New England Revolution vs. DC United – MLS, November 1, 2020

Chad Ashston’s DC United secured a third straight win in midweek to propel themselves into playoff contention. The Black & Red visits Gillette Stadium on Sunday, November 1, with New England sitting eight points ahead in the Eastern Conference.

The Revs have endured an indifferent spell of late and have failed to win any of their previous three outings. But the visit of a rejuvenated DC team isn’t going to make life any easier for Bruce Arena’s side.

After discussing the bookies’ odds, I provide my New England Revolution vs. DC United prediction and betting pick.

Despite racking up three consecutive victories, DC United (6.00) is the bookies’ clear outsider here. The Washington outfit has enjoyed a miraculous turnaround in recent weeks, but the team is still struggling at the bottom end of the table.

The top online sportsbooks are expecting New England (1.44) to win on Sunday. However, DC will surely be confident of snatching at least a draw (4.33).

An eye-catching run of one defeat in seven games across late September and early October saw New England shoot up the standings. The Revs claimed four victories during that period – inducing a 2-0 win over DC – and also picked up four points from a possible six against New York City.

But things haven’t been going to plan lately. The team’s three-game winless run started with a defeat to Philadelphia Union, before Nashville held New England to a draw last weekend. On Wednesday, Arena’s men were beaten New York Red Bulls.

In fairness, the Revs can count themselves unfortunate to have come away from New York without anything to show for their efforts. New England dominated possession and created countless goalscoring opportunities, but Aaron Long netted a last-gasp winner.

Arena’s side has slipped out of the top six for the time being, but with such a solid defensive record, the Revs will be confident of regaining their place among the division’s top teams.

Three wins in 11 days ? pic.twitter.com/kuYp9upMZh

— dcunited (@dcunited) October 29, 2020

DC United looked dead a buried just a few weeks ago, but following the sacking of long-standing leader Ben Olsen, interim head coach Chad Ashton has overseen a spectacular revival.

The Black & Red managed to hold high-flying Philadelphia to a draw a fortnight ago, before clinching three straight victories over FC Cincinnati, Atlanta United, and Columbus Crew.

Remarkably, DC still has an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Earlier in the campaign, the chances of the team reaching the latter stages of the competition were extremely slim. But Ashton’s men have turned things around.

Still, DC has already faced New England three times this year, and the Revs have claimed two wins and a draw.

With DC United in flying form right now, the low price for the New England win doesn’t make sense to me. The Revs are the favorites for a reason, but there is no way the odds gap should be so big.

Ashton’s men are on a three-game winning streak, and while they may not be able to claim all three points on Sunday, I can definitely see them doing enough to grab a draw.