New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire – MLS, May 1, 2021

The Red Bulls head into Week 3 of the 2021 MLS season as the only team in the Eastern Conference without a point to their name.

That said, Chicago has only managed to pick up one point from a possible six so far.

Gerhard Struber’s men will be hoping to open their account for the new campaign when the Fire visits Red Bull Arena on Saturday, May 1.

After looking at the odds and assessing the teams, I will share my prediction and betting pick for New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire.

Regardless of RBNY’s poor start to the season, the top online betting sites favor the home side to come good and claim all three points on Saturday.

However, the price for the home win is notably high here.

Given that Struber’s team has kicked off the campaign with back-to-back losses, the attractive odds for the draw and the away win are bound to generate some interest.

Let’s get one thing straight – the Red Bulls have certainly shown glimpses of promise across their opening two games this term.

RBNY dominated possession and created more goalscoring opportunities than Sporting Kansas City on the opening weekend, only to throw away their lead and lose 2-1.

Once again, the Red Bulls enjoyed more of the ball last time and even chalked up 14 shots against the Galaxy. But they were ultimately outdone by a Javier Hernandez hat-trick.

Last weekend’s 3-2 loss was hard to take for Struber’s men. Goals from Andrew Gutman and Cristian Casseres kept them in the game before the referee turned down a late penalty appeal.

The Red Bulls may be without a point after two games. However, if they keep playing their game, the results will start to come.

On the flip side, Chicago’s season could not have gotten off to a better start.

Robert Beric and Luka Stojanovic both scored inside 11 minutes against New England on Week 1, giving their side a shock early lead. But the Revs were back on level terms before half-time – and the game eventually ended 2-2.

Stojanovic got on the scoresheet again last weekend, although he could not prevent a 3-1 loss to Atlanta United.

Raphael Wicky’s men showed great spirit to secure a draw with the Revs, but Atlanta outclassed them.

The Illinois club looks set for another testing season in the Eastern Conference, having already conceded five goals in two outings.

I think the Red Bulls can count themselves pretty unlucky to have come away from their first two matches without anything to show for their efforts.

I mean, they pushed Sporting KC and the Galaxy – arguably two of the strongest teams in the East – all the way, only to lose by one goal on both occasions.

In my eyes, the visit of Chicago provides Struber’s men with the perfect opportunity to register their first win of 2021. That’s why the home win is my RBNY vs. Chicago Fire pick.