines a lot lately,
primarily because of their recent pickup of designated player Tim Cahill from
Everton.
Cahill made his first appearance for his new club on Tuesday
in a 2-1 friendly loss to Tottenham and looked sharp. He figures to play some
part this weekend.
New York surely was disappointed with their 3-1 loss to
Montreal over the weekend, but they're still in first place in the East, one
point up on both Houston and Kansas City.
The Red Bulls are packed to the brim with talent, especially
with Cahill and another recent pickup, Sebastien Le Toux, on board, but it's
hard to ignore their away form. They've only won three of 12 matches away from
Red Bull Arena.
Regardless, you always have a chance to win when you've got
Thierry Henry on your side. Even at 34 years old, he's still the same class act,
as evident by his 11 goal and six assist tally in 16 MLS appearances on the
year.
MLS Pick
Clearly this is the most important match of the season for
each of this teams. A win for the Dynamo and they'll jump into the top spot,
while three points for the Red Bulls would provide them with more of a cushion.
Houston is playing better than anyone right now and that,
along with the fact they're at home, is which the Dynamo are favored for
Friday.
However, the Red Bulls should trot out a devastating
starting lineup and we believe they'll do enough to at least salvage a point.
That's even more true now that the Dynamo have adopted a more attacking
approach, which means they should be more vulnerable at the back.
What a game this should turn out to be, but it's just too
hard for us to a pick a clear winner. As such, we'll recommend playing on the
OVER 2.5 goals, with perhaps a small wager on the draw as well.
Houston
Dynamo 2 New York Red Bulls 2