- FC Cincinnati have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five MLS 2026 matches.
- Orlando City SC have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five MLS 2026 contests.
Cincinnati should send City packing with a loss
FC Cincinnati and Orlando City SC will put their recent resurgence to the test when they face off in a potential game of two sides going forwards on Saturday. Cincinnati sit 15th in MLS 2026 with 16 points from 12 matches while Orlando City are 27th with just 10 points from 12 games.
The hosts have won 3 of their five home games so far, drawing one and losing one. Cincinnati have won one and lost another of their two home fixtures since then and can justify their 63/100 favourites tag by capitalising on Orlando’s leaking away defence.
Orlando have only won one, drawn one and lost five of their seven away games in MLS 2026 so far, conceding an average of 3.57 goals per game in the process. Martin Perelman was brought in as interim boss to shake up the squad and he has done just that, moving away from the high-pressing 4-2-3-1 system of his predecessor towards something a little more attack-minded and flexible.
Side with the hosts to win and the goals to flow
This game will test the tactical philosophy of both clubs in a big way and we should see plenty of goals scored, with Cincinnati looking good to claim the win. Pat Noonan has been in charge since December 2021 and has moulded a side that likes to play through its wing-backs in a 3-5-2 system that uses vertical transitions and overloads wide to get at the opposition.
Orlando’s pressing game, which is sure to be in full flow on Saturday, should create some end-to-end action, although the lack of quality in their backline on their travels should be exploited by Cincinnati’s forwards. The only thing that holds us back from recommending a home win in the outright market is the fact that Cincinnati have not managed a home win against Orlando in their last three home fixtures.
Ojeda’s odds are too short
Evander Ferreira has been on a hot streak of late, scoring four of Cincinnati’s last seven goals, but Martin Ojeda is Orlando’s talisman with seven goals in 12 MLS 2026 games, including three in the last five. Kevin Denkey has seven in 11 appearances for Cincinnati and is a constant threat in the middle of the attack.
We’ll take our chances on FC Cincinnati to win and Over 2.5 goals at 13/50 and Both Teams to Score - Yes at 7/20 because of the open nature of the game and the fact that Cincinnati have a home advantage. Orlando’s recent results have been a 4-3 win over Philadelphia Union at home and a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United at home, while Cincinnati’s last three games have been a 2-2 away draw at Charlotte, a 3-5 loss at home to Inter Miami and a 3-3 draw away at San Diego FC.
