- Across the last five games, New York Red Bulls have won two, drawn one and lost two, while Nashville SC have won two, drawn one and lost two.
- Nashville's form has improved of late, however, as a 0-1 home loss to Leon was followed by a 4-1 home win over Atletico de San Luis.
- Nashville SC have scored five goals in their last three away games, while New York Red Bulls have scored zero in their last two home games.
New York Red Bulls and Nashville SC have been in mixed form
New York Red Bulls and Nashville SC should produce an entertaining end-to-end game at the Sports Illustrated Stadium this week with Nashville's Sam Surridge leading the charge in front of goal. Both teams have shown inconsistent form so far in 2026 and this clash of styles - New York's all-out pressing, Nashville's counter-punching - looks a toss-up.
Nashville SC arrive as the narrow odds-on favourite here at 2.28, but New York Red Bulls are available at 2.7 and the draw 3.8, which is a wide range of prices for what could be a tight game. Both teams are in mixed form, with New York Red Bulls coming out of their five most recent matches with two wins, a draw and two defeats, while Nashville have the same record from their five most recent games.
Ibrahim Sekagya has done a good job in New York since taking over in 2 July 2022, maintaining Red Bulls' trademark high-energy identity even while the results have been lacking. But Michael Bradley's influence on the side late in 2025 has nudged the club towards an unusual hybrid of press-and-possession, where they play Red Bulls' brand of soccer, but with a cleaner build-up.
Surridge is the key to Nashville’s prospects
B.J. Callaghan has done a similarly good job since taking over at Nashville SC on 22 July 2024, but he has given them more of a tactical identity and a willingness to shape-shift for the opponent. They can sit deep or play a more controlled build-up depending on the fixture and are more dangerous than they appear because they have the ability to transition quickly and punish teams that commit too many men forward.
Their results across all competitions reveal more about the teams' underlying quality, with Nashville SC having won six, drawn two and lost only two of their past ten and New York Red Bulls with a record of four wins, one draw and five defeats. Nashville's most recent pair of results will be of particular interest as they followed up a 0-1 home loss to Leon in the CONCACAF Leagues Cup 2026/2027 by winning 4-1 at home to Atletico de San Luis.
Sam Surridge is Nashville's main man up front and is the leading scorer in MLS 2026 with 11 goals in 12 matches. He has scored three of Nashville's seven goals in their past five and the away side can get on a roll if he is in the mood.
New York Red Bulls’ pressing game should keep it tight
New York's game is all about pressing, recycling the ball and getting players in the box after turnovers. They will keep this game tight but Nashville have the extra quality and momentum to shade it, so we are taking the visitors in the match result market.
The goal markets are too tempting to ignore, however, with Over 2.5 coming in at 1.5 and BTTS: Yes at 1.42 indicating that this should be a goal-filled clash. Nashville SC have won once, drawn once and lost once on the road in all competitions, while New York Red Bulls have won twice, drawn once and lost three times at home. They have each scored freely in their recent respective homes and away games, so we're backing over 2.5 goals to be scored here.
