Chicago Fire vs. New York City – MLS, November 8, 2020

Chicago currently occupies the tenth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Fire must avoid defeat in their final regular season match to stand any chance of qualifying for the postseason.

Raphael Wicky’s side welcomes New York City to Soldier Field on Sunday, November 8. The Boys in Blue sit 13 points ahead of Chicago in the standings, so it won’t be an easy task for the hosts.

If you’re planning to wager on Sunday’s MLS clash, make sure you check out my Chicago Fire vs. New York City prediction and betting pick below.

Chicago (2.30) heads into this one as the bookies’ favorite, although the high price for the home win suggest that New York City (2.80) will be a tough opponent.

At first glance, I feel like the draw (3.60) offers great value here.

Remarkably, Chicago has failed to win any of their previous five outings. But it is important to remember that Wicky’s men have only suffered one defeat during that period.

Draws with Sporting Kansas City and New York Red Bulls came before a defeat to Philadelphia Union, but the Fire has since managed to keep their playoff hopes alive with two more draws against Nashville SC and Minnesota United.

Having taken a 2-0 lead on Wednesday, Chicago must have been dreaming of a victory over the Loons. However, the Fire conceded two second-half goals and eventually had to settle for another draw.

Of course, the team will be disappointed to have missed out on all three points. But at this stage of the season, even one point is precious.

With Robert Beric in seemingly unstoppable form, Chicago will surely fancy their chances of avoiding defeat against NYC. The Slovenian striker scored again on Wednesday, taking his tally to nine goals in his last 12 appearances.

All to play for on Decision Day. pic.twitter.com/CMjJ3TvUl6

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) November 5, 2020

Meanwhile, New York City has been gathering some serious momentum lately. Following victories over Montreal Impact and Toronto FC, the Boys in Blue extended their winning streak to three games with a 5-2 thrashing of the Red Bulls last time out.

A Valentin Castellanos hat-trick, along with goals from Gary Mackay-Steven and Alexander Ring, saw Ronny Deila’s men crush their cross-city rivals and cement a top-six finish in the process.

Only two teams in the Eastern Conference have won more games than NYC this season. The Bronx outfit endured a tricky start to the campaign, but now the team appears to be peaking at just the right time.

New York City beat Chicago 3-1 back in August, although I don’t think Sunday’s meeting will be a walk in the park for Deila’s men.

If results elsewhere go in their favor, the Fire could qualify for the playoffs with a draw on Sunday. However, there is no denying that Wicky will be desperate to claim all three points.

New York City’s destiny is already confirmed, but as far as Chicago is conferenced, it is still all to play for. The Boys in Blue will be tough to break down, but I can see the Fire coming away with a point.