New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls Prediction on November 23, 2024

Match info

One of the most thrilling encounters in North American men’s football is the “Hudson River Derby”, also known as the “New York Derby”, whose 30th edition will be within the 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs. We’ll preview Game 1 of a potential three games between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The match is set for Saturday, November 23, at 5:30 p.m. local time at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, New York, USA.

According to the betting odds of sites accepting football bets in dollars, the game will be quite tight, and neither team will be the clear favorite. To learn more about the upcoming NYC clash, we strongly recommend reading this preview.

Meeting statistics

The current form of New York City FC

In 2024, NYCFC lost only three games at home in all competitions. Their most recent defeat in New York came in September, when the Philadelphia Union crushed them 1-5. Considering that they were the ones who controlled the game, it was an unexpected loss. The “Pigeons” are unbeaten at home since that defeat, though, having drawn 1-1 with Inter Miami before defeating FC Cincinnati twice (3-2 and 3-1) and Nashville SC once: 3-1. Hence, they are light favorites in the derby, with odds of 2.22 on Casinoly. The Red Bulls are 3.00.

Since all four of New York City FC’s most valuable players are strikers, it should be no surprise that their offense is their most potent weapon. But their defense doesn’t seem that strong. They don’t appear to have a standout defender on the team other than their captain, Thiago Martins, who’s a pretty good center-back. With seven MLS assists, Tayvon Gray is the third most prolific assist-maker on the NYCFC team. However, the Jamaican right-back has performed far better offensively than defensively. The obvious question is whether the Red Bulls can exploit the fact that their rival’s defense may occasionally be a little porous.

The current form of the New York Red Bulls

After eliminating the MLS Cup winners from the competition, the New York Red Bulls advanced to the Conference semifinals.

After winning 1-0 in Ohio and defeating Columbus Crew on penalties at home in the rematch (after 2-2 in regulation), they took the series 2-0. The way “Metro” defeated the champions was the best aspect of the victory. After a goal by the Crew in the sixth minute of stoppage time, they forced penalties. The Red Bulls missed their first attempt and gave up the first goal in the shootout. In the end, they were able to win despite everything. Carlos Coronel, their goalkeeper, was their hero in the second game. He was equally outstanding in Game 1 against the Crew, saving eight shots on goal. The Paraguayan hasn’t been all that good, though, if we consider the 2024 Red Bulls campaign as a whole. They actually have a rather unstable defense, just like NYCFC. However, their offensive appears to be quite strong.

Head-to-head

The Red Bulls are leading the head-to-head with 15 victories. New York City FC won 10, and there were four draws. So, the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup on November 23 will be, as we said, their 30th meeting overall.

Match analytics

We predict that this match will conclude in a tie. We don’t anticipate this to be a dull event, though. Conversely, we anticipate many goals, at least one by each side, which is a combination that has rarely happened in the “Hudson River Derby”.

Tip: 1X2 & GG/NG – Draw & GG, with odds of 4.33 on Spinanga.